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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:00 am 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 7:37 pm
Posts: 279
Though not technically a branch line (but was one under the RDG banner in the past), the Middletown & Hummelstown RR in PA has a quarter mile of in-street trackage they still use to reach their NS/Amtrak interchange in Middletown.

K.R. Bell


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:25 am 

Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm
Posts: 1227
The only street trackage I know of left in the Seattle aria is a few blocks in the Georgetown district where a UP switching lead runs down an alley. All of the industries that were served by street trackage are gone.


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:40 am 

Joined: Sat Aug 25, 2007 12:45 am
Posts: 1010
In the railfanning section, ParisHill has been posting photos and video of the Schuyler Street in Utica, NY, for example:
Winter Street Running Woes, Utica, NY


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 9:49 am 

Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:54 am
Posts: 1019
Location: Califoothills / Midwest Prairies / PNW
Some of the locations mentioned here are also listed on this web blog, which illustrates over 40 locations, mostly just stating a street in a town.
http://mapamericana.com/2018/03/20/street-running-where-rails-meet-roads/

I know of several other locations, most notably the former Oregon Electric mainline in several locations, in service by the Portland and Western Railroad:

Junction City, OR
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.2181492,-123.2035175,3a,75y,332.24h,91.72t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1subxrupXrXcG28Mti1vpU4A!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Harrisburg, OR
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.271987,-123.1695446,3a,75y,176.78h,90.04t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sSaY7MVl3vxOhuVl9DjGi0g!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Albany, OR
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.6396273,-123.0922818,3a,75y,96.62h,93.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sL-UrMO-8FZCZj44xKVMCCA!2e0!7i13312!8i6656

Salem, OR
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9487097,-123.0380823,3a,15.3y,14.41h,88.01t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sW6ImfW7cEApV0zHx_MChPg!2e0!7i13312!8i6656
and
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9557127,-123.0346505,3a,75y,190.32h,91.54t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1sV3sZe6NKve8URqH2Dh47ow!2e0!7i13312!8i6656


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:05 am 

Joined: Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:54 am
Posts: 1019
Location: Califoothills / Midwest Prairies / PNW
John T wrote:
The only street trackage I know of left in the Seattle aria is a few blocks in the Georgetown district where a UP switching lead runs down an alley. All of the industries that were served by street trackage are gone.


I thought the Ballard Terminal was still in business. I don't know the pedigree of this track, but it is interesting and in an extremely busy urban environment. With all that street trackage, it makes sense that someone wanted to run a trolley line on it. An Oporto car and a couple streetcar bodies inside this area are not in very good shape after sitting many years.
https://www.google.com/maps/@47.6614383,-122.3731228,3a,38.9y,59.71h,84.21t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1ss3XzDVJuwkhTpOZSXd7o-Q!2e0!7i16384!8i8192


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:49 am 

Joined: Sat Nov 28, 2015 7:28 pm
Posts: 545
Location: Northern WV
I was sure someone would mention the street running in Ashland, VA although it's a main line, not a branch line.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=449dss90vJM

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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:58 am 

Joined: Sat Aug 21, 2004 10:50 pm
Posts: 216
Location: www.easttroyrr.org
I also noticed that. The South Shore line in Michigan City is a main line as well.


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 12:22 pm 

Joined: Thu Aug 26, 2004 2:50 pm
Posts: 2815
Location: Northern Illinois
Note the original message said "railroads and branch lines." I think the original poster thought branch lines was all he would find these days. Little did he know.

Here's a question. I just saw a picture of Thurmond, WVa. go by on the major web media (MSN.) Thurmond is famous for having its downtown buildings fronting the C&O mainline with only the sidewalk in between. Question is, is the C&O in a street right-of-way? Was it ever a dedicated street in the early days?

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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 1:42 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 11482
Location: Somewhere east of Prescott, AZ along the old Santa Fe "Prescott & Eastern"
WVNorthern wrote:
I was sure someone would mention the street running in Ashland, VA although it's a main line, not a branch line.


I thought the distinction we were making was "tracks in the pavement of a street that a car can drive down on top of" versus "a railroad running down a street in its own separate right of way, with curbs and crossings."

Ashland, and many other places not mentioned yet, are the latter.

Oakland, Erie, Michigan City, etc. are/were the former.


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:38 pm 

Joined: Wed Dec 24, 2014 3:15 pm
Posts: 594
Has anyone mentioned Tyrone PA? The old PRR line runs right through the middle of the town. K4 1361 made many excursions to Tyrone in the late 1980’s.

https://youtu.be/9zALF8GVzmE


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 2:49 pm 

Joined: Wed Jan 20, 2016 1:15 pm
Posts: 1477
Something that is somewhat on topic... Illinois Railway Museum is creating a “Main Street” using historic buildings to create a proper setting for trolleys and trolley busses to operate.

IRM is on their way to becoming way more than a railway museum and more of an outdoor history museum like Greenfield Village. Watching them grow even in the past 10 years is simply inspiring.


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:31 pm 

Joined: Sun Sep 14, 2014 5:05 pm
Posts: 1227
You are right. I forgot about the Ballard Terminal RR. That is a stretch of old Great Northern industrial track.


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 6:59 pm 

Joined: Fri Dec 22, 2017 6:47 pm
Posts: 1398
Location: Philadelphia, PA
Getting back to J3a-614's post about the CNJ cars and Sharon couplers, CNJ actually had chains and hooks next to the draft gear on many of their cars. I never saw the chains used in regular service.

CNJ also used HEP for lighting on most of their suburban cars, with power generated on the locomotive. (steam engines had big turbogenerators on their tenders)

CNJ ran through trains with RDG between Harrisburg and Jersey City, Philadelphia and JC and Scranton and Philadelphia which could have either road's engines and baggage/express cars from any road. RDG engines (including 2101) did not have HEP so CNJ's interchange cars all had their own axle-driven generators and battery powered lights (and A/C). I don't know about the couplers.

A/C on the suburban cars was at the discretion of the passenger: whether to open the window or not.

On the street running thread, P&R/RDG's Main Line was located in the bed of 7th St. in Reading, but in my day it could not be used by road vehicles but did have sidewalks. That is still the case; it is NS' access to the East end of Reading Yard for trains from the Philadelphia area and has a single track.

Phil Mulligan


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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Mon Aug 19, 2019 10:00 pm 

Joined: Wed Feb 24, 2010 8:21 pm
Posts: 534
Location: Danbury, CT
Lake Street
Shreveport, Louisiana
Kansas City Southern

Still in use.

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 Post subject: Re: Surviving Street running branch lines
PostPosted: Tue Aug 20, 2019 12:22 pm 

Joined: Sun Aug 22, 2004 1:51 pm
Posts: 11482
Location: Somewhere east of Prescott, AZ along the old Santa Fe "Prescott & Eastern"
Crossed my feed today: Lewistown, Pa. on the Juniata Valley. Photo by Gage Bishop, shared by North Shore RR (operators of the JV).

Image


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