Rail roads and their tracks.

[buckeyefarmer]

They postponed the big boy tour.

 

[Hay Dude]

We are fast approaching the completion of our new Wawa, PA train station and expansion of passenger rail service closer to my area (we already have 2 freight lines)
I picked up something interesting today on a satellite photo. An old rail line running about 5 miles from Wawa, PA to Chadds Ford, PA that was destroyed, has reappeared in a very small, but possibly meaningful way.
In the photo below, just between the notorious Chester Creek and new Rail Station under construction, you see a switch-track to seemingly nowhere. But this was the original railroad berm where Wawa connected to Chadds Ford. Its the same rail bed as was in use back in 1972, but thats brand new track at the red arrow. The old tracks beyond have been torn out about 500’ beyond. Could new track be going in?!?
Could they have put the new switch track there as a start for a connection back to Chadds Ford? Why else would they install a switch track? Its not for car storage as it goes downhill and curves around a large hill. Besides, they built several rail car storage sidings just out of my picture already.
Its fun & exciting to think about.

 

[cqaigy2]

I get that the viaduct might be a bit of an eyesore blocking out the hills and suck, but i like it.

 

[JethroB]

Seems like I read somewhere that in the 60's or 70's there was a car shortage so the tax structure was changed to promote private companies to build there own rolling stock and many did just that. Cars seen with a X in there numerals are own by some private firm, not a RR. Soon a excess of cars were made which today are seen on sidings.

I worked for a company that had about 200 private cars built back in the 70’s. GOLD KIST. Hopper cars for hauling soy and grain. I handled the payments from the RR for when others used the cars well into the late 80’s. I forget the term for that. Pool car? Here’s a model replica.

Also a yard engine at one of the feed mills. Original manufacture date of 1958. The much larger diesel engine had been replaced with a very much smaller Caterpillar truck or dozer engine for our yard work. I got to ‘drive’ it once, about 100 feet back and forth. Fun

 

[ArlyA]

Pool car? Here’s a model replica.

i believe that would be a hopper car, gravity dump. Was that your question?

 

[BravoXray]

The Russians built and opened in 2018 the longest RR bridge in Europe, the Crimean Bridge.

I'll bet the Ruskies will blow it up before they would let the Ukrainians take it, judged by their recent scorched earth policy in Ukraine.

 

[MossRoad]

We are fast approaching the completion of our new Wawa, PA train station and expansion of passenger rail service closer to my area (we already have 2 freight lines)
I picked up something interesting today on a satellite photo. An old rail line running about 5 miles from Wawa, PA to Chadds Ford, PA that was destroyed, has reappeared in a very small, but possibly meaningful way.
In the photo below, just between the notorious Chester Creek and new Rail Station under construction, you see a switch-track to seemingly nowhere. But this was the original railroad berm where Wawa connected to Chadds Ford. Its the same rail bed as was in use back in 1972, but thats brand new track at the red arrow. The old tracks beyond have been torn out about 500’ beyond. Could new track be going in?!?
Could they have put the new switch track there as a start for a connection back to Chadds Ford? Why else would they install a switch track? Its not for car storage as it goes downhill and curves around a large hill. Besides, they built several rail car storage sidings just out of my picture already.
Its fun & exciting to think about.

View attachment 742878

That's interesting. I wonder where it would go? Pretty stubby right now. And no way to cross the creek or HWY. Maybe they'll just put a little stub there for right of way equipment.

 

[Hay Dude]

That's interesting. I wonder where it would go? Pretty stubby right now. And no way to cross the creek or HWY. Maybe they'll just put a little stub there for right of way equipment.

Its already across the creek and the old line paralleled the highway. See the twin bridges? Its almost exactly where the old RR line was. The old tracks are maybe 500’ further “down range”. Looks like new gravel was installed beyond switch track. Would be amazing to see a “spur” go off that!

Yellow = new switch track to old rail line destroyed in ‘72
Blue = Chester Creek
Red = Newly restored & added passenger rail service.

White rectangles are new concrete passenger rail platforms

The funny thing is that up until it was destroyed in ‘72, it wasnt being used much-maybe one small freight run per day if that. Since then, the population of the area is probably 10X what it was in ‘72. Passenger rail would flourish if the rails were restored (the yellow line)

Theres a website dedicated to this $171,000,000 rail infrastructure restoration. I actually emailed a question about restoring the line between Wawa & Chadds Ford and I actually got a reply! It was something like “no plans as of yet”. The switch track stub gives me some hope!

 

[Bill Guenthner]

 

[JethroB]

i believe that would be a hopper car, gravity dump. Was that your question?

My understanding at the time was that the Gold Kist company owned grain hopper cars were not necessarily used exclusively by my employer. They were sort of out there in the pool of rail cars and whenever they were used by others we received a rental or usage payment. I’m not sure “pool car” is the correct term hence my ? mark. Long time ago.