1953 - Pennsylvania Turnpike Tunnels- improved video

For all you tunnel fanatics out there!

This version has better color and detail than the one I uploaded a year ago. The music ought to sound familiar to most baby boomers. Originally shot on 16mm film. The tunnels appear much, much darker than they really were - the film was formulated for shooting in daylight and wasn't sensitive enough to pick up the dimmed light of the tunnels' interiors.

Some of these tunnels are no longer in service - portions of the turnpike were rerouted during the 1960s and their tunnels abandoned. Today they're enjoyed by hikers and bikers.

Notice that in 1953 all these tunnels had only one tube, through which ran traffic in both directions. Today every working tunnel has two tubes, one for each direction.

There's many more of Grandpa's movies on my channel - please visit! Also visit http://www.webnik.com/homemovies

Category:

Travel & Events

Tags:

• pennsylvania
• PA
• turnpike
• tunnels
• tunnel
• tuscarora
• blue
• sideling
• rays
• kittatinny
• interstate
• highway
• abandoned
• 1953
• David
• Rose
• Holiday
• Strings
• Abandoned
• 1950s
• Studebaker
• Home
• Movie
• Grandpa
• Road
• Cormac
• McCarthy
• Vig
• Mortenson
• Film

[bluetheta]

Really nice restoration work. Do that for any other movies you might have (dont need to be posted), so they can be preserved.

[robertwmartens]

@bluetheta I have already preserved and posted many other films by my grandfather. Just look them up on my channel! username: robertwmartens

[QuanticChaos1000]

Were they driving a Studebaker?

[robertwmartens]

@QuanticChaos1000 My grandfather was always drove Buicks - but does something in this movie make you believe that it was filmed from a Studebaker? If so, please tell me, thanks!

[robsemail]

This is very nice, and the music works great with it. I wish I knew more about working with video, but I think that there are free software pkgs that will stabilize this video beautifully, at the expense of jagged edges. It's the same type of software used to stabilize the Zapruder film some years ago. I think running that type software on this film would really bring out the scenery, except of course at the edges.

[robertwmartens]

@robsemail Thanks for the idea! I'll look into it.

[59squire]

WOW, real cars built in America by Americans, no Japorean tin. What a great country we used to be.

[rando714]

Maybe Pennsylvania should abandon the Pirates too...

[timmyb58]

This is soooooo coooooool. Thanks for sharing this amazing video!!!

[NewYorker591]

Tooo bad those tunnels are lost and forgotten.......... Laurel Hill, Rays Hill and Sideling Hill were all forgotten. Even the Cove Valley Travel Plaza was forgotten.

[01bdowne]

I love these "every day life" old movies. Really is like looking through a window in time. Thanks for sharing!

[MooPotPie]

"Holiday For Strings" … perfect choice of music for this!!! Only 4 of the original 7 tunnels are in use today.

[form109]

i love old highways!....its too bad this stretch is abandoned and forgotten today....EXCELENT vid.

[SebiStudios2]

Pretty good camera for 1953.

[kosmo2cat]

Me too, Pal! I say that CONSTANTLY! I was born in the wrong time....



[kosmo2cat]

This video is GREAT! I was out to see the abandoned 13 mile section and the two abandoned tunnels (Rays Hill & Sideling Hill) twice. Each time I walked that old busted up road, I imagined in my mind a scene identical to what I see in your video....old cars whizzing by - - old music playing----on a carefree Sunday afternoon in the 1950s. Your grandparents were brilliant to have filmed this in '53!