Portage, Pennsylvania files criminal charges against Norfolk Southern

[dwil89]

An article in a Pa Newspaper reported that the Borough of Portage, Pennsylania which is about 20 miles west of Altoona has filed public nuisance charges against NS...because ballast and riprap has been falling off of Railroadoverpasses in the Borough and onto streets. After several attempts to contact NS went unreplied, Portage decided to take legal action. I tried to post a direct link, but was unsuccessful, so I will post a link below to a Yahoo Group where I posted the article in public message archives. Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown

[Anonymous]

Sounds like a another case of: "We "don't" want to hear about your stupid problems".
It is the Railroads falt if someones windshield gets shattered from falling Railroad Ballast.

[jeaton]

Did NS have to spend a night in the pokey or were they able to post bond?

[oskar]

what's riprap and they have bridges in Portage????!!!! I have been there for McDonalds I didn't see any bridges.





kevin

[ajmiller]

There's some low height rail overpasses there in the town that you can't see from the McDonalds. In fact there's a number of these stone arch overpasses all along route 53 between Cresson and South Fork.

[oskar]

now I remember




kevin

[mudchicken]

oskar:

Rip-rap is clean crushed rock (as opposed to rubble) bigger than 3 1/2 inches in diameter (football sized up to Volkswagen sized) used for Hillside stabilisation, riverbank protection, drainage and a host of other things. Smaller than 3 1/2 inches and you are down into various gradations of ballast.

Not sure I buy into the newspaper or Mr. Kehn's side of the argument. Would love to hear the railroad's side of the issue.

[Modelcar]

...If rock is sliding down the fill from the ballast and onto the street near one of the stone arch bridges....in the town, and NS will not respond, I don't blame them for trying to bring the problem to a head even if it requires legal means.

[dwil89]

There are two overpasses in Portage...Rte 164 is right across from that McDonalds...it goes up into Portage and under the Railroad...There is another overpass about a block over..next to the Portage Station Museum.....These overpasses are where the problem lies....There are 7 more Railroad underpasses between Cassandra and Summerhill. One in Cassandra itself on Main Street, another on 53 between Cassandra and Jamestown, another on 53 in Wilmore, 1 on 160 in Wilmore, and 4 on Tunnel Street between Wilmore and Summerhill...this is a road that turns off 53 near the Mail Pouch Barn....There is also an underpass in Gallitzin under tracks 2 and 3, ..2 underpasses in Cresson...Rte 22 and another to Sankertown....and another on Beech Road in Mineral Point.....Dave Williams http://groups.yahoo.com/group/nsaltoonajohnstown