Then and Now — Cartwright Tunnel grew from the top down

From the east end, looking in. to the Cartwright Tunnel.

Hard Labor

More than 100 years ago, local farmers and ranchers hired on to dig by hand the Cartwright Tunnel for the Great Northern Railroad. It was part of its Montana Eastern Railway, an unfinished rail line that ran west of here in Montana. Using dynamite to loosen the rock and mule-pulled carts, the quarter-mile-long tunnel was carved through Badlands rock.

Reportedly a dollar a day hired these men to work 10 to 12-hour shifts to dig the tunnel. Obviously, they started at the top and worked their way down to get enough clearance for a train to pass through.
Photo from the Digital Horizons collection and the State Historical Society of North Dakota, William E. (Bill) Shemorry Photograph Collection (1-7-24-2).)

The Cartwright tunnel is 1,458 feet long and was built in 1912 and 1913

The Cartwright Tunnel is open for walk-through but take a flashlight if you go. It has a curve that does not allow you to see one end from the other. It gets dark. You can get to the tunnel on Highway 200, just a mile or so inside North Dakota from Montana. Walk through the Fairview Lift Bridge to get to the tunnel. It’s a fun family adventure.

Because it is in danger of collapsing, it may be closed soon if money is not provided to restore the deteriorating features.

Here is where to find more on the Cartwright Tunnel

Click here to read what you can do to keep it open

Here is more on the Cartwright Tunnel

Like a look back at the past? Here is another “Then and Now” you might like.

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Mike Kopp

Love to tell stories -- romantic, nostalgic stories of our explorations in the Northern Plains. 15 years a television reporter/anchor, 12 years radio news director, 3 years newspaper editor, 6 years documentary producer -- a lifetime of communication.