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What is the one railroad location in each state every railfan can identify immediately?

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Posted by Overmod on Thursday, September 8, 2022 1:47 PM

Why haven't I seen Point of Rocks/Harper's Ferry mentioned as iconic?

And there's a good Hawk's Nest above Port Jervis, with a road instantly recognizable by millions.

Florida had the Key West Extension.

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Thursday, September 8, 2022 3:07 PM

Overmod

Why haven't I seen Point of Rocks/Harper's Ferry mentioned as iconic?

And there's a good Hawk's Nest above Port Jervis, with a road instantly recognizable by millions.

Florida had the Key West Extension.

 

I was thinking of both Point of Rocks and Harpers Ferry, but been busy today. 

Harpers Ferry hold lots of memories for me. Spent a summer there working at age 15, just missed possibly being hurt by a derailment that happened 10 minutes after a friend and I got up off a bench on the passenger platform and headed home. 

Took my first wife to Hill Top House on our honeymoon.......

Been back many times over the years.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by fwright on Thursday, September 8, 2022 6:07 PM

For Colorado, I would have to add Royal Gorge with it's hanging bridge.

In NY, everybody knows the Hell's Gate Bridge - even if it's from their tinplate days.

Fred W

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Posted by OldEngineman on Thursday, September 8, 2022 9:45 PM

Overmod wrote: "And there's a good Hawk's Nest above Port Jervis, with a road instantly recognizable by millions."

That road looks even higher up when viewed from an engine running down below on the other side of the river (former Erie Delaware Division, been on it once or twice...) Cool

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Posted by Attuvian1 on Friday, September 9, 2022 12:50 AM

MidlandMike

For Michigan it probably would be the Michigan Central Detroit station, although many photos have been of the abandoned hulk.  Today Ford is rehab'ing the building, at a cost of about a $billion.  An alternative would be the former C&O Badger carferry dock in Ludington.

 
Or perhaps any of a number of the stations along the MC from Detroit enroute to Porter, IN and Chicago.  To me, the most dramatic is the station at Niles.
 
John
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Posted by MidlandMike on Friday, September 9, 2022 9:21 PM

Foe New Hampshire it would be the last remaining ball signal at the Whitefield diamond.

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Posted by reasearchhound on Friday, September 9, 2022 10:08 PM

For Oregon I would imagine it is along the Columbia River Gorge. Maybe anywhere between Hood River and The Dalles.

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, September 9, 2022 10:52 PM

I haven't been in the northern part of Delaware much, but the southern part basically has nothing but a couple of short lines that mostly serve the chicken industry.  Railway Road, about a half mile from my house, never had a railway or anything like one.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by dknelson on Saturday, September 10, 2022 11:49 AM

It is probably asking too much to think of sites that every railfan would recognize; maybe it is enough to think of sites that every railfan from that state would recognize.  And there won't be total agreement on any of them!

But I'll throw a few out

Michigan -- the iconic depot at Durand.

Wisconsin -- perhaps the two large depots in Milwaukee, the old Milwaukee Road depot on Everett St or the lakefront depot of the C&NW.  And yet there is also the curve at Devil's Lake.  For today's railfans however maybe Duplainville, Byron Hill, Grand Dad Bluff on the Mississippi.

Minnesota - Pig's Eye Yard? Dayton's Bluff?  

Iowa - the Quad Cities offer several candidates but there is also Oelwein and the classic CGW yard tower.

Nebraska -- Omaha Union Depot, but then there is also Kenefick Park with the dramatic sight of a Big Boy and Centennial seemingly perched on a hill and lit at night.

Kansas City KS/MO and the Midwest Auto sign.  

Virginia -- the triple crossing in Richmond.

Dave Nelson

 

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Posted by ndbprr on Saturday, September 10, 2022 6:27 PM

Good answers BUT many are places only a local would know.  Maybe there just aren't thar many states with instantly recognizable places.  I am surprised Noone has mentioned California locations like Cajon pass, Tehachapi loop, Laupt, San Bernadino station and the coast line. In the east D&H on the bluffs. GN through Glacier National Park.  Sherman pass out of Cheyene. Not a whole lot of thinking going on here.  I would have thought this would be inundated.  Very surprising.

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Saturday, September 10, 2022 7:09 PM

ndbprr

Good answers BUT many are places only a local would know.  Maybe there just aren't thar many states with instantly recognizable places.  I am surprised Noone has mentioned California locations like Cajon pass, Tehachapi loop, Laupt, San Bernadino station and the coast line. In the east D&H on the bluffs. GN through Glacier National Park.  Sherman pass out of Cheyene. Not a whole lot of thinking going on here.  I would have thought this would be inundated.  Very surprising.

 

Well, I for one have never been to California, so I have never seen any of those places in person.

And, on top of that western roads do not interest me much, so not something I spend time reading/reseaching or looking at pictures.

Sure I have heard others mention these places, read articles about layouts that depict them, seen a few pictures, but not on my radar at all.

Been building model trains for 50 years, never owned a model of a BigBoy.......

Sheldon

    

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Posted by Track fiddler on Saturday, September 10, 2022 7:16 PM

UNION PACIFIC in every state.

 

 

But the James Hill Viaduct Bridge built for Great Northern Railway is more than likely the Monument of our state of Minnesota when it comes to Railroad History.

 

Her completion, January 6th 1893.

What a Bridge.  129 years and Still Standing! 

Isn't She Grand?

 

 

 

TF

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Posted by ndbprr on Saturday, September 10, 2022 7:52 PM

nice to see plctures of some sites I was unaware of and can add to my knowledge base.

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Posted by Track fiddler on Saturday, September 10, 2022 8:00 PM

ndbprr

nice to see plctures of some sites I was unaware of and can add to my knowledge base.

 

YesYesYes

Cheers that oneBeer

I'm confused to what's going on here eitherHuh?

 

 

TF

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Saturday, September 10, 2022 8:09 PM

"UNION PACIFIC in every state."


No, only in 23 states, none of them near me.

Sheldon

    

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Posted by John-NYBW on Sunday, September 11, 2022 7:26 AM

Nebraska: The Omaha Union and Burlington Stations which at one time were connected by a concourse bridge.

5294751410_fa03e477cc_b.jpg (1024×681) (staticflickr.com)

The bridge is long gone and both stations have since been repurposed. Amtrak built a small station just east of the old Burlington Station which would be in the lower left center of the above photo. 

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Posted by dehusman on Sunday, September 11, 2022 9:14 AM

John-NYBW

Nebraska: The Omaha Union and Burlington Stations which at one time were connected by a concourse bridge.

5294751410_fa03e477cc_b.jpg (1024×681) (staticflickr.com)

The bridge is long gone and both stations have since been repurposed. Amtrak built a small station just east of the old Burlington Station which would be in the lower left center of the above photo. 

The Burlington Station in the lower left is now the KETV studios.  The bridge to the platform tracks is gone.
Just above the Burlington station is the Postal Annex, it is still used by the USPS, but is not rail served.
Omaha Union Station is now the Durham Museum.  the building with the arched entrance across the street is now a storage annex for the museum.  The building with the Sears add on it is now loft apartments.
 
All the freight house buildings above and to the left of the Union Station are gone and have been redeveloped.  About half the warehouses are gone  and those remaining have been converted to loft apartments or office space.  The building above and slightly to the left of the museum with the signage wrapped around the op is the Skinner Macaroni Building, my daughter had an apartment in that building several years ago.  The group of three facades just below Skinner and the the left of the smokestack in the upper right corner is the Fairmont Creamery, now shops and office space.

Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com

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Posted by mvlandsw on Sunday, September 11, 2022 7:54 PM

The James Hill Viaduct looks good with the lighting under the arches. Is it still being used by rail traffic? I remember reading a long time ago that one of the arches was sinking and had to be repaired.

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Posted by Track fiddler on Sunday, September 11, 2022 8:32 PM

mvlandsw

The James Hill Viaduct looks good with the lighting under the arches. Is it still being used by rail traffic? I remember reading a long time ago that one of the arches was sinking and had to be repaired.

 

No.  The bridge is 129 years old and only open to foot traffic and bicycles now.

I remember reading something about what you're talking about and other things with the bridge as well.

Judy and I and Uncle Butchie were walking across it a couple years ago.  Uncle Butchie was trying to prove he has really good eyes as he looked down the wayside and said do you see that big snapping turtle Johnboy?  That's what Butchie always calls me and I said yes I see him.

We proceeded to go to the end and get off the bridge to go down to visit the snapping turtle like a couple of little KidsLaugh

Those things are prehistoric like alligators.  Every time the human race disappears and goes away those things just keep coming back.  That was one of a biggest snappers I've ever seen.

The Iowa farm boys used to come up to our resort and while everybody else was going out on the lake to bring back fish, these two farm boys would go out on the lake and bring back a big snapping turtle and make turtle soup.  I guess you need a special license to do that.

That was some really Good Soup Dinner 

Snapping turtle meat has different sections of meat that tastes like chicken, fish, beef, pork, lamb, .... You name it, Turtle is the smorgasbord of all meatsIndifferent

 

 

The city planning legislature or whatever it is you could call it has plans to restore the bridge.  The bridge is such a beautiful focal point of the city that I must believe that it is going to happen. 

 

 

I really like that BridgePirate

 

 

 

TF

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Posted by VaCentralRwy on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 5:29 PM

Iconic Delaware image would be Joe Biden getting on Amtrak, which everyone would identify as the Wilmington train station.

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Posted by MidlandMike on Wednesday, September 14, 2022 8:42 PM

Vermont's White River Junction station is iconic.

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Posted by ricktrains4824 on Thursday, September 15, 2022 10:55 AM

PA - (Horseshoe Curve already mentioned.) Kinzua Viaduct. (Now half remains, so Kinzua Duct. Smile, Wink & Grin)

Ohio - Fostoria's Iron Triangle. (Cleveland Union Terminal already mentioned.)

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Posted by BEAUSABRE on Thursday, September 15, 2022 2:54 PM

I'd go with the Fisher Bridge in Wolcott Vermont on the Saint Johnsbury and Lamoille County

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Posted by FRRYKid on Friday, September 16, 2022 3:32 AM

I don't have pictures handy but two I would put in for eastern Montana are the bridges on the ex-CMStP&P PCE (now Central Montana Rail-CMR) running from Kingston Jct. to Denton, MT (I saw them many years ago and they are impressive.) and the other is the point between Terry and Glendive, MT when the ex-CMStP&P crosses over the ex-NP line. (Now both BNSF) The crossover can be seen from I-94 if you happen to know where to look. (The interstate has a very high section there so the highway can go over the railroad going over the railroad.)

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Posted by Ulrich on Friday, September 16, 2022 2:40 PM

Starrucca Viaduct,Lanesboro, PA

Genesee Arch Bridge spanning the Genesee River Gorge on Norfolk Southern's southern tier route in NY. 

 

mh1
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Posted by mh1 on Friday, September 16, 2022 10:15 PM

For Michigan, I would also add the Port Huron/Sarnia, Ont. tunnel.

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Posted by wjstix on Thursday, September 22, 2022 3:52 PM

mvlandsw

The James Hill Viaduct looks good with the lighting under the arches. Is it still being used by rail traffic? I remember reading a long time ago that one of the arches was sinking and had to be repaired.

 

 
I think there was some repairs done (fairly) recently, that may be what you are thinking of. Part of the bridge was destroyed in the early 1960s to make way for a lock, with the idea of making the Mississippi above St. Anthony Falls navigable. (Before that, the falls in downtown Minneapolis was as far up river as you could go.) That part was patched with a steel bridge.Traffic was never too great, and the lock closed - but they'll never fix the bridge.
 
 
BTW we generally call it "The Stone Arch Bridge", although it was eventually formally named after James J. Hill.
 
For something still visible today, perhaps the big "1" on top of the 1st National Bank building near St.Paul Union Depot? Many pictures taken around SPUD of trains show the "1" in the picture.
 
 
Stix
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Posted by IRONROOSTER on Saturday, October 1, 2022 3:13 PM

I suspect the only picture every railfan could identify would be Horsehoe Curve. 

I haven't even heard of some of these.  And some others aren't really distinctive enough - too many similar places.

But I'll nominate Union Station, Washington D.C.

Paul

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Posted by BEAUSABRE on Saturday, October 1, 2022 10:17 PM

IRONROOSTER
I suspect the only picture every railfan could identify would be Horsehoe Curve. 

Just shows you how 55 or so years after it left us, the Pennsylvania still dominates railroading

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Posted by MidlandMike on Sunday, October 2, 2022 10:25 PM

BEAUSABRE

 

 
IRONROOSTER
I suspect the only picture every railfan could identify would be Horsehoe Curve. 

 

Just shows you how 55 or so years after it left us, the Pennsylvania still dominates railroading

 

 

PRR hasn't dominated railroading since even before the PC bankruptcy.

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