old railroad infrastructure along amtrak routes

[yarrow]

i suppose my favorite old railroad infrastructure along an amtrak route is the semaphores in the raton area. the snowsheds on marias pass, old signals and signal bridges, the rockwork on retaining embankments, the hand dug tunnels coming up the east face of the rockies toward the moffat tunnel and on and on. what are some of your favorites, large and small, known and unknown

 

[Bob Dylan]

The Huey Long Bridge in New Orleans,the Pecos High Bridge on the Sunset Route and the old bridge over the Mississippi in East St. louis where you can see the Arch and downtown St. Louis lit up!

Others include The Horseshoe Curve in Altoona, the old MoPac tracks down the middle of Mopac Expressway ( allegedly) in Austin and the old SP Route between Sacramento and Donner Lake/Pass.

And the old Stations, whatever the Road, but especially the Grand Union Stations and the Spanish Style ones in California whether SP or Santa Fe!!

 

[TinCan782]

All along most any route, the disconnected sidings and branch lines of days past!

 

[xyzzy]

The southeast doesn't have a lot of them, but on the route of the Crescent I'd mention the causeway across the mouth of Lake Pontchartrain and Wells Viaduct immediately south of Toccoa, Ga. On the route of the Silvers and the Auto-Train, there's the segment in RIchmond, Va. where the tracks run in the middle of I-195 and the bridge over the James River. And one that people don't see because the Sunset Limited is truncated? The crossing of the Mobile and Tensaw Rivers -- not because it's a great view, but because of the fine engineering work done in the 1870s to create a straight, fast, and flood-resistant route through mile after mile of swamp and bayou.

 

[Alexandria Nick]

The Capitol Limited can't be beat between DC and Pittsburgh. There's the scars of the old B&O everywhere, the vast facilities that are reduced, the empty Western Maryland ROWs, the C&O Canal, then the mile upon mile of what's left of Pittsburgh's hulk. Whole abandoned cities along that route.

 

[FormerOBS]

When I was growing up, the railroad that I identified most closely with, was the old Baltimore and Ohio (B&O). The Capitol Limited route between Pittsburgh and Washington was as much home to me as the briar patch was home to Bre'r Rabbit. When I started working for Amtrak , one of my earliest assignments was diner service on the Capitol. One winter morning it was still pitch black outside when we started serving breakfast on an eastbound run. I knew we had gone through Pittsburgh and McKeesport on time because I was getting up at the time, but it was too dark to trace our progress. I was pretty sure we were past Connellsville. One of our customers asked me where we were, and I replied that I wasn't sure, but I thought we were nearing Confluence, PA, and I'd tell her more when I had better information. Not five minutes later, she gave a shout and announced to one and all that she had just seen the Confluence Lumber Company!

The B&O tunnels show their age, with heavily weathered concrete portals. I especially like Sand Patch Tunnel at the crest of the Alleghenies; and I like the Magnolia Cutoff east of Cumberland, which features four tunnels and two crossings of the Potomac River. The cutoff was built about 100 years ago to eliminate several much sharper curves, plus the very restrictive Doe Gully Tunnel, which was eliminated back then. Many traces of the old line can still be seen if you know where to look. There have been recent upgrades to that line, so I'm not sure of the current status of those old features.

There are several locations where you can see traces of the old Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

Harpers Ferry is a unique place that stands out, as well as the Point of Rocks station and the 19th Century shop buildings at Martinsburg, WV.

Old timers sometimes called the B&O the "Best & Only".

Tom

P.S. Nick: Great minds run in the same ruts (or on the same tracks).

 

[TinCan782]

The Capitol Limited can't be beat between DC and Pittsburgh. There's the scars of the old B&O everywhere, the vast facilities that are reduced, the empty Western Maryland ROWs, the C&O Canal, then the mile upon mile of what's left of Pittsburgh's hulk. Whole abandoned cities along that route.

I"ll be on the CL (both directions) in a few months...looking forward to it!

 

[FormerOBS]

Eastbound tends to be best. More of the best scenery in daylight hours.

Tom

 

[railiner]

To my eyes, the advanced engineering of much of today's Northeast Corridor infrastructure designed by the PRR. Things like the 'flyovers' and 'subway's that grade-separated crossing tracks, the Dock Bridge over the Passaic River at Newark, NJ, the multiple track mains, and position-light signals, the few remaining signal towers, the Hell Gate Bridge, the catenary support,..many of the distinctive stations like Newark, 30th Street Philadelphia, Baltimore, Pittsburgh, Chicago, and many more...

 

[rrdude]

Man, this thread hit the nail on the head for me. I think that is one of the PRIME reasons I enjoy traveling by train, what one sees along the way, that "at one time" had such a different impact than the relics that one witnesses today.

WHERE did that branch line go? WHAT was in that old warehouse? WHAT did this town look like in it's heyday? HOW many trains called at this little stone station in the 1930's? WHO built that bridge/tunnel/factory/etc., etc? WHY did the railroad take this route, and not that? WHEN was the last passenger train? (The answer is often April 30, 1971) WHAT was traveling by train like, thru this little burg, in 1942?

It's something that that either is native in your conscious, or not, as I have tried on many occasions, to get my kids to ask those questions, even other adults........

 

[I always rode the Southern]

When I was growing up, the railroad that I identified most closely with, was the old Baltimore and Ohio (B&O). The Capitol Limited route between Pittsburgh and Washington was as much home to me as the briar patch was home to Bre'r Rabbit. When I started working for Amtrak , one of my earliest assignments was diner service on the Capitol. One winter morning it was still pitch black outside when we started serving breakfast on an eastbound run. I knew we had gone through Pittsburgh and McKeesport on time because I was getting up at the time, but it was too dark to trace our progress. I was pretty sure we were past Connellsville. One of our customers asked me where we were, and I replied that I wasn't sure, but I thought we were nearing Confluence, PA, and I'd tell her more when I had better information. Not five minutes later, she gave a shout and announced to one and all that she had just seen the Confluence Lumber Company!

The B&O tunnels show their age, with heavily weathered concrete portals. I especially like Sand Patch Tunnel at the crest of the Alleghenies; and I like the Magnolia Cutoff east of Cumberland, which features four tunnels and two crossings of the Potomac River. The cutoff was built about 100 years ago to eliminate several much sharper curves, plus the very restrictive Doe Gully Tunnel, which was eliminated back then. Many traces of the old line can still be seen if you know where to look. There have been recent upgrades to that line, so I'm not sure of the current status of those old features.

There are several locations where you can see traces of the old Chesapeake and Ohio Canal.

Harpers Ferry is a unique place that stands out, as well as the Point of Rocks station and the 19th Century shop buildings at Martinsburg, WV.

Old timers sometimes called the B&O the "Best & Only".

Tom

P.S. Nick: Great minds run in the same ruts (or on the same tracks).

Add a 3rd. Before moving to Fl, the Cap was my home train(pre Amtrak it was an "I can't remember/or unnamed PRR" that went through Pgh to Cinncinati.)

I am glued to the window, the minute I board that train. Even in the early morning darkness I can see the shadows of the rr structures and old mills.

Not long after moving here, I went to the estate sale of a former Fra official and picked up a whole box of photos showing many old stations and buildings, I think most along the silver routes. They are fascinating to me.

 

[TinCan782]

Man, this thread hit the nail on the head for me. I think that is one of the PRIME reasons I enjoy traveling by train, what one sees along the way, that "at one time" had such a different impact than the relics that one witnesses today.

WHERE did that branch line go? WHAT was in that old warehouse? WHAT did this town look like in it's heyday? HOW many trains called at this little stone station in the 1930's? WHO built that bridge/tunnel/factory/etc., etc? WHY did the railroad take this route, and not that? WHEN was the last passenger train? (The answer is often April 30, 1971) WHAT was traveling by train like, thru this little burg, in 1942?

It's something that that either is native in your conscious, or not, as I have tried on many occasions, to get my kids to ask those questions, even other adults........

Very well stated. Describes me looking out the window of the train.

 

[FormerOBS]

The chance to see old preserved steam locomotives beside the tracks is also a highlight for me, although many are in poor condition. Some locations that come to mind are Elkhart, IN (New York Central 3001), Galesburg, IL (Burlington Route 3006), and Havre, MT (Great Northern 2584). There are lots of others.

 

[Karl1459]

The chance to see old preserved steam locomotives beside the tracks is also a highlight for me, although many are in poor condition. Some locations that come to mind are Elkhart, IN (New York Central 3001), Galesburg, IL (Burlington Route 3006), and Havre, MT (Great Northern 2584). There are lots of others.

Add SP 1785 at Woodburn OR, and possibly a delerect looking Heisler between Oakland and San Jose CA.

 

[PaulM]

... the empty Western Maryland ROWs, ...

Whoa! Who told you it's empty?

 

[benjibear]

There was a steam engine along the tracks near Birmingham Alabama along the Crescent.

 

[PaulM]

And one that people don't see because the Sunset Limited is truncated? The crossing of the Mobile and Tensaw Rivers -- not because it's a great view, but because of the fine engineering work done in the 1870s to create a straight, fast, and flood-resistant route through mile after mile of swamp and bayou.

And the only way to see it was by train, other than by errant tow boats of course.

 

[Bob Dylan]

On the Texas Eagle/ Sunset Ltd route you have a Santa Fe steamer @ the Santa Fe Rail Museum in Temple, Texas ( Amtrak Station is here) and a SP Steamer by the Sunset Station right on the Platform in San Antonio!

 

[TinCan782]

On the Texas Eagle/ Sunset Ltd route you have a Santa Fe steamer @ the Santa Fe Rail Museum in Temple, Texas ( Amtrak Station is here) and a SP Steamer by the Sunset Station right on the Platform in San Antonio!

I've seen both...BTW, the museum at Temple is really nice. Enjoyed it both times there.

 

[FormerOBS]

East of Big Pool, MD, the Western Maryland RR is mostly intact in one form or another. From Big Pool west, the Western Maryland right of way that is visible from the Capitol Limited route, is mostly abandoned and converted to a hiking/biking trail. The Western Maryland Scenic Railroad uses part of this line, but very little of that section is visible from the Capitol Limited. So the right of way does exists and it's not vacant if you think a hiking/biking trail means "not vacant".

Tom

 

[Big Iron]

One of the things I miss seeing are, for lack of the proper word, the "ticklers" that hung down over the tracks warning the brakemen that a low clearance was coming up. Back in the day when the brakemen rode the roof on freight trains. I used to see them back in the dome days of the CL, actually back in the B & O days of the CL.

Also, the Folly Mills Bridge which can be seen Southbound on I-81 a few miles after getting off I-64. Part of an abandoned B & O branch to Lexington, VA.

 

[TinCan782]

One of the things I miss seeing are, for lack of the proper word, the "ticklers" that hung down over the tracks warning the brakemen that a low clearance was coming up. Back in the day when the brakemen rode the roof on freight trains. I used to see them back in the dome days of the CL, actually back in the B & O days of the CL.

Term "tell-tale" is what I've heard used.