Buffalo Drawbridges

On the Buffalo River, where there are two drawbridges side-by-side...is the one that is always up the Buffalo Creek and the one down or that works the NKP one? Thanks.

Charles

I think you have it backwards..

the one in use, the southern bridge, is the Buffalo Creek bridge.
Conrail made it their mainline in the 70's or 80's and its now the main route for CSX and NS..."CP Draw"

The north bridge is the NKP bridge, and is out of use/abandoned.

Scot

Incidently, if you can find your way back in there, beside the draw bridges is an awesome place to watch the trains. A former Buffalo friend of mine, who has since moved to Seattle of all places, used to film railfan videos (Iron Horse Video Productions) all over the Northeast. He took me back in there beside the draw bridges for a couple hours of filming, and it was a train watcher's dream. Just don't get caught where you shouldn't be (of course this was pre 9/11 and when Conrail ran the property) and stay outside of the fenced off hazardous contamination area.
More recently in 2007, at an accessible nearby location, I hiked in over a mile from the Tift St. baseball grounds. Found all sorts of "secret" winding dirt access roads, roaming deer, heavily used tracks criss crossing all over the place, right up behind the Ohio St. yards and grain silos. I believe it's the old Compromise branch connectors to Ohio St & Seneca Yards. Never went back to try and drive in, but saw at least a couple "ordinary" looking citizens driving their regular old pickup trucks back in there. Weird, like a different world back in there. Again, use common sense around the tracks, because this is an area not set up to protect the common public. Like a final frontier for the only people willing to go back in there.

These "secret" roads you speak of behind Ohio St. yard are CSX property, and if you are caught on them, you can get in a lot of trouble. The same goes for the CP-DRAW and CP-1 draw bridges. Both bridges are now covered in video cameras which can see all around the area. My advise is to just stay clear! Plenty of other good spots around town to see the exact same trains, while not trespassing and endangering yourself and possibly others.

FlatWheeler wrote:Incidently, if you can find your way back in there, beside the draw bridges is an awesome place to watch the trains. A former Buffalo friend of mine, who has since moved to Seattle of all places, used to film railfan videos (Iron Horse Video Productions) all over the Northeast. He took me back in there beside the draw bridges for a couple hours of filming, and it was a train watcher's dream. Just don't get caught where you shouldn't be (of course this was pre 9/11 and when Conrail ran the property) and stay outside of the fenced off hazardous contamination area.
More recently in 2007, at an accessible nearby location, I hiked in over a mile from the Tift St. baseball grounds. Found all sorts of "secret" winding dirt access roads, roaming deer, heavily used tracks criss crossing all over the place, right up behind the Ohio St. yards and grain silos. I believe it's the old Compromise branch connectors to Ohio St & Seneca Yards. Never went back to try and drive in, but saw at least a couple "ordinary" looking citizens driving their regular old pickup trucks back in there. Weird, like a different world back in there. Again, use common sense around the tracks, because this is an area not set up to protect the common public. Like a final frontier for the only people willing to go back in there.

All of these areas mentioned are private property, there is no safe or legal entrance to any of these locations.

I use to cross country ski behind Tift St Nature Preseve. Before 9/11 I would actually ski on the access rd running along side the track. Nobody bothered me. Probably to damn cold. But after that, I skied above the access rd and sometimes just picked a pile of snow and sat and watched. Still nobody bothered me.

Over the years skiing back there, I've found various left overs from the LV. There is a loading dock concrete platform back there. A fire hydrant still anchored in. Probably still works unless they shut off the water. Other stuff that I can't recall. And an impressive view of operations.

With the mention of video cameras above, it may not even be worth the trouble going back there anymore. Another privlege/freedom stripped from us. As I write this, I remember various articles in RTP how people as kids would hang out at the rr yard and get to know the people working it. Maybe the crew would invite them onboard for a ride. Now, you get anywhere near them and your invited to jail. It's truly ashame the way security issues have gone crazy.

SST wrote:I use to cross country ski behind Tift St Nature Preseve. Before 9/11 I would actually ski on the access rd running along side the track. Nobody bothered me. Probably to damn cold. But after that, I skied above the access rd and sometimes just picked a pile of snow and sat and watched. Still nobody bothered me.

Over the years skiing back there, I've found various left overs from the LV. There is a loading dock concrete platform back there. A fire hydrant still anchored in. Probably still works unless they shut off the water. Other stuff that I can't recall. And an impressive view of operations.

With the mention of video cameras above, it may not even be worth the trouble going back there anymore. Another privilege/freedom stripped from us. As I write this, I remember various articles in RTP how people as kids would hang out at the rr yard and get to know the people working it. Maybe the crew would invite them on board for a ride. Now, you get anywhere near them and your invited to jail. It's truly a shame the way security issues have gone crazy.

SST,
First I would like to thank you for the very pleasant memories of doing the same with another friend that was also a railfan. we started at The FORD STAMPING PLANT in Woodlawn,NY then moved on to Norfolk Southern's EX-N&W'S NEE-NKP South Park Yard, Conrail's Kenmore Yard,(csx) CONRAIL's Frontier Yard,Seneca Yard and we visited a few other freight Yards around Erie County and Niagara County before ending up at Tift Buffalo & Pittsburgh's Street Yard. And yes all this was done between 1981-2001 I have a few pictures as well!

Secondly here in rochester,ny they are starting to place "No this,no that" signs in some places. I would like to thank all that made this attempt to deprive us "the railway fan photography/model railroader's hobby" and possibly our past experience with some of the friendliest people and companies, in a attempt to recreate history...
What a shame !!

South Park Ave. is the closest public location to see trains coming over CP-DRAW. The light's really never good there, except during the longest days of summer (it's virtually North-South right here, and you're facing South [while we're on this subject, if you want to shoot Eastbound trains in Buffalo in the late afternoon, check out Tifft St. - the mainline swings around so far that it's actually heading a touch to the West!]). There's also an abandoned railroad bridge that's closer, though steer clear of this - the Norfolk Southern police have said that this is private property, and they (the NS police) will not hesitate to put you in handcuffs and let you spend the night in jail! Just in general, be careful where you are standing when in Buffalo - both CSX and NS have police officers based here, and they do get around the terminal area.

There is a location between the NYC River Bridge and the NKP/BCK bridges that is open to the public. This is at the foot of Smith Street. There is a public fishing area down there. I have not been there for maybe a year and a half so I am not up to date on it but the last I knew it was a public access area. You can easily see both bridges from there. You could probably take pics with a telephoto lense. But I would not go there alone or at night. You also have a good vantage point there from which to view the old grain elevators.

There were good times trying to railfan/railway photography before September 11, 2001.. I would like to thank all that are involved to deprive us of such a wonderful hobby !

Well even before 9-11 it was illegal to trespass. And those who caused the "problem" were killed along with their innocent victims that day so we can't "thank" them. If you're crying because you no longer can get away with breaking trespassing laws, I doubt you'll find much sympathy from responsible railfans.

tomjohn wrote:There were good times trying to railfan/railway photography before September 11, 2001.. I would like to thank all that are involved to deprive us of such a wonderful hobby !

You are still free to enjoy your hobby WITHOUT TRESPASSING ON RAILROAD PROPERTY! The rules of trespass have not changed before or after 2001! So let's move off that argument and get to some productive conversation...

I was mistaken for a new hire by a Conrail cop pre-9/11, just FWIW. Probably only because I'd put the camera back in the car.

Couldn't see the bridges mentioned but the one time I was in Buffalo I got some good pictures from Tifft St. -

One more thing about tresspassing. I agree with Otto that tresspassing rules probably haven't changed much over time. But the mentality has.

Consider the kid that got the ride on a train in the 50's. Despite the fact the kid got a ride, at some point, he crossed onto the property before the invitation. Was he tresspassing?

Take that same kid today wanting to watch the railroads. The RR Police are called to shew him away or worse.

One kid gets a ride on a locomotive and the other kid gets a ride in the white SUV.

I'm going to take the drivers seat here and try to steer this thread back the way it should have gone....

the one in use, the southern bridge, is the Buffalo Creek bridge.
Conrail made it their mainline in the 70's or 80's and its now the main route for CSX and NS..."CP Draw"

The north bridge is the NKP bridge, and is out of use/abandoned.

How about this...
The southern bridge (currently CSX) was built by the Buffalo Creek? And the northern one (currently raised) was built by the NKP? I was always curious about there construction, as they seem to be identical in design. Were they built at the same time, or does one predate the other by a few years? What year was the northern bridge locked in the raised position? Anybody remember this, or have pictures of both bridges in use? Lets keep the conversation on track.