▁the ▁cut off , ▁heavy ▁west bound ▁coal ▁trains , ▁bringing ▁anth rac ite ▁coal ▁from ▁Sc r anton , ▁required ▁push ers ▁to ▁be ▁added ▁in ▁three ▁different ▁locations — La Pl ume , ▁Nich ol son , ▁and ▁Hall st ead — once ▁they ▁got ▁past ▁the ▁top ▁of ▁the ▁grade ▁at ▁Clark s ▁Sum mit . ▁ ▁The ▁new ▁line ▁elimin ated ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁these ▁additional ▁engines ▁and ▁cre ws , ▁not ▁to ▁mention ▁that ▁these ▁trains ▁no ▁longer ▁needed ▁to ▁stop ▁for ▁the ▁push ers ▁to ▁be ▁added . ▁ ▁The ▁C ut off ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁a ▁manner ▁similar ▁to ▁that ▁of ▁the ▁L ack aw anna ▁C ut - Off ▁in ▁New ▁Jersey ▁that ▁had ▁opened ▁in ▁December ▁ 1 9 1 1 . ▁ ▁This ▁is ▁not ▁surprising ▁as ▁the ▁chief ▁civil ▁engineer ▁on ▁both ▁projects ▁was ▁George ▁J . ▁Ray . ▁ ▁But ▁unlike ▁the ▁New ▁Jersey ▁C ut - Off , ▁which ▁used ▁rein for ced ▁concrete ▁in ▁all ▁its ▁structures , ▁the ▁Pennsylvania ▁C ut off ▁used ▁other ▁materials ▁( such ▁as ▁br icks ) ▁as ▁well . ▁Indeed , ▁the ▁brick - lined ▁Nich ol son ▁T unnel ▁( ▁long , ▁located ▁at ▁M ile post ▁ 1 6 0 ) ▁is ▁the ▁only ▁tunnel ▁on ▁the ▁cut off , ▁and ▁the ▁only ▁brick - lined ▁tunnel ▁ever ▁constructed ▁by ▁the ▁L ack aw anna . ▁ ▁Nevertheless , ▁the ▁most ▁significant ▁structures ▁on ▁the ▁line , ▁the ▁vi ad uct