All this time, hoping to catch some activity, its been severed

I don't know about the rest of you guys, but I had an interesting and funny surprise yesterday. I had to take my boat trailer in for a tire repair [annoying chronic leak] and while he repaired it, I rode my bike around the Tonawanda area where the I-190 and I-290 meet and where the RR bridge crosses overhead.

While riding on Grand Island Blvd, I crossed over the tracks that cross over the highway. Show's no evidence of wear and tear on the rails. Typical corrosion due to non-use. Then I ride on along the river for a few miles. As I came back, I looked twice at the track again and thought I saw a wye. So I got off my bike and hiked in. What I saw I totally unexpected. No wonder I haven't seen any traffic...Its been severed from the same track that feeds NOCO with tank cars. Gave me a good laugh. Maybe somebody else will have the date when it was disconnected. I have no idea. I'll try and post some sizable pics...


This pic is looking over the bridge at the I-190 merge. Lots of corrosion.

[attachment=0]IMG_1015.jpg

Well, I got the pictures in from my PC via upload attachments but it won't load from upload image like it use to. Why the images are laying on there side...not a clue but when I click on them, they are right side up.

Looking at Google Maps, the track east from the I-190 bridge doesn't get too far... it dead ends just before the Hydraulic Development & Manufacturing Company, which is listed at 125 Fire Tower Drive in Tonawanda. Looks like maybe 2500 feet or so.

Seems the end of the track was once the Tonawanda water facility.

The NYS Thruway Authority (which owns and maintains I-190) has the Frontier Fuel RR name on the bridge.

R36 Combine Coach wrote: ↑Sat Aug 05, 2023 5:05 pm Seems the end of the track was once the Tonawanda water facility.

The NYS Thruway Authority (which owns and maintains I-190) has the Frontier Fuel RR name on the bridge.

I thought they changed it. I thought they put CSX on the bridge. That's why I was surprised to see the line severed. I haven't gone under the bridge in a while. I'll have to inspect the bridge to verify.

Edit: You are right. It is Frontier . But I’m certain that a new sign/name change happened years before the virus which caused me to think we’ll see traffic over the bridge. Here’s a pic I just took to verify:

After all these years driving that way on the 190 never gave it a thought as to where those tracks went .
Well now I know - no where !

Again too bad those new warehouse businesses that parallel the ROW and the 290 couldn’t have used rail service .

Looking around that area now over by the OOS Huntley Power Plant it’s remarkable the traces of rail infrastructure that are still visible .