Half Moon Trestle?

[Boyd]

I found a picture of it while wandering on Google. I'm not finding much up to date info on this RR line that I think is in Idaho. Is it still in service? It sure looks like a great spot to take pictures.

[DSchmitt]

Half Moon Trestle is on a section of the Camas Prairie Railroad that was abandoned in 2000. A portion of it is visible from a spot on US Highway 95 between Lapwai (east of Lewiston) and Grangeville. It was featured in the 1975 movie Breakheart Pass. The Camas Prairie Idaho's Railroad on Stilts by Hal Riegger was published in 1986 by Pacific Fast Mail. The book includes an interview, about the movie, with retired Camas Prairie engineer Bill Clem. --------------- The Camas Prairie was owned jointly by the Northern Pacific (later Burlington Northern) and the Union Pacific, almost from its beginning in the early 1900's. It operated with both NP (later BN) and UP locomotives. BN and UP diesels were often run together.

[Rader Sidetrack]

While the Grangeville branch of the former CSP was abandoned, the rails were only partially removed from the branch. It is my understanding they are still in place on Halfmoon trestle and up to Cottonwood ID.

A photo of Halfmoon from better times ...

Photo linked from this site: http://bridgehunter.com/id/lewis/bh56259/

The highway visible in the valley in the photo is US 95.

A small portion of the Grangeville branch is used for car storage.  More on the operation here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/BG%26CM_Railroad#cite_note-9

[tree68]

I would assume that this is the place:  N 46.32466 W 116.57382.

Another interesting note, based on looking at the satellite and topo maps, is that the ROW visible just alongside the road, well below the trestle, is the same line, having doubled back on itself, in a tunnel, just a few miles south:  N 46.29967 W 116.59043.  There appears to be several hundred feet difference between the trestle and the bottom of the valley.  

No wonder there were helpers on the train.

It's possible that the burned trestle mentioned in one of the linked articles is here:  N 46.31488 W 116.57931