Why street running?

[BRAKIE]

Garry,I have railfan/visited my wife's sister in LaGrange, KY and I was wondering if that restaurant was the one that had/has the CSX burger? That was a delicious burger.

 

[Heartland Division CB&Q]

Larry ... I believe it is the only restaurant on Main Street in LaGrange, KY... The food is good and the prices are reasonable. I did not have the burger. ... It is only about a mile from the I-71 exit. .... Watch out for railfans who eat there ! .... LOL 

[chatanuga]

BRAKIE

Here's the  variation of street running here in in Bucyrus,Ohio that Tom mention. Today NS runs tank trains over this line as well as the CF&E local and a CSX grain train...

And yes,you can drive down that lane in the  right side of the photo..

This was PRR's Ft.Wayne Line between Crestline and Ft. Wayne.

 

 

Looks like the Spring Street crossing.  Sad how that route went from a busy double-track mainline to the state it's in now.  At least it's still in use.

Kevin

[stevej]

G'day,
Street running was not that common here in Australia.
But, there were and still are locations where it occurred.
The Queensland Railways North Coast main line running along Denison Street in Rockhampton is probably the most famous.
Originally double track, this is today single track, and extends for almost 2 kms along Denison Street.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/48429/QR%201605%20Denison%20St%2028%20aug%201990.JPG

A siding also ran along Stanley Street to a wharf, but that was removed many years ago.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/48429/QR%20DH%2006%20Stanley%20St%20Rocky%2027%20Aug%201990.JPG

The main line curves into Denison Street from Rockhampton yard and station.
Rockhampton being the northern extent of electrification from Brisbane, locos shunt into the street.
At the northern end of Denison Street, the line curves to run beside North Street to cross the Fitzroy River.
Bells are not a general facet of Aussie motive power.
QR loco crews were given a hand bell which was rung outside the cab window during transit of the street.
But, this practice was stopped back in the early 1990s.
Train speed is a max of 25 kph while traversing the street.
Road traffic can travel at a max of 50 kph.
And it is common to see kids on pushbikes attempting to race the trains on week-ends.
Plus, the screech of tires as motorists attempt to beat the train to cross at an intersection.
It was proposed to relocate the main line away from the street when further electrification was mooted.
The luxury Sunlander and Queenslander trains traversed the street as does the QR Tilt Train today.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/48429/qr%202323%20denison%20street.JPG

Port Pirie in South Australia also did originally feature main line street running.
Queensland also features a vast network of sugar cane tramways, and some street running occurs.
Probably the most famous of those was the Moreton Mill network at Nambour.
The network featured a shared road / rail bridge, and 1.25 km of street running along Howard and Mill Streets.
The intersection with Currie Street, which was originally part of the Bruce Highway, was very hectic.
Empty trains departing the mill would need to stop at the mill road entry until the traffic lights changed.
The loco second person running out into Mill Street to watch the intersection lights and then signal the train.
Loaded trains climbing towards the mill would be usually banked and could not stop without a potential derailment.
The traffic intersection lights circuit out far enough to permit the lights to change in favour of the approaching train.
The loco second person then jumping off to sprint ahead of the train to change the yard points if necessary.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/rrpa_photos/48429/Moreton%20Mill%20St%20Nambour%2016%20oct%202003.JPG

Sadly, Moreton Mill was closed in late 2003.
Other sugar cane tramway street running still occurs.
Trains and vehicle traffic sharing streets does seem to be an incongruity.
Trams (streetcars) and vehicle traffic sharing streets being far more common.
Steve.

[SeeYou190]

My favorite piece of (sort-of) street trackage is in Mulberry, Florida.

This location hates me. I have driven there to photograph this trackage and the nearby Phosphate Museum, but it has been raining or severely overcast both times.

One track crosses the road East to West, and the other track runs parallel to the road but crosses from one side to the other. This results in a crossing in the median.

It is a beautiful piece of trackwork, and I will get an image one day.

-Kevin

[davidmurray]

Here in Oshawa, Ontario, Canada we had street running until late in the 1990's.  It started as Oshawa Street railway hauling cargo from the harbour  a few miles to business downtown.  A few miles, but we are talking horse and buggy days.

This evolved into CN with a freight depot downtown, and then General Motors fabrication plant and some lumber yards on north getting service.  This was via mainline interchange.

General Motors was big in Oshawa, and part of the track was paved as streets were expanded due to population growth.

GM paid the tax on the tracks in order to get the service.  When the Fabriction plant was sold, the new owner refused to pay the taxes, CN tore out the tracks, the plant closed about 5 years later.  (2004)

 

[Tinplate Toddler]

With the exception of a few rather seldom used industry sidings and some narrow gauge lines, street running pretty much ended shortly after the begin of the 20th century, where railroad lines were put on viaducts, with shops underneath. However, streetcars still run in the streets, although some of the lines either were put underground or moved to their own right of way.

[BRAKIE]

Tinplate Toddler

With the exception of a few rather seldom used industry sidings and some narrow gauge lines, street running pretty much ended shortly after the begin of the 20th century,

Perhaps where you live but,street running is being done in several areas including Ashlad Va, and LaGrange Ky.

Both of those locations has railcams that can be watched on you tube. 

[Tinplate Toddler]

BRAKIE

Both of those locations has railcams that can be watched on you tube.

I know - I have watched those webcams a number of times, wondering how many accidents may have happened in the last, say, 100 years. It must be a nightmare for the town folks!

[BRAKIE]

Tinplate Toddler

It must be a nightmare for the town folks!

Indeed a big old GE AC44CW or SD90MAC must look like Mothra coming down the street.  It must be a nightmare for the train crews as well.

With my current health issues I no longer drive and the only railfaning I do these days is on railcams.

[chatanuga]

Went down to La Grange, Kentucky three years ago.  Might not have the volume of trains like I see in my favorite spots around Ohio, but it was worth the trip.

Kevin

[Randy Stahl]

The conductors couldn't forget to lock the toilet rooms at these locations. 

[BRAKIE]

Randy Stahl

The conductors couldn't forget to lock the toilet rooms at these locations. 

 

Indeed.. Back in the day when you flushed the toilet it landed on the right of way.

According to a sign on the batroom wall by the commode:

Passengers will refrain from flushing toilet while stop at a station.

[Randy Stahl]

Imagine the outrage if it got flushed in the Chicago elevated !

[Tinplate Toddler]

... and the rather exotic version of trains running in a street:

[Tinplate Toddler]

More street running:

[rws1225]

Lots of interesting comentary on street running here.  Some of the railroad history books I have read indicated that in the early days some towns would give a railroad the rights to certain streets for right of way so that the station would be in the center of town.  Apparently this was good for business because nearly all travellers in the mid-1800s arrived by train.  The issues with automobiles and freight trains began 60 or 70 years later.

[Tinplate Toddler]

More street running - food for thought

[ericsp]

caldreamer

The Southern Pacific now Union  Pacific line in Santa Cruz California runs down the middle of  the street through downtown.

 

UP sold that a few years ago, to the county or some government agency. They have contracted with a few operators but they do not seem to last long. The current one wants out.