LV Rochester (Hemlock) Branch - Atwells?

I'd like to gain access to the trestle. Is there anybody I should contact for permission or do I just walk in?

You can't just walk in. It is private property. I can ask when I get a chance and see who people should talk to. I'm not going to give out info unless they are ok with it. It took way too much time and phone calls to figure it out to lose my permission.

Charles

nydepot,

Sure would be appreciated if you took a camera and share what you find with us here!

Yes, I will share everything. Including contact info and such when I get the OK to. I'll certainly put photos up. My understanding is that it is a tall but short (length) trestle.

Charles

Best of luck Charles,

Thanks for taking the time to sort the property ownership out for those of us who live out of town and are nto able to put the time into it that you did.

Hope that your exploring comes out well, maybe take a GPS reading for future generations or online mapping sites?

Brooks

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Update (3/18/05): Please view all pics at http://paiges-page.net/LV. The links in the story below are now obsolete and so I have removed them.

Paige
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First, I would like to thank the property owners for allowing me access to see the LV trestle near Lima; and I would also like to thank the other people who helped me locate the actual property owners.

Here is an account of my trek this morning, plus of course, the pictures of the LV trestle south of Lima, NY and east of Route 15A.

I walked back into the woods across farmlands that were covered with snow. The day was extremely bright, and my eyes were having trouble adjusting from the bright snow to the less bright wooded area. However, I had clearly come upon Spring Creek, but there was (for now) no sign of the trestle. I followed the Creek north about 1/4 of a mile, and there it was!

The trestle is obviously still in very good shape. Here's a closer look at it (facing north). Continuing my walk, I came across some old wheels, with the LV ROW embankment seen in the background. Here's two more views (here and here) of the trestle, facing approximately northwest.

Next I climbed up the embankment on the right of way. This is the LV ROW facing west towards the trestle. Next, I walked towards the bridge, and here is the top of the trestle across Spring Creek. The trestle is obviously in good enough shape to support vehicle and human traffic! My original thoughts, by the way, were that I would never have been brave enough to walk across the trestle, but seeing this, I figured there was no reason not to walk across. Before I did, I turned the other way and photographed the LV ROW facing east (and then it curves north) toward Lima. Here's my shadow and Spring Creek, as seen from the middle of the LV trestle. Also, at the west end of the trestle, I took this shot (somewhat fuzzy, my bad!) of some of the metalwork and woodwork poking out from the snow. Who knows how long ago this tree had fallen and now rests against the top of the trestle.

Next, I ventured along the north side of the trestle for this view. I saw an old railroad tie used as a fencepost. I was able to climb down the snowcovered slopes and from next to Spring Creek, the north side of the trestle looks like this. I took a few more shots from almost underneath the north side of the trestle (here, here and okay, I'll be nice and show you this one too!)

By now I was exhausted, I had removed my winter coat (although it was probably about 40° F outside) because I was sweating profusely, and I also had the pleasure of getting lots of snow in my boots. But I didn't mind, I was having fun. Time to leave, and I snapped one last picture of the trestle, taken from the southeast.

Thank you for the tour!
I was expecting to see a bridge like structure, but it is in almost every sense of the word a trestle!

Awesome shots! Thank You!

Thanks, dj paige, for your hard work and excellent photos. I really appreciate it!

Paige,
GREAT photos!
thanks for taking the time to do all the digging that was necessary to make your pictures possible!
would you be interested in writing up a "tour" webpage of your photos that could be added the LVRR Survivors tours page?

http://www.frontiernet.net/~scottychaos ... tours.html

im sure many LV fans would love to see your photos!
and its definately a VERY obscure and very interesting location/artifact!
thanks,
Scot

Paige:

Yes indeed..thanks for the time and effort to photograph and post your photo essay. Love the photo with the old wheels as they stand, along with the trestle as a testament to time. Hard to believe but the last time I was back in there was over 34 years ago. Even moreso when you consider I have lived in the immediate area most all that time. Still pretty much how I remember it.

Even harder to believe that once upon a time the trestle was partially visible from Route 15A just south of the Village line (Moses Nurseries). Typical as agricutural activities have waned and the land reverts back to it natural state.

For those who want to imagine, typical power up here were Baldwin and EMD switchers and ALCO RS-2 's. On occasion I had seen 2 RS-2's in MU together during seasonal traffic upsurges.

Amazing how this thread evolved. Thanx to all who contributed. BTW I did finally locate my track chart (a poor 10th genberation xerox copy)and "St Marys' Street" is clearly shown.

VTM

Scot recommended I put all these photos and descriptions in a separate webpage. So now I have done just that, please visit the webpage devoted to what I am now calling the Spring Creek Trestle.

Any corrections or comments gratefully accepted.

I to would like to offer my thanks for the time and effort put forth by Mr. Paige to acquire these photos. Most of my memories of the bridge as a child was of the deck as I walked slowly, then as I approached the other side, ran, hell bent for the other side before a real or most generally, imaginary train, came lumbering thru the weeds.
VTM, remember the large dump back of Moses Nursery? Another fine place for a 10 year old to play!!........Jerry.

I added the tour to the LV tours page..
thanks Paige!

http://www.frontiernet.net/~scottychaos ... tours.html

By the way, all of you NY State Railfans should check out the tours linked on Scot's pages. They are all excellent, and some of them seem to involve walking on public property in case you want to take the tour in person. In particular, I can't wait to go see that abandoned roundtable near Genesee Junction. I have also "toured" Manchester, inspired by Scot's tour.