Old Route 30 in the Bedford Narrows east of Bedford. Lincoln Highway was across the road and the South Penn had plans of pushing that alignment more against the hill where the house sits and the Pennsylvania Turnpike is where it was to be moved as in the color photo shows the Lincoln Highway was never moved. It is now gone for good as the new highway is just to he photographers left outside the picture. The bridge piers seen in the distance was also part of that old route 30/Lincoln Highway.
A newer view taken by me a few years back.
Tracking the William Henry Vanderbilt South Pennsylvania Railroad right of way along the Historic Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Then!
This bridge is part of the new route 30 B4 the turnpike was built as the old highway is faintly seen parellel to the Pennsylvania Turnpike seen in the next two photos. The alignment of the old Lincoln Highway was to be the South Penn as the old Lincoln highway was to be pushed back where you see the Turnpike today.
Now!
From atop the hill at a higher spot.
Below:
When the old bridge was under reconstruction. They used the arches of the old bridge.
Russ....In these last pictures in the Bedford area, I've studied them to get myself located. Believe I've done so.
Now....The {sepia colored}, pic that includes the railroad still in place, I had to do some thinking about {what} railroad that was.
Having done quite a bit of fishing in the Manns Choice area as well as some east of the Bedford area....Just east of that bridge construction back about 60 years ago....I know a railroad did pass thru that area and suspect the one in your pic....is the one I remember and actually did see some action on it.
Believe that would be the railroad that came up the valley to Manns Choice from Hyndman and on around and crossing route 30 east of the old Inn...Jean Bonnet, {check google}, and then on to Bedford.
If in fact, that is the railroad I think it is {again, don't know it's name}, we remember of seeing a steam engine pulled train on it once or twice....Could it have been an "arm" of the B&O since I believe it connected to the "Sandpatch" line over in the Hyndman area.
Believe I understand you to be saying....when they put another bridge there on 30, east of Bedford, making a total of two bridges side by side....They stripped down the original "old" bridge to it's original concrete arches, and used them for the underpining of a new bridge built on top of them. I never saw any of that construction in process....Knew nothing of "how" they ended up with 2 bridges for route 30 to pass over the river.
Of course, in the later colored photo...shows the abandoned ROW of the railroad mentioned {by me}, in the beginnings of this note.
Quentin
IT'S BEUTIFUL
Want to elaborate????
The South Penn map of the old Lincoln Highway b4 it was named that of course.
The second bridge up river from the present route 30 crossing. This bridge was destryed by a disgruntled farmer who was taking a a bypass road that can be seen in aerial photos along the hillside on the south of the present route 30 alignment. He was charged with avoiding paying tolls and found guilty so he crossed the bridge that was a covered bridge and lit the wagon on fire 1/2 across the bridge.
Above: As it looks today
Here is another well defined South Penn map of the way things use to be in 1881-1885 of the narrows. The well dark/defined railroad is the one your talking about while my proposed South Penn grade is plotted out as a lighter line with 100 ft ticks marked along its line. The one line coming from the top center is the alignment of the Pennsy from Altoona along the valley of route 220 to Holidaysburg/Altoona.
I just got an -mail from a guy who I sent my DVD to and I like his response. Q I need you to send you house address again as I dumped that e-mail. Here is his response.
Click to show quoted text-----Original Message----- From: Benjamin Bates <balehigh@verizon.net> To: southpennrailroad@usa.com Sent: Mon, Mar 7, 2011 8:01 pm Subject: DVD ordered by Marjorie Bates (re: How's It Going) Dear Russ, I thought I would respond to your e-mail of 2/24 to my wife asking “How’s it going?”. I have been thoroughly enjoying the DVD on South Penn though my head is still swimming given all of the information. Interestingly enough, the more I see, the more questions I have. I have Herb Harwood’s book on the railroad in which he refers to your considerable work. The book helps, but your DVD is what makes the traces come alive. I will need some time to absorb all of this and start the process of putting 2 and 2 together over many aspects. For example, the horseshoe curve near Felgar Road (west of Laurel Hill Tunnel) seems to slide down the contours (yes, they would have used cuts and fills, but…). I may not be able to totally reconcile some of these civil engineering issues without ordering some USGS topos and comparing them with proposed gradients to understand what earth work would have been required to finish parts of the line. I can see why it has taken you so much time to develop what you have to date. I am definitely interested in some future tours, as I know others would be. For example, I associate with an number of friends who are narrow-gauge fans (like me) and are interested in the EBT Shade Gap/ South Penn relationship. They would certainly be interested in seeing more of the area including and west of Tuscarora Tunnel. I would probably focus on that segment as a starter. So, bottom line, I am having fun, still taking it all in, anxious to see if there is more, and greatly appreciative of your efforts! I will, no doubt, contact you again. And please feel free to contact me at any time. Thanks again, Ben Bates
Moving over to Everett. This map shows the South Penn south along the river.
The second floor rear office was rented by the South Penn in Everett.
I know these blue colored maps were preliminary and allowed for change as what was actually done (work superceeds drawn maps) on the ground shows changes from the maps such as this map as South Penn work is actually found crossing the river twice and not shown on this map. I know the South Penn crosses Clear Creek and some of the rade is along the inside curve of the Rays Town Branch of the Juniata River east of Everett.
Whats it take to hold the whole main line of the South Pennsylvania Railroad together from Harrisburg to Pittsburgh?
Read for yourself.
How many cross ties were needed?
Russ.........I'm surprised at the detail of the topo maps of 1881- 1885 era.....I'm wondering how they surveyed the lay of the land so detailed with their not very extensive equipment and transportation ability at that time.
Seems it would have taken for ever to "measure" and record such detail. As well as "plot" their ROW thru the most efficient route of much difficult territory..
I trust those maps more then the topos of today. The details had to be right on. I even saw a letter that says they fired a map maker for fudging the details.
http://southpennrailroad.com/images/BedfordSprings_stitch.jpg
I put a link to my web page where I have it so you can see it better then photo bucket as they don't show up that well. I wanted to let you see the panoramic shot of the hotel.
This photo is of the historic Bedford Springs hotel once planned for total destruction but about five years ago it was remodeled and is now an Omni Hotel chain and the cheapest room is $230.00 a night. I did get a tour of the place and several presidents did stay here from Polk to Reagan. The significance is that the South Penn was to service this site built in the late 1700's where as the Pennsylvania thinking that no other rail service was ever to enter Bedford figured that the passengers could walk or have buggies transfer them over from their line some five miles to the north.The South Penn would have been built directly behind where I am taking this shot as it would be at the base of the springs which would have been behind me.
During WWII it was used as a naval training center for teaching radio communications and just after WWII it was housing Japanese ambassadors and it says because it was close to Washington, DC but in the mountains of Pennsylvania and isolated from to high of civilizations of our capital.
When I was there it was quit filled. I guess someone has money.
.....Russ....During some point in time of WWII....I seem to remember Bedford Springs Resort was also used to house Japanese American families that were taken from their homes until the war ended....??
Don't know about the families unless they were families of the ambassadors. Remember that they were saying one thing (talking deals) while starting the attack at the same time. As President I would have arrested them right there on the spot. Diplomatic immunity for straight out liars. But lets get off that as that is politics. Anyway they were housed there.
Now just east of Breezewood, over the Rays Hill Mountain and west of the Sideling Hill Mountain, German u boat POW's were housed in a former CCC camp now part of the Bucannon State Forest. Some of the old foundations are still seen just to the west and north of the old west portal of the Sideling Hill Tunnel.
http://data.cei.psu.edu/pennpilot/era1940/fulton_1939/fulton_1939_photos_jpg_200/fulton_040539_aqb_41_49.jpg
This link should show you B4 the old turnpike was built a curve that is the railroad of the South Penn which is still tere today. The old turnpike is not in this aerial as you can see by the date as pre WWII. Look for the railroad tunnel and as the railroad curves south keep going straight out to the west and the buildings of the then closed CCC camp is seen clearly. They were closed in and guard towers were build and that became the POW camp.
One of the reasons I went camping up at Somerset was because I needed to check on the riding mower. It started alright but one of my South Pennsylvania Railroad storage boxes fell during the winter and the material inside got destroyed. A lot of the copies of the South Penn deeds got soaked and some of the books ruined and some of the single maps got wet. Might be able to save them and get them re made.
southpennrailroad Don't know about the families unless they were families of the ambassadors. Remember that they were saying one thing (talking deals) while starting the attack at the same time. As President I would have arrested them right there on the spot. Diplomatic immunity for straight out liars. But lets get off that as that is politics. Anyway they were housed there. Now just east of Breezewood, over the Rays Hill Mountain and west of the Sideling Hill Mountain, German u boat POW's were housed in a former CCC camp now part of the Bucannon State Forest. Some of the old foundations are still seen just to the west and north of the old west portal of the Sideling Hill Tunnel.
No.....I'm speaking of Japanese families living in the USA at the time...and not Ambassador's families. They were interned for the duration of the war....
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