Incidental Details

[alastairq]

is the curved siding not actually a 'link' to the lines that cross east-west?......I thought I detected a continuation of the rails up to the other 'main'?

 

Interchange, perhaps?

[trisonic]

Just to clarify. We're talking of Fresh Pond Junction? There is a subway terminus just off to the west?

 

Best, Pete.

[Sir Ray]

is the curved siding not actually a 'link' to the lines that cross east-west?......I thought I detected a continuation of the rails up to the other 'main'?

 

Interchange, perhaps?

He may be referring to a different building, not sure.

 

The track in the Bing Link that passes thru the building at Flushing Ave. (~56th St) is the Bushwick branch, which continues on South/SW (as you can see follwing the branch) to what has become a building supply transfer terminal near Johnson Ave. in Brooklyn - this branch is reasonably busy nowadays, mostly used to ship out MSW, and shipping in some building materials. The other track which heads East-West , a little north of the 'Curved' building (crosses Flushing Avenue at Rust St) is the LIRR Montauk Branch, which is basically the Freight main for Long Island (which includes the Boroughs of Brooklyn & Queens as well as the Counties of Nassau and Suffolk - this IS pertiennt, as a lot of the rail freight on Long Island is recieved/generated in Queens and Brooklyn - BTW, for reference, the population of all 4 counties/boros of Long Island is 7.56 million as of the 2010 census - contrast with the population of Greater London, which according to wiki was 7..75 million in 2009). BTW, I have always like the way the Y shaped building to the East if the 'Curved' building (East front on Andrews in the Bing map) maximizes the use of air rights by convering the junction of the Bushwick and the Montauk branch - pretty clever.

 

Fresh Pond Yard starts a few blocks to the East of the Bushwick/Montuak junction, and Fresh Pond junction (by the Lutheran Cemetary) is where the 'NY Connecting RR' (from the Hell Gate Bridge and the Bronx) crosses and continues south as the Bay Ridge Branch (to Bay Ridge Brooklyn, and the cross-NY harbor float bridges* - this whole line was once Electricied under Catenary, so that the New Haven could haul freights down over the Hell Gate and float them out via Bay Ridge float yards - of course, now I can't find any images on-line of New Haven EF-1 electric locomotives working in the Bay Ridge float yards, but those images are out there somewhere). The subway (M) runs a bit West of the NY Connection road, then veers sharply to the South west.

 

Man, this topic is getting a bit diverted from incidental details - and I guess I'm not helping either...

 

*Yes, one of the problems with being a NY railfan is that everything has a caveat - there were indeed float bridges at 65th in Bay Ridge, there are indeed now relatively modern float Bridges at 65th St. in Bay Ridge, and in the future these indeed may be active, but for now all floating is done from leakly poonton style transfer bridges at 50th Street. The LIRR back in the day used to mainly float from Long Island City - this closed down decades ago, and was abandoned for such, until the turn of the Century - now ;large Condomimian complexes occupy the former float yard, while the transfer bridges themselves are preserved as part of 'Gantry Plaza Park'

[shortliner]

What I was refereing to may well be Fresh Pond Jct - it is just on the north side of a large pair of buildings at

Otto Rd & 67th St, Ridgewood, NY 11385 on Bing maps

[trisonic]

He may be referring to a different building, not sure.

Fresh Pond Yard starts a few blocks to the East of the Bushwick/Montuak junction, and Fresh Pond junction (by the Lutheran Cemetary) is where the 'NY Connecting RR' (from the Hell Gate Bridge and the Bronx) crosses and continues south as the Bay Ridge Branch (to Bay Ridge Brooklyn, and the cross-NY harbor float bridges* - this whole line was once Electricied under Catenary, so that the New Haven could haul freights down over the Hell Gate and float them out via Bay Ridge float yards - of course, now I can't find any images on-line of New Haven EF-1 electric locomotives working in the Bay Ridge float yards, but those images are out there somewhere). The subway (M) runs a bit West of the NY Connection road, then veers sharply to the South west

 

Hang on, Sir Ray. What route did I take coming from Boston on the Acela? We crossed Hell Gate then seemed to float over the top of Queens / Brooklyn before diving under the East River - mind you it was dark and in the middle of a massive thunderstorm (the power went out at Penn for ten minutes or so). We certainly crossed Hell Gate on the way up to Boston - I love that big bridge it's like it is made of a giant's building blocks......

 

Best, Pete.

 

 

 

[Sir Ray]

Hang on, Sir Ray. What route did I take coming from Boston on the Acela? We crossed Hell Gate then seemed to float over the top of Queens / Brooklyn before diving under the East River - mind you it was dark and in the middle of a massive thunderstorm (the power went out at Penn for ten minutes or so). We certainly crossed Hell Gate on the way up to Boston - I love that big bridge it's like it is made of a giant's building blocks......

You indeed took Hell Gate and the wonderful elevated approach thru Astoria (NOT as beloved by people living in Astoria, in the past they used to complain about concrete pieces falling down off the approach but I think Amtrak has finally got things patched up) , and continued via the North East Corridor (I know, the whole route is the NE Corridor), but anyway the 'NY Connecting RR' route splits roughly in Astoria/Woodside, one leg turning West to go thru the LI Sunnyside yards and then the East River tunnels, the other leg continuing more or less South to Fresh Pond and then continuing on South to the Bay Ridge Branch. The PRR did things right and built a lot of redunancy into their routes at the time, thankfully for us New Yorkers today. You can readily see the split on this Bing View (zoomed out a bit), around 28th Avenue near the Brooklyn Queens Expressway (BQE)

 

What I was refereing to may well be Fresh Pond Jct - it is just on the north side of a large pair of buildings at Otto Rd & 67th St, Ridgewood, NY 11385

You are correct, that is indeed Fresh Pond Junction. Curved walled building following the siding ROW like that aren't hard to find around North American urban area, and since they aren't all that uncommon that's why I didn't realize at first which building you were talking about (e.g., there are several curved wall buildings on First Avenue in Brooklyn, here's the nicest curved one I could find, others are just angled walls, not as cool looking). Are curved wall buildings uncommon in the UK (not necessarily with still active sidings, but the building walls following the ROW would still be there)? If not, is it because NA had clunkly 40 & 50 ft freight cars (needing a larger turn radius) back in the 1920s thru 1950s when many of these buidings were build, while the UK had 10-15ft wagons?

 

[F-UnitMad]

... Are curved wall buildings uncommon in the UK (not necessarily with still active sidings, but the building walls following the ROW would still be there)?

In Gloucester Docks there are buildings that curve either side of the old railway (double track) system that used to be there... should show in this link, running north from Baker street towards Southgate...

http://maps.google.com/maps?q=High+Orchard+Street,+Gloucester,+United+Kingdom&hl=en&ll=51.859512,-2.252004&spn=0.00156,0.003449&sll=37.0625,-95.677068&sspn=32.80241,56.513672&t=h&z=18

[pH]

A few things from industrial tracks in New Westminster, BC.

 

First, a couple of crossing signals (very typical):

 

 

Trains have to obey road traffic rules here:

 

 

I'm not sure what this last thing is (the bar between the rails). My first thought was that it was meant to hold the track to gauge. However, the line was originally an interurban, with overhead electrification, and I wondered if it had something to do with ensuring both rails were properly grounded.

 

[trisonic]

I'm fairly certain that that is a "gauge rod" usually used when repairs are being made - of course once the repair is finished they stay.......

 

Best, Pete.

[Talltim]

There's some of them in Sheffield station, although they have screw adjusters

[John B]

Interesting that the crossbuck clearly states "2 Tracks" whereas only one pair of rails is visible...

[pH]

Interesting that the crossbuck clearly states "2 Tracks" whereas only one pair of rails is visible...

 

John, those 2 crossbucks are on opposite sides of the same crossing - if you look at the left hand side of the second picture, you can see part of the crossbuck that's in the first picture. There are two tracks, one close to the first crossbuck, the other close to the second crossbuck. they come together at a switch off to the left of the second picture.

[dave1905]

I'm fairly certain that that is a "gauge rod" usually used when repairs are being made - of course once the repair is finished they stay.......

 

Its a guage rod. It is not just for repairs but to maintain guage cheaply. Common on branchlines, etc. They are hooked on one end and have the screw adjuster on the other.

[John B]

John, those 2 crossbucks are on opposite sides of the same crossing - if you look at the left hand side of the second picture, you can see part of the crossbuck that's in the first picture. There are two tracks, one close to the first crossbuck, the other close to the second crossbuck. they come together at a switch off to the left of the second picture.

 

Ah - now I see it - thanks! There was me looking for evidence of a paved-over (or grassed-over) disused track...

[298]

Thanks for sharing. I can't see any in the photos, but previously electrified lines might still have wire links across rail joints for the return current, unless the track has been relaid.

 

Can't remember seeing standard road signs specifically for trains in "nearby" Yakima, apart from a few tiny ones strung from the overhead.

[298]

 

These days there are many US films and TV shows filmed in Vancouver, BC.

I was watching "Happy Gilmore" last night and wondering why everywhere looked like B.C. Turns out, it was because thats where it was shot.

[dibber25]

I agree, it really doesn't help when Hollywood uses southern California to represent Connecticut... (e.g. Cannonball Run II). Also, a lot of major US cities have been represented by Toronto.

 

Adrian

 

....and Vancouver. The buildings might pass for New York, but the light doesn't.

CHRIS LEIGH

[dibber25]

One of the things that you notice while riding on GO trains in the Toronto area is the sheer amount of junk and trash that is just tipped over the back fences onto the railroad property, primarily behind anonymous industrial buildings. But then you also get features like the gardens that some of the lineside homeowners have planted on the unused bits of railroad property behind their back fences. And just to prove it isn't all open spaces, there are places where the tree branches brush against the coaches.

 

Adrian

 

My GO Transit double-deckers operate through Parksville, BC and over the Kinsol Trestle! Well, it's MY layout!

CHRIS LEIGH

[pH]

I'm restarting this topic, rather than start a new one, for this picture. (I did think about putting it in the 'Whacky Signs' topic!)

 

 

It was taken on the UP transcontinental in Casa Grande, Arizona. You can see similar marking on the other track at the top left of the photo. I thought it fitted the subtitle of the 'Whacky Signs' topic - "Stating the obvious". However, thinking about it a bit more, I can imagine possible uses. It's at a level crossing - perhaps it's to make sure a hi-rail going from road to rail uses the correct track. Also, I can imagine occasions where emergency services may need to know which track is involved in a 'situation'.  

 

Perhaps some of the employees of North American railroads who post on here can enlighten us.  

[Andy Reichert]

I'm restarting this topic, rather than start a new one, for this picture. (I did think about putting it in the 'Whacky Signs' topic!)

 

1-IMG_3495.JPG

 

It was taken on the UP transcontinental in Casa Grande, Arizona. You can see similar marking on the other track at the top left of the photo. I thought it fitted the subtitle of the 'Whacky Signs' topic - "Stating the obvious". However, thinking about it a bit more, I can imagine possible uses. It's at a level crossing - perhaps it's to make sure a hi-rail going from road to rail uses the correct track. Also, I can imagine occasions where emergency services may need to know which track is involved in a 'situation'.  

 

Perhaps some of the employees of North American railroads who post on here can enlighten us.  

 

I'm not a real railroader, but I can certainly see the need to positively identify anything that is maintained by different groups of people at different times. 

 

Andy

[highpeak]

I am sure there is a good explanation for the lettering, but while we wait for a pro to tell us the real story, my thoughts are:

- if they take it apart, the lettering will help them put it all back together properly

- i wonder if on the bottom of the rail it says, "install this side facing down"

 

To keep this from being a purely facetious post, as far as the accumulations of scattered treasure are concerned, I think a bit of imagination is called for. By that, I mean imagine what would happen in real life to cause this stuff to accumulate and where it would accumulate. Looking through pictures of the yard in Brunswick, the yard area is quite clean. You wouldn't leave stuff lying around where people needed to move and so on. But around the various buildings, there is quite a pile up of empty 55 gallon cans, saw horses, broken or otherwise, tie plates, ties, rail and so on. It tends to get brought to a place and be stacked in a somewhat orderly fashion, not strewn all over the place.

Huts at Brunswick, ME ca 1978

[Glorious NSE]

perhaps it's to make sure a hi-rail going from road to rail uses the correct track.

 

Certainly a big enough issue in the UK that NR has spent a lot of money on signage at access points, not without some founding either, as we've had collisions (luckily relatively minor) over here where staff have railed bits of plant inadvertantly on a "live" track instead of the one they have protection for.

[Eggesford box]

Certainly a big enough issue in the UK that NR has spent a lot of money on signage at access points, not without some founding either, as we've had collisions (luckily relatively minor) over here where staff have railed bits of plant inadvertantly on a "live" track instead of the one they have protection for.

Or, on multiple tracks, putting the protection down on the live road. BANG, BANG/PLB, BANG!