Worst uses of abandoned railroad property

[Anonymous]

What are the worst uses f or abandoned railroad property? My vote goes to the old art deco Cotten Belt Railroad office in Tyler Texas. The Art deco lettering saying Cotton Belt still exists and under the railroad name it says "Smith County Assessor's Office". What a waste!

[Junctionfan]

Shopping mall that goes out of business in 1 1/2 years.

[Anonymous]

The PRR Station in Youngstown OH was a Greyhound Station (Still Transportation so not so bad) but is now a Fireworks warehouse.
Next is any Rail Trail that obliverates any signs of railroad use such as Siganals and old bridges

[lonewoof]

RailTrails would probably prefer to KEEP bridges, wouldn't they? and trails are a BIG improvement over converting ROW into subdivisions. Whether or not signals stay is probably up to the railroad...

[Anonymous]

The Pennsylvania Turnpike. I hate driving the western end. Very narrow, always under re-construction!!

http://www.paturnpike.com/geninfo/history/history.aspx

[jchnhtfd]

How about an industrial park sponsored by the town in which it is located, specfically designed and built (according the minutes of the relevant Town Meeting) to prevent any reestablishment of rail service on the line... which would have been a terrific light rail/heavy rail right of way for an area with traffic problems you wouldn't believe. Is it a coincidence in this instance that the home of the First Selectman backs up on a portion of the right of way which now can't be used? Oh no... can't be...

[MP57313]

QUOTE: Originally posted by jchnhtfd
an industrial park sponsored by the town in which it is located, specfically designed and built <snip> to prevent any reestablishment of rail service on the line...

Agree, along with the earlier post about subdivisions. I suppose it is inevitable for new structures to be built on former spurs and sidings, but when main lines disappear that's another story

[Modelcar]

The Pennsylvania Turnpike only follows the South Penn RoW in some places...other areas it's near by....Going up the mountain they took a slightly different route because it's max. grade was figured at 3% and the old South Penn was being layed out on a max grade of 2% so it was a bit mor circutious to reach the same tunnel bores...
And the Pennsylvania Turnpike has 12' lane widths just like most interstates except in the construction zones and they are in place so they can make it 3-lanes on all upgrades on the mountain ranges...Which will be a real improvement.

[Modelcar]

Worst use of RR property....Any modification of the RoW profile. I too believe the walking / biking trail is great if it has no chance to continue as a RR. The trail at least keeps the RoW space in place....and it is a great place to ride a bike and or walk on the great slight grades.

[MP57313]

QUOTE: Originally posted by lonewoof

RailTrails would probably prefer to KEEP bridges, wouldn't they?

Sometimes the bridges are removed because the road underneath is to be widened, or the vertical clearance is not high enough. In other cases the bridges may be so far "gone" as to be a disintegration hazard.
The W&OD in northern Virginia actually added bridges in some locations. They do make for a safer bike ride/walk.

[Anonymous]

I couldn't agree more!

[Anonymous]

I agree with some of the above posts, anything that takes away the right-of-way -- like residential or commercial developments that leave no chance for that right-of-way to ever be used again....

Once they're gone, they're gone.

[JoeKoh]

well part of the old yard here in defiance is being used by the teachers ay the Jr. high school.
stay safe
Joe

[Anonymous]

As an unauthorized public dump. I don't know or any place but "litterbugs" are everywhere.

[Anonymous]

I've got one. Penn Central tore out 6 miles of track between Brookville and Metamora Indiana after flooding. They were already planning on filing for abandonment. Rails north and south of the torn out section were in use, by a shortline and a scenic. When the state came in to buy up the land, establish a canal historical site, etc., they sought to use the abandoned RoW as a rail-trail. The adjoining proerty owners sued, claiming since the RR no longer owned the land, it should revert to its prior property holders, and the land owners won. Now there's 6 miles of graded thistles and briar patches, no trail, and no way to connect the two remaining RR's. I believe the farmers got a good place to hunt rabits.

[Anonymous]

I think maybe one of the best useses in the GOV't of Quebec is building a Super Hospital on the grounds of CN- Ex.CN, (turcot yard)

[railman]

I recall an article about a old Milwaukee Road depot that is now a drivers education/ drivers' licence exam station....the irony in that is almost to thick to cut through.

[Anonymous]

our cows chow on some grass on the old Milwaukee and CNW lines to seatonville, IL... railroad ties make good fence posts.

[Anonymous]

The worst that could happen is that it becomes nothing at all! This is the case here in upstate NY with the former Penn Central turned Conrail (parallelling the Erie Canal), then 12.7 miles of track was stripped away by Conrail from Lee Rd in Rochester to Owens Rd in Brockport. It was never considered even so much as a "rails to trails" project by the county. It's supposedly a route slated for some kind of future light rail transit (I won't hold my breath). It's unlikely it will ever happen. The ballast and bridges remain intact, however, in the meantime, the thickening foliage and finally the uplifting of the island, crossbuck signals, bungalows, etc, out of Lee Rd kind of set things into perspective around here.