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Post by thebigham on Jul 31, 2019 21:24:54 GMT -5
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Post by thebigham on Dec 16, 2019 18:44:07 GMT -5
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Post by thebigham on Jun 18, 2020 11:58:05 GMT -5
RR Museum of PA Research dept.
717 687-8628, extension 3010
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Post by thebigham on Dec 26, 2020 23:21:00 GMT -5
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Post by thebigham on Jan 23, 2021 11:26:50 GMT -5
Allan McConaghay and I hiked to the location of a 100 foot thru truss bridge that stood at Germania Station outside of Galeton. It was the only sizable bridge between Galeton and Wharton. It had sandstone abutments just like Black's bridge just north of Galeton on the Wellsville line. Last train was in 1956 when the Burrows line was abandoned.
Penn Pilot photo that shows the bridge over the creek.
B&S map of the bridge at Germania
Grade leading up to the bridge
Sandstone abutment
Close up of the sandstones
The "Galeton" side of the bridge is missing its abutment
Grade near the abutment, The bridge would be up ahead.
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Post by thebigham on Jan 23, 2021 11:31:35 GMT -5
Today I hiked the B&S grade on the Finger Lakes Trail near Centerville, NY. I found 4 concrete culverts still in use!
Culvert #1
Culverts labeled on Acme Mapper. Download for a better resolution.
This topo map has the B&S grade on it.
Trains would be Buffalo bound through here. The grade is in great shape!
A deep cut
Culvert #2
Culvert #3
The grade on top of culvert #4. This was a high fill.
Culvert #4. This was the highest fill.
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Post by thebigham on Jan 23, 2021 11:33:58 GMT -5
I did more hiking of the B&S today near the Centerville, NY, station area. ~113 year old culverts still doing their job.
Culvert #1 along Thomas Road
Culvert #1 along Thomas Road
B&S grade on top.
Culvert #2 along Swift Hill Road
Culvert #2 along Swift Hill Road
Culvert #2 along Swift Hill Road
B&S grade on top.
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Post by thebigham on Jan 23, 2021 11:35:54 GMT -5
I hiked B&S Road in Freedom yesterday. It's driveable from Rt. 98 to the abandoned County Line Road at the border of Cattaraugus and Allegany counties. I found one concrete culvert and one pipe that I think is original B&S.
Grade on top of the culvert
That looks original to me
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Post by thebigham on Jan 23, 2021 11:38:14 GMT -5
Bad news. The large concrete culvert on the B&S' Buffalo extension near the Weaver Road in Centerville/Hume has collapsed. Thanks to Dave Copeland who first told me about it and thanks to Jim Pomeroy who showed me where it was. First built in 1903-1906. It lasted about 115 years.
Jim Pomeroy pic
2018 visit
2020 visit
Grade now gone on top of the culvert
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Post by thebigham on Jan 23, 2021 11:41:38 GMT -5
I explored two culverts on the B&S' Buffalo extension on April 7. The first culvert is at Wesley on Tucker Hill Road. Wesley was the next station after Rushford. The second culvert is close to Fairview Road just before the top of the northbound grade at Pixley Summit.
Culvert near Wesley
B&S grade on top of the culvert.
Arrow points to the culvert. This is private property.
Culvert near Fairview Road
Culvert near Fairview. I was shooting into the sun.
Red arrow points to the culvert.
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Post by thebigham on Jan 23, 2021 11:42:50 GMT -5
I've never really explored the abandoned WAG grade south of Sabinsville. Allan McConaghay and I last week stopped at East Summit. It's right next to Route 349. We found a few ties still in place. The B&S had a passing siding here with room for 84 cars. Does anyone have pictures of a train at East Summit?
Penn Pilot photo of East Summit. Top right goes to Sabinsville.
B&O track chart. Milepost 156.5
Look at the sharp curves before East Summit.
Looking north.
Rt. 349 is to the left.
A few ties still in place.
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Post by thebigham on Jan 23, 2021 11:49:09 GMT -5
WAG on the exNYC track they bought in 1964 when the NYC abandoned their track from Elkland to Westfield. The sign to the left of the F unit is still in place. Allan McConaghay and I asked permission from the home owner to take pics. Thanks to Tiarnan Ferry for noticing the sign.
October 1972. Notice the sign to the left of the F unit.
The sign today
Painted white without raised lettering.
Sign attached to old rail.
Attached the sign to the rail with this.
How old is this do you think?
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Post by thebigham on Jan 23, 2021 11:51:39 GMT -5
One cut stone abutment survives from the bridge outside Westfield along Rt. 49. It was a 133-foot thru lattice bridge like the ones at Galeton, Wharton, Caledonia and Costello.
Hiding in the brush
Up close
Model Railroad magazine article
Martin Zak photo. February 1972.
April 14, 1975
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Post by thebigham on Jan 23, 2021 11:54:25 GMT -5
Allan McConaghay and I found a friendly homeowner along Rt. 439 near Davis on the Elkland branch who gave us permission to hike the exWAG grade behind his house. We found the WAG grade in good shape as an access road. We came across a good sized stream that went under the grade with metal pipes. I laughed that surely the B&S/B&O/WAG did not just use a metal pipe for this stream. I looked at the pipes and one sure enough looks like a B&S pipe! I checked the B&S 1919 Val map when I got home and it showed a 48" x 25" cast iron pipe used for Blue Run!
WAG grade is now an access road
The big pipe in a B&S pipe
The 1919 B&S Val Map shows the "C.I.P." used for Blue Run
They've added more pipes for Blue Run
Cinders along the road
Topo map that shows Blue Run.
The B&S Gurnee Branch went up Bend Gully
What may be the Gurnee Branch grade. I'm standing on it.
What may be the Gurnee Branch grade straight ahead
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Post by thebigham on May 3, 2021 9:44:22 GMT -5
Allan McConaghay and I walked into Cutler Summit on March 8th. Some of the grade is gone due to the farm field being enlarged onto the right of way. The cut as the grade descends to Newfield Jct. is heavily overgrown.
The grade right off Newfield Jct. Road
WAG train at the switch for the passing siding
A 1987 visit
A 2020 visit
The grade went through a cut just before the C&PA wye. It's overgrown with brush
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