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A Lackawanna Cutoff Rebuild Update

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A Lackawanna Cutoff Rebuild Update
Posted by Flintlock76 on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 5:21 PM
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Posted by Overmod on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 7:00 PM

The problem remains exactly where it was a decade ago.  $32M for Roseville Tunnel just to extend service to Andover is a ridiculous misappllication of funds.  $32M on the way to serving the state line across from Stroudsburg: that makes some sense.  Connecting the dots from Stroudsburg to Scranton, whether or not you use Amtrak as the bi-state operator, opens up a great deal of interesting opportunity, particularly as most of the route would be inherently 79mph capable.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 7:17 PM

I wonder in what shape the two 100 year old big concrete bridges are in?

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Posted by Leo_Ames on Wednesday, April 13, 2022 9:47 PM

Pristine, I bet.

It's salt that's the prime culprit to damaging and eventually killing concrete arch bridges. So these giants aren't likely to have suffered anything but some cosmetic decay.

I imagine there's a lot of confidence from actual experts through the years about their stability for this long saga to have continued to progress (Albeit at a near glacial pace).

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Thursday, April 14, 2022 7:48 AM

MidlandMike

I wonder in what shape the two 100 year old big concrete bridges are in?

 

Aside from some cosmetic issues supposedly the old Lackawanna concrete viaducts over the Paulinskill and the Delaware are just as solid as the day they were completed.  Darn near American pyramids when you come down to it, the Lackawanna built those bridges for the ages. 

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Thursday, April 14, 2022 7:51 AM

Overmod
$32M for Roseville Tunnel just to extend service to Andover is a ridiculous misappllication of funds.

Um, at the risk of offending some people it's New Jersey Mod-man, you know as well as I do where a lot of the money's going to go.  Whistling

It is what it is, as the saying goes.  At least something's  being done.  

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Posted by MidlandMike on Thursday, April 14, 2022 10:05 PM

I remember seeing some cement spalling at the Tunkhannock Viaduct, but apparently it is not a big deal.  Here is some discussion on the Paulinskill Viaduct.

http://lists.railfan.net/erielack-digest/199811/msg00062.html

 

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Posted by Overmod on Friday, April 15, 2022 5:25 AM

Flintlock76
Um, at the risk of offending some people it's New Jersey Mod-man, you know as well as I do where a lot of the money's going to go.

Kiddo, you know as well as I do that the final bill is going to be far north of $32 million.  What I meant is that spending all that money just to run a stub-end commuter train a few miles further into suburban New Jersey is a misallocation when NJT surely has better uses for the capital.

Now, I am familiar with the idea that Roseville would be improved to facilitate restoration of the west end of the Cutoff, coordinated with whatever efforts Pennsylvania makes for service west and north from Stroudsburg.  In that context, it would be a reasonable 'investment'.  Perhaps now that the floodgates of funding are supposed to be coming open, we can just anticipate restoring 'the rest of the Cutoff' and this silly Andover business can be let go of.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, April 15, 2022 9:15 AM

Overmod
Kiddo, you know as well as I do that the final bill is going to be far north of $32 million.

And how!

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Posted by CMStPnP on Friday, April 15, 2022 10:12 AM

Anyone have Google Earth coordinates for this line so we can do fly overs?    Just curious.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Friday, April 15, 2022 11:18 AM

CMStPnP

Anyone have Google Earth coordinates for this line so we can do fly overs?    Just curious.

 

I don't, but I can take us on some flyovers right now!

Here's the Delaware River Viaduct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6TUX22WJkU8

And the Paulinskill Viaduct.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oiS2upwIbLo

Some nice shots too!

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Posted by MidlandMike on Saturday, April 16, 2022 7:35 PM

CMStPnP

Anyone have Google Earth coordinates for this line so we can do fly overs?    Just curious.

 

Type in "Paulinskill Viaduct" in the Google Earth search box and it will come up.

Also impressive for its size was the Pequest Fill which was up to 100 feet high and 3 miles long.  You can find it on GE at "DL&W Pequest Fill".  Here is a 15 min You-tube video on it.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4xoPQg30XoA

 

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Posted by Overmod on Sunday, April 17, 2022 10:42 PM

Well, what do you know...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YjSguw7rsj0

This puts the construction to Andover in perspective... but note on the map where Andover is, relative to completing restoration of service to Scranton.

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Posted by Flintlock76 on Monday, April 18, 2022 12:25 PM

I see Mr. Cut-Off is Johnny On-The-Spot!

Thanks Mod-Man!

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