This is the South Hills Rail Junction as it looked in 1906, shortly after the tunnel was built. All Port Authority traffic to the South Hills came through this tunnel. It was, and may always be, one of the busiest intersections in the city.

In the photo above, note the old Castle Shannon Railroad passenger train chugging along on the hillside above the junction. Prior to 1904, this low-guage railroad, once used primarily to ship coal to the city, was the best transportation alternative offered to commuters traveling from the south. The billboard on the hillside advertises home sales in the "suburb" of Brookline, touting the 15-Minute trip to town via the new trolley service.

For over 100 years, there has been a constant stream of trolleys, buses and light-rail cars rolling by on their way to Brookline, Beechview, Carrick, and numerous other destinations in the South Hills. The tunnel, built under Mount Washington, and the transportation opportunities it presented to South Hills residents was directly responsible for spurring development in these southern communities. The photos below show the Junction from various angles during different eras.