In which I bridge a gap through time
If one wants intricate details of the rails and their history in any given region of the pines, there are many publications available. I suggest you try some. This here is just about connections. My hope at the least is that it might spark an interest in a place or two you'll read about. Then you'll go do some digging and a domino effect of sorts will occur and you may be informed and entertained. Here I'm just writing to entertain myself so you might as well get a few books anyway. Hope you like the pics. I only used a few I didn't take myself for obvious reasons. C'mon, check it out.
I'm not really a rail buff but I figure their histories and connections can make them somewhat personable. I read and I can't keep up with who bought who and changed names and soon any one piece of track has multiple personality disorder. I'll just cheat and use two short ones relevant to the area of my interest. The PRSL from West To East and the JCRR from North to South. The two objects of my interest here, lost to time are placed at these rails soon before they come to pass at Winslow Junction. On Winslow Junction, when next you're by try to seek out old Bob Stetser for a sit down. You needn't talk. Just listen, and listen closely, before it's too late. The rails saw freight and folks alike. These two in this area even share the sadness of death. One long passed is still a little unexplained and the more recent on the other line so painful and senseless. In better times there was character in a ride. Now from West to East you travel in a cold, unattractive box. Anyway, to this day I am fascinated by two resulting structures of these rails as they come to pass.
And one.
The Wharton Avenue bridge allowed you to cross over the PRSL at the remote point of Spring Garden. Once a significant connection between the Fleming Pike in the East to Spring Garden road at the West end, it must have been a treat to stop for rest and refreshment at the inn. The long ride took one through the woods, by adjacent bogs, behind Pestletown, and by little hamlets, collections of houses for bog workers in what could be known as Springtown. The "stop" for the train was merely a platform at the back of the inn and those who rode the rails could share the same pleasures while entering or leaving at the "station". I'll throw in a couple pics of the Inn and tell you history on it is good reading as well yet it is not my focus here.
An older era
Today
Now the bridge.
The abutments of the Wharton Ave bridge were of massive stone and dense fill leading up to them. I've the good fortune to know a gentleman who played on this bridge as a child. I've wondered for years now how thrilling it must have been to view the trains from the top of that bridge and waste hours just knocking around it. Imagine getting a faceful of smoke as a train passed under.
A view of a train coming from the East. Note number 243 on the pole
A view today of a train from the East, taken standing on the base of 243
One can still see the mounting studs and electrical cable in the base
While power is transferred underground today, it is still common to spot the fragmented and discarded poles that did the same in days of old
Fast forward to the 70's, the structure is now bridging essentially a road to nowhere as the Fleming has long since lost usefullness and Spring Garden road is many years passed pushed aside by the White Horse Pike. The bridge was dismantled and scrapped and any markers or warning indicators removed. The massive stones that formed the West side abutment were taken by a local construction/landscaping company just up the road yet ironically few were ever used. They lie forgotten
The dense fill was used and was more likely the goal. This left the scenery to appear lopsided and odd. Years passed with more off road, cycle, and ATV activity. Vehicle erosion on the East side adds to make the look of the entire place forlorn
It lacks so much of what was once a place you could drive right up to and park the car at the edge. It was enjoyable to visit. It still is O.K., the locals just call it "dune buggy hill", aptly named. New people not from here would never know what it once was.
A memory.
A young boy of eight or nine once took a ride to this bridge with his father in a friend's 1974 maroon Chevy Malibu when you could still serenely navigate the Wharton from the Fleming with ease and enjoy the view. The boy was in the back doing just that, in wonder. The men were up front when it didn't even seem taboo to be holding a couple cold ones on the ride. They were doing just that. (Bud in a can). They parked and the men got out as did the boy. He stood at the abutment and marveled. The span must have been a hundred feet high and a hundred feet across (at least in his mind) There were big bolts sticking up out of the rock. He marveled, and never forgot.
Some 30 years later a man takes his sons and daughter there often. It's not as pretty to look at, the bolts are worn, the trains that go by are speedy yet unatractive. He lets them look and play. He watches them now. He has hopes that they marvel, and never forget.
And Two,
The JCRR trestle passing over route 30 in Elm is as overlooked as any other structure we pass every day on the road until it fades away and becomes the "white noise" of the visual world. At most locals just use "Elm Bridge" as a landmark for directions. You go under this, not over. In another time it was an intersection. This is an example of a point where the increasing presence of autos in the early 1900's made crossings less practical or safe. Continued work on Route 3 (another interesting bit of history) also had an effect on the evolution of the structure. Traveling West to East on Route 30 just at the Fleming Pike look straight out to see the trestle form a horizion line to the same grade on the East side. Yep, the bridge wasn't built up but the underpass was dug out. The rails remained the same. Poor design has resulted in a flood or to under it over the years. I will be attempting to find, and have done a little snooping, on the location of Elm station. A friend provided me with a scan of it, from 1914 I believe
Now the trestle.
These particular rails ended sadly, degraded by freight cars and forgotten to time. Only just South of the trestle, it's rails serve only to store ugly old tank cars. There was a time when you could travel in high fashion and "top it the knob" so to speak on the lavish Blue Comet. A good ride, fine scenery along the way, great dining offerings, gone. A shot of the comet speeding North, taken soon before it's end
today
another angle, click to enlarge this one.
Notice on the South angle the same structure that served as a house and still remains after ending it's long reign as a defunct window company sales office.
Notice on the Northern angle view the same pile of rocks on the West side in the 1940's photo and today.
The thousands that do pass this trestle every day probably do not notice that, or notice something else of interest. The South side is the signature stone support of it's beginnings
one of the supports
The 1917 date set in concrete is somewhat obscured by unsightly communication cables. The North side however is concrete, newer? Yep, 1927 (completed in) as a result of a widening project of the White Horse pike.
While the fill in this case would be reused, no one took the old massive stones and mortar from the job so it was simply tossed but 20 feet off to the Northwest side of the grade where it remains to this day
again clearly depicted in the other two shots mentioned.
Might as well go to the top. Always wanted to. As long as John Law don't see then it's good to go. It's pretty gangly looking up there.
Cool plating though
30 East
30 West
More
Pretty cool for something so looked over.
For many years a boy would sit in the back of the car or the pickup when the adults would be sitting at the Fleming/Rt30 intersection waiting to cross or turn. He would look over and marvel at the trestle there. Occasionally a feight train would clunk by over it until they ceased in 1978. He thought of how cool it would be to skitter up there and see the world. That was way out of the question. He was allowed to walk the rails North of the bridge and occasionally brought back a trinket. Most common were those rusted spikes discarded that lay everywhere. Boy were they heavy in the hand. Must have been because he was so small.
A few decades later a man walked onto the trestle to see the world. He marveled. He looked down at a loose plate and wiggled a rail spike out of the rail tie. He brought the spike home as a souvenir for the boy that never made it up there. Looks pretty good sitting here next to the books and pics on the computer desk. Don't look out of place at all next to this new fangled flat screen. Still seems kinda heavy in the hand though. To the boy anyway.
Thanks for reading.
Inspired and aided by the interests of two men, and a boy who marveled and never forgot.
g.
If one wants intricate details of the rails and their history in any given region of the pines, there are many publications available. I suggest you try some. This here is just about connections. My hope at the least is that it might spark an interest in a place or two you'll read about. Then you'll go do some digging and a domino effect of sorts will occur and you may be informed and entertained. Here I'm just writing to entertain myself so you might as well get a few books anyway. Hope you like the pics. I only used a few I didn't take myself for obvious reasons. C'mon, check it out.
I'm not really a rail buff but I figure their histories and connections can make them somewhat personable. I read and I can't keep up with who bought who and changed names and soon any one piece of track has multiple personality disorder. I'll just cheat and use two short ones relevant to the area of my interest. The PRSL from West To East and the JCRR from North to South. The two objects of my interest here, lost to time are placed at these rails soon before they come to pass at Winslow Junction. On Winslow Junction, when next you're by try to seek out old Bob Stetser for a sit down. You needn't talk. Just listen, and listen closely, before it's too late. The rails saw freight and folks alike. These two in this area even share the sadness of death. One long passed is still a little unexplained and the more recent on the other line so painful and senseless. In better times there was character in a ride. Now from West to East you travel in a cold, unattractive box. Anyway, to this day I am fascinated by two resulting structures of these rails as they come to pass.
And one.
The Wharton Avenue bridge allowed you to cross over the PRSL at the remote point of Spring Garden. Once a significant connection between the Fleming Pike in the East to Spring Garden road at the West end, it must have been a treat to stop for rest and refreshment at the inn. The long ride took one through the woods, by adjacent bogs, behind Pestletown, and by little hamlets, collections of houses for bog workers in what could be known as Springtown. The "stop" for the train was merely a platform at the back of the inn and those who rode the rails could share the same pleasures while entering or leaving at the "station". I'll throw in a couple pics of the Inn and tell you history on it is good reading as well yet it is not my focus here.
An older era
Today
Now the bridge.
The abutments of the Wharton Ave bridge were of massive stone and dense fill leading up to them. I've the good fortune to know a gentleman who played on this bridge as a child. I've wondered for years now how thrilling it must have been to view the trains from the top of that bridge and waste hours just knocking around it. Imagine getting a faceful of smoke as a train passed under.
A view of a train coming from the East. Note number 243 on the pole
A view today of a train from the East, taken standing on the base of 243
One can still see the mounting studs and electrical cable in the base
While power is transferred underground today, it is still common to spot the fragmented and discarded poles that did the same in days of old
Fast forward to the 70's, the structure is now bridging essentially a road to nowhere as the Fleming has long since lost usefullness and Spring Garden road is many years passed pushed aside by the White Horse Pike. The bridge was dismantled and scrapped and any markers or warning indicators removed. The massive stones that formed the West side abutment were taken by a local construction/landscaping company just up the road yet ironically few were ever used. They lie forgotten
The dense fill was used and was more likely the goal. This left the scenery to appear lopsided and odd. Years passed with more off road, cycle, and ATV activity. Vehicle erosion on the East side adds to make the look of the entire place forlorn
It lacks so much of what was once a place you could drive right up to and park the car at the edge. It was enjoyable to visit. It still is O.K., the locals just call it "dune buggy hill", aptly named. New people not from here would never know what it once was.
A memory.
A young boy of eight or nine once took a ride to this bridge with his father in a friend's 1974 maroon Chevy Malibu when you could still serenely navigate the Wharton from the Fleming with ease and enjoy the view. The boy was in the back doing just that, in wonder. The men were up front when it didn't even seem taboo to be holding a couple cold ones on the ride. They were doing just that. (Bud in a can). They parked and the men got out as did the boy. He stood at the abutment and marveled. The span must have been a hundred feet high and a hundred feet across (at least in his mind) There were big bolts sticking up out of the rock. He marveled, and never forgot.
Some 30 years later a man takes his sons and daughter there often. It's not as pretty to look at, the bolts are worn, the trains that go by are speedy yet unatractive. He lets them look and play. He watches them now. He has hopes that they marvel, and never forget.
And Two,
The JCRR trestle passing over route 30 in Elm is as overlooked as any other structure we pass every day on the road until it fades away and becomes the "white noise" of the visual world. At most locals just use "Elm Bridge" as a landmark for directions. You go under this, not over. In another time it was an intersection. This is an example of a point where the increasing presence of autos in the early 1900's made crossings less practical or safe. Continued work on Route 3 (another interesting bit of history) also had an effect on the evolution of the structure. Traveling West to East on Route 30 just at the Fleming Pike look straight out to see the trestle form a horizion line to the same grade on the East side. Yep, the bridge wasn't built up but the underpass was dug out. The rails remained the same. Poor design has resulted in a flood or to under it over the years. I will be attempting to find, and have done a little snooping, on the location of Elm station. A friend provided me with a scan of it, from 1914 I believe
Now the trestle.
These particular rails ended sadly, degraded by freight cars and forgotten to time. Only just South of the trestle, it's rails serve only to store ugly old tank cars. There was a time when you could travel in high fashion and "top it the knob" so to speak on the lavish Blue Comet. A good ride, fine scenery along the way, great dining offerings, gone. A shot of the comet speeding North, taken soon before it's end
today
another angle, click to enlarge this one.
Notice on the South angle the same structure that served as a house and still remains after ending it's long reign as a defunct window company sales office.
Notice on the Northern angle view the same pile of rocks on the West side in the 1940's photo and today.
The thousands that do pass this trestle every day probably do not notice that, or notice something else of interest. The South side is the signature stone support of it's beginnings
one of the supports
The 1917 date set in concrete is somewhat obscured by unsightly communication cables. The North side however is concrete, newer? Yep, 1927 (completed in) as a result of a widening project of the White Horse pike.
While the fill in this case would be reused, no one took the old massive stones and mortar from the job so it was simply tossed but 20 feet off to the Northwest side of the grade where it remains to this day
again clearly depicted in the other two shots mentioned.
Might as well go to the top. Always wanted to. As long as John Law don't see then it's good to go. It's pretty gangly looking up there.
Cool plating though
30 East
30 West
More
Pretty cool for something so looked over.
For many years a boy would sit in the back of the car or the pickup when the adults would be sitting at the Fleming/Rt30 intersection waiting to cross or turn. He would look over and marvel at the trestle there. Occasionally a feight train would clunk by over it until they ceased in 1978. He thought of how cool it would be to skitter up there and see the world. That was way out of the question. He was allowed to walk the rails North of the bridge and occasionally brought back a trinket. Most common were those rusted spikes discarded that lay everywhere. Boy were they heavy in the hand. Must have been because he was so small.
A few decades later a man walked onto the trestle to see the world. He marveled. He looked down at a loose plate and wiggled a rail spike out of the rail tie. He brought the spike home as a souvenir for the boy that never made it up there. Looks pretty good sitting here next to the books and pics on the computer desk. Don't look out of place at all next to this new fangled flat screen. Still seems kinda heavy in the hand though. To the boy anyway.
Thanks for reading.
Inspired and aided by the interests of two men, and a boy who marveled and never forgot.
g.
