I was down at the Historical District yesterday researching another matter and came across this old trolly line crossing....a curve on a straight....5ft gauge. These tracks were laid in the late 1800's. Some further "poking around" reavealed that the tracks are still there. They just paved over them.
Interesting Crossing
- Thread starter Vic
- Start date
Cool, that's how I wowed my beloved...I was her escort back to Bible College and we took a train along the old NYC mainline beside the Hudson river. I would point out to her the old foundations of signal towers, water towers, stations and weedgrown roadbeds of long abandoned mainline and siding trackage, knowledge she found intriguing coming from someone who had never been there before. Musta worked, 13 years and 2 little ones later, she's still here.
Thanks for posting the trackage Vic. Did you notice any old poles that the overhead may have hung from??
Sorry Chris....no poles. I haven't dug into this yet but from what I was told by a local historian the trolly line was owned by the electric company. They had a seperate generating plant for the trolly line. The old trolly barn burned to the ground about 10-12 years ago. It was being used by a company that makes bar-b-cue grills as a warehouse. I was called on to assist in the fire investigation. Arson was suspected but never proven.
Actually, the trolly line has some connection to the matter that I have been researching along with some friends of mine who are into the history of our town. We are trying to find the orginal boundries of a huge park that existed in the late 1800's. A trolly from downtown ran out to the park. Before it was electrified a "steam dummy" was used to pull open air cars out and back to the park. The picture below is a postcard view of the park from 1905. Around 1915 the park was closed because of the "Spainish Influenza" epidemic. The park was a commerical venture and never fully recovered from this set back and was redeveloped for houses around the early 20's.
Unfortunately, in the haste of progress much of the history of our city has not been preserved. Of course, the major things like the Civil War and other notable historical things, such as famous homes are preserved but the little things like the park and the trolly line were not given any thought and allowed to pass into obvlivion.
Actually, the trolly line has some connection to the matter that I have been researching along with some friends of mine who are into the history of our town. We are trying to find the orginal boundries of a huge park that existed in the late 1800's. A trolly from downtown ran out to the park. Before it was electrified a "steam dummy" was used to pull open air cars out and back to the park. The picture below is a postcard view of the park from 1905. Around 1915 the park was closed because of the "Spainish Influenza" epidemic. The park was a commerical venture and never fully recovered from this set back and was redeveloped for houses around the early 20's.
Unfortunately, in the haste of progress much of the history of our city has not been preserved. Of course, the major things like the Civil War and other notable historical things, such as famous homes are preserved but the little things like the park and the trolly line were not given any thought and allowed to pass into obvlivion.
Attachments
Neat project, Vic. Hope you find the answers. If it's like geneology, every answer comes with at least two new questions! If your lookin' for eye witnesses, you better hurry!
Originally posted by jon-monon
Neat project, Vic. Hope you find the answers. If it's like geneology, every answer comes with at least two new questions! If your lookin' for eye witnesses, you better hurry!
LOL Jon!!, Not just 2....more like dozens
and those "eyewitness" just sit and drool and want to know when lunch will be ready!!! But seriously, that's the stumbling block....anyone who would remember the park would have to be over a 100 years old.BTW...Our oldest citizen passed away last week
She was 115 years old Her birthdate of 1889 was documented
Great photo VIc - thanks so much for posting it. It's great to get a close-up look at that brickwork. Here as well all the brick around the streetcar tracks has been paved over, but at least we still have 'em.
Val
Val
I wish...
...I had a camera at work when they started tearing up the old siding behind our building. The railhead was determined to remain unearthed. Who knew CSX was gonna revamp all the RR X-ings (and remove the odd lots of abandonned rail and crossings long paved over during the decline)?
When I see these things and images I think about the many people, industries and services performed.
Neat Vic.
Thanks.
Mark
...I had a camera at work when they started tearing up the old siding behind our building. The railhead was determined to remain unearthed. Who knew CSX was gonna revamp all the RR X-ings (and remove the odd lots of abandonned rail and crossings long paved over during the decline)?
When I see these things and images I think about the many people, industries and services performed.
Neat Vic.
Thanks.
Mark
That's cool Vic. Thanks for the additional shots.
I once had the good fortune to have a former transit worker as the owner of the closest hobby shop (sadly now out of business). He gave me a lot of pointers on streetcar (ie trolley) tracks that I used on my first diorama. Here's a shot of the tracks with the bricks lined up just like in your photo.
I also found out from him that the space between the 2 tracks is called the "Devil strip". Cool, huh?
Val
I once had the good fortune to have a former transit worker as the owner of the closest hobby shop (sadly now out of business). He gave me a lot of pointers on streetcar (ie trolley) tracks that I used on my first diorama. Here's a shot of the tracks with the bricks lined up just like in your photo.
I also found out from him that the space between the 2 tracks is called the "Devil strip". Cool, huh?
Val
Attachments
The "Devil Strip"???????
The trolly pole jumps off the overhead wire and the conductor has to get out and put it back on....He is overheard to say..."Awww, THE DEVIL!, with this thing!"
The trolly pole jumps off the overhead wire and the conductor has to get out and put it back on....He is overheard to say..."Awww, THE DEVIL!, with this thing!"