Primitive Archer

Main Discussion Area => Around the Campfire => Topic started by: osage outlaw on April 28, 2020, 09:05:50 am

Title: Abandoned railroad pictures
Post by: osage outlaw on April 28, 2020, 09:05:50 am

Yesterday the family and I went on a hike and ended up on an abandoned section of train tracks.  It was a beautiful place.  I looked into the history of that track and found some cool information.  It covers a distance of 7,012 feet rising 412 feet in elevation to achieve a grade of 5.89 per cent, the steepest incline of any standard gauge, line-haul railroad track in the country.  When it was first opened in 1841 teams of horses would pull train cars up the hill because the locomotive engines weren't powerful enough to do it.  We found a spot where it would stop and let off passengers who worked at a state mental hospital.  There was just some broken steps and a path that led up the hill to the hospital.

(https://www.nps.gov/nr/travel/madison/photos/Stroll%20on%20Incline,%20JCHS.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/nrdXsl5.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/ZZwHpmM.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/XiO4hos.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/Ucrpb4g.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/CaNAGCO.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/OJ7A9QW.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/hUVGVBc.jpg)

(https://i.imgur.com/K7MGZPK.jpg)

Title: Re: Abandoned railroad pictures
Post by: DC on April 28, 2020, 09:41:27 am

That's strange that the steel is still there. You'd think a salvage company would have grabbed that. Nice pictures :D

Title: Re: Abandoned railroad pictures
Post by: Hawkdancer on April 28, 2020, 11:55:13 pm

Very nice history comparison!  Change is constant -  progress is optional!  I remember taking the train from Missouri to Idaho for a summer job in '58. The trains don't do that anymore!
Hawkdancer

Title: Re: Abandoned railroad pictures
Post by: bjrogg on April 29, 2020, 04:48:23 am

There a lots of abandoned railroad tracks around the country. Really kind of a shame. The farm I grew up on had one running through it. When they put it in my grandpa sold them the land for 1 dollar. After they abandoned it and took the steal rails, they sold it back to us for $1,500 a acre. Along with all the rotten wooden ties. There’s still a tressel that goes over the creek. I’d be willing to wager that it’ll still be standing there in another 100 years.

Really neat place Clint. I’m also surprised that they didn’t take the rails.
Bjrogg

Title: Re: Abandoned railroad pictures
Post by: JEB on April 29, 2020, 05:52:45 am

Maybe one day it will be converted to rail to trail. We have hundreds of miles of them in Michigan.

Title: Re: Abandoned railroad pictures
Post by: neuse on April 29, 2020, 07:05:18 am

That is really cool, glad you found some history on it.