southpennrailroad http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d64/spennrr18811885/BurntCabins67.jpg A section just to the west of Burnt Cabins with the insert showing the SPRR map grades location on the aerial. Partially built but of course never completed. The turnpike i utilizing most of this proposed section just west of Huntingdon County in Fulton County.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d64/spennrr18811885/BurntCabins67.jpg
A section just to the west of Burnt Cabins with the insert showing the SPRR map grades location on the aerial. Partially built but of course never completed. The turnpike i utilizing most of this proposed section just west of Huntingdon County in Fulton County.
southpennrailroad The South Penn was to build a double loop at the Chestnut Ridge at the last mountain along its main line. It is at mile post 84 where traveling east a third lane on the Pennsylvania Turnpike has been built in the 1990's. A deep cut is immediately entered as you travel east as you begin your climb to reach the highway route 982 overpass in the next valley north of the town of Laurelville. I originally thought the South Penn was to cross just above the community of Alice. However I have a rough map that showed a arrow type boundary line that on the 1939 aerial can be seen the same boundary line. I Immediately re- examined my research to look at other landmarks and actually found more including the area I call star junction. . Basically as you enter this deep turnpike cut a railroad trestle would have needed to have been built high above you today as you travel through the turnpike cut. This map has red arrows which is the original route I suspected the South Penn was to build creating a south and north loop along the ridge north and south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike as it is built. The blue arrows are the adjusted route using nine landmarks found on the 1939 aerial photos that used show where it really should be built. I look at these landmarks as a finger print marks that identify a persons identity. I will up load these later as I have to do this where I have free wifi locations as I have very little air card space on my own supply card. http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d64/spennrr18811885/topochestnutridge-1.jpg
I originally thought the South Penn was to cross just above the community of Alice. However I have a rough map that showed a arrow type boundary line that on the 1939 aerial can be seen the same boundary line. I Immediately re- examined my research to look at other landmarks and actually found more including the area I call star junction. . Basically as you enter this deep turnpike cut a railroad trestle would have needed to have been built high above you today as you travel through the turnpike cut.
This map has red arrows which is the original route I suspected the South Penn was to build creating a south and north loop along the ridge north and south of the Pennsylvania Turnpike as it is built. The blue arrows are the adjusted route using nine landmarks found on the 1939 aerial photos that used show where it really should be built. I look at these landmarks as a finger print marks that identify a persons identity. I will up load these later as I have to do this where I have free wifi locations as I have very little air card space on my own supply card.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d64/spennrr18811885/topochestnutridge-1.jpg
That's an interesting mark-up of the USGS topo map - thanks for posting it.
Have you seen Herbert H. Harwood's recent book, "The Railroad That Never Was" ? Any comments or a review of it ? Thanks.
- Paul North.
I bought tickets for that Amtrak ride so I will be crossing that bridge about 12:00 on the 26 of February.
Tracking the William Henry Vanderbilt South Pennsylvania Railroad right of way along the Historic Pennsylvania Turnpike.
Answer!
Can you guess what it cost to build a two story house back then?
Soth Pennsylvania letter describing the double 2% grade loop and the 1% straight grade that the Turnpike chose to use on the Chestnut Ridge. Notice how an alternate alignment was planned to West Newton on the Youghiogheny River just south of Sutersville on what was the P&LE Vanderbilt line.
That was an exploratory route. They surveyed it as a possibility but killed that route for of course the route at the site we all know of at Lemoyne. But understand b4 they got into the fight with the Pennsylvania that they (Vanderbilt) had the Sherman Valley and Broad top route which was the one they rejected at the Marysville route. Your learning something that not to many people know of or could have imagined until I revealed it just like I didn't know about Col Stonewall Jackson had detoured some B&O trains south out of Harper;s Ferry as a topic on this form mentions.
rixflix And while we're at this, how ARE you Quents? Haven't seen posts from you lately. You may recall that my interest in the South Penn comes from the Reading (P&R) and Gowan/Vanderbilt/Morgan/Scott days. Wish I'd been a fly on the wall to hear what went on there!!!!! I'm missing you, Rixflix
And while we're at this, how ARE you Quents? Haven't seen posts from you lately. You may recall that my interest in the South Penn comes from the Reading (P&R) and Gowan/Vanderbilt/Morgan/Scott days. Wish I'd been a fly on the wall to hear what went on there!!!!!
I'm missing you,
Rixflix
Hi Rix..............Sure, I'm on here each day.....We're hanging in there and taking one day at a time. I see your posts on here when you appear occasionally, and do respond...Perhaps you missed them.
Hang in there and enjoy
Quentin
I can't beleive the South Penn would've gone north of H'burg instead of going over the PH&P bridge.
RIX
rixflix aka Captain Video. Blessed be Jean Shepherd and all His works!!! Hooray for 1939, the all time movie year!!! I took that ride on the Reading but my Baby caught the Katy and left me a mule to ride.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d64/spennrr18811885/MergedChestnutRidgecomp.jpg
Here is the aerial of the Chestnut Ridge. If this is not good for viewing then pease send for it via e-mail as Photobucket tends to make them small.
The South Penn was to build a double loop at the Chestnut Ridge at the last mountain along its main line. It is at mile post 84 where traveling east a third lane on the Pennsylvania Turnpike has been built in the 1990's. A deep cut is immediately entered as you travel east as you begin your climb to reach the highway route 982 overpass in the next valley north of the town of Laurelville.
Quentin!
How have you been. Just an update. Still doing the South Penn of course. My latest search is the Chestnut Ridge. I thought I had that section down pat but found an interesting landmark on the rough South Pennsylvania Railroad map and found I was about a mile out of alignment. I found like finger prints about nine marks to verify where the correct alignment was to be built.
.....Good photos and data for history Russ. Almost no one has knowledge of when they pass over certain parts of current Turnpike, they are passing over a culvert or small bridge of some kind that was part of RR history of roughly 125 years ago, etc.....But we do. As for me, I know it's there but not just where....But that's ok.
Here is the same side as the old photo. The turnpike added onto the South Penn built Fortune Teller Run culvert. The turnpike guard rail is seen topside. This is found at mile post 176.0 exact. I am talking to Tom Taylor owner of the next property east of this culvert site and he is one of the descendants of the original property owners and that was written on the South Penn maps as George Taylor. A bridge just to the east of this site is named Taylor.
By the way on opening post, I waited a long time to get my shot of the Rockville bridge and finally got it here is mine with AM Track o it. Never expected to get this just happened. We arrived just as it was crossing the viaduct. The valley to the right of the top is where the South Penn had done a survey to cross through after building their bridge just up steam from this bridge.
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.....Surprised Russ, to see you back on here.....See you're still at it. We were over in the Pennsylvania area over the long Memorial Day Holiday period. And again at the Hampton Inn at Somerset and I thought of you as I looked out our hotel window and glanced down at the old PW&S ROW at the edge of the parking lot.....Heading down towards the toll both.
Hope you are doing well.
Been off for a while but our latest discovery is the finding of this culvert which is still used by the turnpike above it and though this end was destroyed and extended by the turnpike by about 20 feet, still exists today. The bottom photo is what it looks like today.
.....When one thinks about your location there...once a thriving and very busy thruway....now one can camp right beside of it. Would have been hard to imagine years ago as it was still active.
I would wonder about some bears in that area....Think I'd rather be in the trailer...ha. And....I'd have thought I'd see a license plate referencing in some way to the "SouthPenn"......
Bears or not, you must have made out ok....
Glad to hear that portion is at least being used {preserved}, with the bike trail operation.
Went camping last year since end of August at least four times on the old abandoned turnpike as seen here. Adrian next to Sue. Trailer is not completed as money came short because of wifes death. This is on the east end of the now bike trail at the Sideling Hill Cove Plaza.
....And would you believe we're right back where this thread started from. No matter, that is a fantastic view from up there...{I've not been on the ground up there in person}, but have been on one of those highways at the base of the hill some years ago. Took that route {don't remember from where}, a nice drive up through there and ended up in Lock Haven. At that time, had an Aunt and Uncle living there. They've since passed on.
Russ...have you finished that trailer yet....?
No a road get us to the top and a 1/2 hour walk along the ridge gets me that shot. Yes the Pennsylvanian on a saturday afternoon. I located another hill on the opposite side and will check that out at a later date. That will look good hopefully.
...Climbing that hill to see that view should reward one with something spectactular and it looks like you did catch the rare one...What, is that the Pennsylvanian...
Looks like you have been busy. Another rare find...{under the Turnpike}.
Passenger train crosses Rockville Bridge. We didn't expect to see this train but got here just as it was crossing. Great timing huh?.
When you drive over the Pennsylvania Turnpike @ mp 106.0, you drive over this South Penn culvert. 1/2 South Penn,1/2 turnpike cement. Sue and her son Adrian explore the wor. Sue is my girlfriend.
.....Good Morning Russ....Welcome back, glad to see you on here. Hope you are doing well.
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d64/spennrr18811885/Amtrackcurve.jpg
Here is my walk into the woods to get what I didn't expect to get crossing the bridge.
....Maybe more will join in if they will see some of this.
Back tomorrow.
It's a great subject. I would not have really researched it but I found great interest in locating evidence of its whereabouts as wella s many other evidence that show its worth keeping on the story. The SPRR is worth staying focused on.
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