Neither rain, hail, sleet nor snow will keep irreverent urban explorer Bob Diamond from leading his wildly popular tunnel tours.
With summer coming to a close, Diamond vowed to continue to lead the tours—even through the winter.
“I’m just going to keep on going. As long as there are people who want to see it, I’ll keep leading the tours,” he said.
“Winter—why not? We did some in the snow last year,” Diamond added.
Diamond, the founder and president of the Brooklyn Historic Railway Association (BHRA), is the re-discoverer of the tunnel, on Atlantic Avenue between Hicks and Court streets.
The tunnel, located 30 feet below the asphalt, keeps a constant temperature of 65 degrees all year, Diamond noted.
The tours routinely attract over 100 of Brooklyn’s most daring.
“The tours are fantastic. It really warms my heart to see that there is a huge amount of interest in this historic site,” he added.
The tunnel, built in 1844 as a route between New York Harbor and Boston, was sealed up and abandoned in 1861. It is the subject of a planned documentary called “The Tunnel.” A DVD teaser has been released, and filming could begin soon.
Diamond believes an old steam locomotive is buried within one of the tunnel walls, and said he is excited at the prospect of filming its excavation.
Diamond will lead his next public tour of the tunnel on Sunday, September 14 at 1:30 p.m. Call 718-941-3160 for reservations and information. Flashlights and comfortable shoes are recommended. For more information about the BHRA, go to www.brooklynrail.net.
