Abandoned Railroads

[SteveG1988]

I figured since there are tons of these around, might as well see what we can dig up.

For example in NJ you have the NX Draw, abandoned since the 80s and possibly the 70s with no tracks leading upto it



Or you have this abandoned rail line in wildwood Nj (there is another one north of NJ147 too)

Bing used for birds eye view purposes. Do not hurt me for that one

http://binged.it/tOB0CD

Or this abandoned jersey central rail line over NJ72

http://binged.it/roLFtW

[NE2]

Bing used for birds eye view purposes. Do not hurt me for that one

Huh?

[SteveG1988]

Bing used for birds eye view purposes. Do not hurt me for that one

Huh?

Some people do not like bing at all...and complain about links to their mapping software. the don't hurt me was a joke.

[NE2]

Fuck the complainers.

[US71]

There is an abandoned railroad ROW west of Mansfield, AR
http://binged.it/stiVoD

And a nice bridge near Hartford

[Takumi]

My town has two. One has been gone much longer than I've been alive. Part of it has been a park as long as I can remember. The other one used to run behind my neighborhood but was abandoned in the 80s. I vaguely remember a bridge over it being torn up and replaced with solid roadway when I was really young. VA 144 still has a bridge over the ROW just west of the I-95 exit. I'll get pics of both this weekend.

[Hot Rod Hootenanny]

There are abandoned railroads, then there are abandoned railroads.

This pile of stones was to have been a bridge support for a railroad over Alum Creek, next to Kilbourne Ohio. The supports for this bridge were constructed in 1850. Alas, the crossing beams were never built as the railroad company (in this case the Springfield-Mt. Vernon-Pittsburg[h]) ran out of funding and stopped construction as is.

[ghYHZ]

Here's the former railroad yard at the ferry terminal in Port-aux-Basques, Newfoundland. You can see the outline where the RR tracks have been paved over.





All cargo is now handled by truck but until 1988 when the railroad was abandoned, it arrived in freight cars brought over from Nova Scotia on railroad ferries. (Here you can see the RR track embedded in the ferry ramp) The track in Newfoundland was narrow-gauge (3'-6"  vs: 4'-8 1/2" ) so when the standard gauge cars arrived, they would be jacked-up, the wheel-sets replaced with narrow-gauge ones and off they would go across the island.      

[Lightning Strike]

You can see the abandoned Grand Rapids Railroad as you travel US-31 in Michigan, especially in Petoskey, where they keep the old railroad crossings downtown. If I hadn't read a historical placard saying that the railroad was abandoned I would've said it was still running, the tracks are still in a good shape.

[vdeane]

There's the Hojack Swing Bridge.  It's either a beautiful historic bridge or an ugly monstrosity and a navigational hazard depending on who you ask.

http://rocwiki.org/Hojack_Swing_Bridge

[triplemultiplex]

I posted this one before I believe, but this is a piece of abandoned railroad at its junction with an old alignment of US 41/M28 east of Covington, MI.


Northern Wisconsin is crisscrossed with abandoned railroads built during the great lumber boom.  I know of many places where one needs 4 wheel drive to travel an old spur into the woods that saw its last train a century ago.  And I know of others that are barely walkable due to the growth of vegetation.

Literally thousands of miles of abandoned railroad live on in Wisconsin as Rail-Trails.  I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure we invented that in this state.

[NE2]

Literally thousands of miles of abandoned railroad live on in Wisconsin as Rail-Trails.  I might be wrong, but I'm pretty sure we invented that in this state.

Maine had a (privately owned by the Niben Club) rail trail in 1902 http://historical.mytopo.com/getImage.asp?fname=oron02sw.jpg&state=ME http://historical.mytopo.com/getImage.asp?fname=bang02se.jpg&state=ME
This was the first railroad in Maine, built by the Bangor and Piscataquis Canal and Railroad Company in 1836 and abandoned in 1870 in favor of a new line along the Penobscot River.

[Brandon]

Even here in Chicagoland, the railroad capital of the US, we have some abandoned railroads.  Most of ours have become trails: Joliet Junction Trail, Great Western Trail, Illinois Prairie Path, and more.

[The High Plains Traveler]

Then you have the railroad lines that haven't been formally abandoned, but are out of use and so are used to store rail cars. I can think of several of these in Colorado, including the Royal Gorge route up the Arkansas River through the mountains that has not been used west of Royal Gorge for 15 years. About a year ago, driving up U.S. 50 we had to endure the visual assault of a steady line of stored rail cars across the river from the highway. I'm a little surprised UPRR was allowed to do this, since this limited the mobility of bighorn sheep that inhabit the canyon and the mountains on either side (the canyon is named Bighorn Sheep).

Every summer we go to South Fork, which is on U.S. 160 at the eastern base of Wolf Creek Pass. At one time, the town of Creede, about 25 miles up CO-149 from South Fork, had a major mine, and there was a Denver and Rio Grande Western standard-gauge rail line leading into it from South Fork. When the mine closed in the late 1980s, the rail line fell into disuse. It continued to be used up to South Fork from the east until a lumber mill there closed down. (This is one of those tracks with lines of stored cars on it, between South Fork and Del Norte to the east). While staying there this summer, at an RV park near the Rio Grande bridge and the railroad crossing over CO-149, I had a chance to ask about activities I had observed over the past five years or so. Between South Fork and Creede, the old railroad crosses the highway several times. The crossings had been paved over, but a few years back I noticed they had been restored. My conversation with the guy at a small station that has been moved there indicated that this is an activity of a historic railroad restoration association that has incorporated itself as the Denver and Rio Grande Western Railroad.

This association has been slowly restoring the track north from South Fork and offers rides in small self-propelled rail maintenance cars. The tracks would not currently support a full-weight train. Eventually, they want to have the track rebuilt to Creede and be able to offer trips using cars drawn by full-size locomotives. Sitting on the track by this station is a turn of the 20th century-vintage Pullman car. Creede has a nationally renowned repertory theater that operates during the summer, one reason we go there, and this would be one possible draw to attract riders from South Fork.

I wish them luck, but it looks like the cost of restoring this track will be significant.

[roadman65]

In New Jersey you have lots of abandoned railroads.

NJ 36 has the defunct CNJ Keansburg Branch along its route near the Earle Navy Base.
The old PRR Spring Lake Branch is a trail from Allaire to around NJ 34.
The defunct Rahway Valley Railroad from Aldene to Summit.
The Lehigh Valley RR has an abandoned tunnel near Pattenburg, NJ.

Florida has some in Polk City, Haines City, and in Winter Garden along FL 438.

[webfil]

A couple of railfans set up a KML file containing actual and historical Québec province railroads.

http://quebecrailwaymap.webs.com/

[hobsini2]

I remember there used to be a RR line that ran between Oshkosh and Ripon WI that used to actually be a junction with US 41 between Hwy K and 9th Ave. The line still exists up to about where it crossed 20th Ave. East of there is only a abandoned ROW that lead into the quarry along Osborn Ave. My grandparents used to live a block from Osborn and Mason on Kensington Ave (2nd house west of Mason St). We used to take walks along those old tracks up to the shopping area on Koeller St.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

It is still on google maps. Zoom in to Oshkosh near US 41 and Hwy 44.

[mgk920]

I remember there used to be a RR line that ran between Oshkosh and Ripon WI that used to actually be a junction with US 41 between Hwy K and 9th Ave. The line still exists up to about where it crossed 20th Ave. East of there is only a abandoned ROW that lead into the quarry along Osborn Ave. My grandparents used to live a block from Osborn and Mason on Kensington Ave (2nd house west of Mason St). We used to take walks along those old tracks up to the shopping area on Koeller St.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

It is still on google maps. Zoom in to Oshkosh near US 41 and Hwy 44.

That Milwaukee Road branch originally went all the way into downtown Oshkosh.  It originally crossed the river on a bridge parallel to the former SOO bridge and mixed in with the SOO and CNW trackage in the yard that was where the old Park Plaza Mall is now.  After some time, the SOO and MILW bridges were combined into one with MILW using trackage rights on the SOO's structure.  The line between the bridge (including a small interchange yard) and the current end of the track by US 41, including the at-grade US 41 crossing, was abandoned sometime in the early 1980s.

MILW had a similar branch that snaked its way deep into Fond du Lac as well, ending at a concrete batch plant along Scott St just east of Main St.

Mike

[D-Dey65]

The closest thing to an abandoned railroad in Medford, New York, are the abandoned sidetrack over NY 112, and a few abandoned spurs between NY 112 and the rickety Horse Block Road bridge. The nearest truly abandoned lines are the segment of the Port Jefferson Branch that used to go out to Wading River, and the Manorville Branch.

Hernando County, Florida is a whole different story. Besides the Withlacoochee State Trail, which enters from Pasco County into Ridge Manor and leaves in Istachatta to go to Citrus County, you've got at least two heading northeast from the CSX Brooksville Subdivision, one of which is now part of the incomplete Good Neighbor Trail, which when complete is supposed to go from Brooksville to the Withlacoochee Trail in Croom.

Another section of abanoned railroad that spans from the CSX Brooksville Subdivision can be found at the truck weigh station along US 98 just northwest of Hernando CR 485.

Another abandoned spur went west of Brooksville, but there are no signs of it today.

[Dr Frankenstein]

A couple of railfans set up a KML file containing actual and historical Québec province railroads.

http://quebecrailwaymap.webs.com/

Love. this.

I really should go and shoot around the abandoned CSX line between Beauharnois and Adirondack Jct, Kahnawake.

[oscar]

In Florida, US 1 down to Key West was originally built on a rail line abandoned after it was trashed by a hurricane in 1935.  US 1 was later moved to a largely new alignment, from which you can still see some of the old bridges (most notably the remains of a long through truss that was too narrow for a road, so the road was built on top of the truss). 

In Alaska, the McCarthy Road east of Chitina, and the Copper River Highway east of Cordova, were both built on the right of way of the old Copper River and North West (mocked at first as the "Can't Run and Never Will") railroad hauling copper ore from the Kennecott mine to the port of Cordova until both the railroad and the mine were abandoned in 1938.  The east end of the Cordova segment of AK 10 crosses the Copper River on the recently-restored Million Dollar Bridge built for the railroad circa 1910.  The McCarthy Road also has a notable bridge crossing high above the Kuskulana River (before guardrails were added, it was high on "scariest bridge" lists).

Parts of HI 19 north of Hilo were built on the bridges and ROW of a railroad abandoned after the 1946 tsunami.  You can still see many of the bridges from the more or less parallel Mamalahoa Highway (very twisty and narrow, compared to the straighter railroad grade), which was replaced circa 1960 by HI 19. 

[abc2VE]

My town has two. One has been gone much longer than I've been alive. Part of it has been a park as long as I can remember. The other one used to run behind my neighborhood but was abandoned in the 80s. I vaguely remember a bridge over it being torn up and replaced with solid roadway when I was really young. VA 144 still has a bridge over the ROW just west of the I-95 exit. I'll get pics of both this weekend.

This again; I remember when the city tried to convert one into a bike path but was shot down due to two communities not being fond of each other.

[mdbeaster]

I remember there used to be a RR line that ran between Oshkosh and Ripon WI that used to actually be a junction with US 41 between Hwy K and 9th Ave. The line still exists up to about where it crossed 20th Ave. East of there is only a abandoned ROW that lead into the quarry along Osborn Ave. My grandparents used to live a block from Osborn and Mason on Kensington Ave (2nd house west of Mason St). We used to take walks along those old tracks up to the shopping area on Koeller St.
http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&tab=wl

It is still on google maps. Zoom in to Oshkosh near US 41 and Hwy 44.

That Milwaukee Road branch originally went all the way into downtown Oshkosh.  It originally crossed the river on a bridge parallel to the former SOO bridge and mixed in with the SOO and CNW trackage in the yard that was where the old Park Plaza Mall is now.  After some time, the SOO and MILW bridges were combined into one with MILW using trackage rights on the SOO's structure.  The line between the bridge (including a small interchange yard) and the current end of the track by US 41, including the at-grade US 41 crossing, was abandoned sometime in the early 1980s.

MILW had a similar branch that snaked its way deep into Fond du Lac as well, ending at a concrete batch plant along Scott St just east of Main St.

Mike

I don't suppose you have any more details on said MILW branch in FdL? I grew up there in the 90s. My parents grew up in the 50s/60s and don't remember this line, though they weren't really rail fans. I've seen exactly where it went on old maps and I've even noticed a hump in the road bed of Cotton St where the line went. Interestingly, there is a house on the north side of the street that is directly on top of the ROW and it looks like it's been there for some time. I wonder when these tracks were removed.

Sorry for the old thread resurrection.

[jp the roadgeek]

Have the (mostly) abandoned New Haven-Northampton Farmington Canal line in my area.  Much of it has been turned into a linear trail that is part of the East Coast Greenway.  Some pieces still exist as an abandoned rail line.  Here is such an example of where the trail ends and the railroad track still exists (look closely at the road).

https://goo.gl/maps/1FVVND8ynN52

[Max Rockatansky]

In Florida, US 1 down to Key West was originally built on a rail line abandoned after it was trashed by a hurricane in 1935.  US 1 was later moved to a largely new alignment, from which you can still see some of the old bridges (most notably the remains of a long through truss that was too narrow for a road, so the road was built on top of the truss). 

In Alaska, the McCarthy Road east of Chitina, and the Copper River Highway east of Cordova, were both built on the right of way of the old Copper River and North West (mocked at first as the "Can't Run and Never Will") railroad hauling copper ore from the Kennecott mine to the port of Cordova until both the railroad and the mine were abandoned in 1938.  The east end of the Cordova segment of AK 10 crosses the Copper River on the recently-restored Million Dollar Bridge built for the railroad circa 1910.  The McCarthy Road also has a notable bridge crossing high above the Kuskulana River (before guardrails were added, it was high on "scariest bridge" lists).

Parts of HI 19 north of Hilo were built on the bridges and ROW of a railroad abandoned after the 1946 tsunami.  You can still see many of the bridges from the more or less parallel Mamalahoa Highway (very twisty and narrow, compared to the straighter railroad grade), which was replaced circa 1960 by HI 19.

Yes...US 1 but not the original Overseas Highway which was finished in 1928.  Basically it ran from Florida City along Card Sound and occupied the south bound lanes of modern US on Key Largo.  The original road ran next to the rail road to Lower Matecumbe Key where it took a ferry to No Name Key.  Basically the first Overseas Highway took Watson Road over Big Pine to Little Torch Key where it ran on Old SR 4A.  The original highway ran just north of the rails to Sugarloaf Key where it took a coastal turn and jumped over to Geiger Key.  From Geiger Key the original highway took Boca Chica Beach to Stock Island where it entered Key West with the railroad.  By 1935 the state of Florida had gotten enough money to build the gap from Lower Matecumbe to Big Pine alongside the Overseas Railroad.  That's when the 1935 Labor Day Hurricane hit and basically damaged the railroad enough that the state of Florida bought the right-of-way on the cheap.  At roughly mile marker 73 you can see the concrete piers that were being put in for a bridge from Lower Matecumbe Key, in fact the tiny island next to it is called Veteran's Key because the workers were WWI vets.  So basically whenever you see a SR4A sign somewhere take note because it's the original Overseas Highway designation long before US 1 ever left Miami.  You can still see a ton of the original highway alignment next to the rail alignment from Sugarloaf up to Big Pine on Goggle Maps.

Well....now that I've said all that, here is my go-to site for abandon rail finds:

http://www.abandonedrails.com/