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  • Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge's History - Connecting New England to the Nation's Freight Network

  • Discussion relating to the NH and its subsidiaries (NYW&B, Union Freight Railroad, Connecticut Company, steamship lines, etc.). up until its 1969 inclusion into the Penn Central merger. This forum is also for the discussion of efforts to preserve former New Haven equipment, artifacts and its history. You may also wish to visit www.nhrhta.org for more information.
Discussion relating to the NH and its subsidiaries (NYW&B, Union Freight Railroad, Connecticut Company, steamship lines, etc.). up until its 1969 inclusion into the Penn Central merger. This forum is also for the discussion of efforts to preserve former New Haven equipment, artifacts and its history. You may also wish to visit www.nhrhta.org for more information.

 #184326  by JBlaisdell
 
When PC was forced to absorb the NH, they were also forced to route traffic from southern New England at a certain level (half of it?) over the bridge for the benefit of the EL. PC had its own line to Chicago and hated short-hauling freight out of New England to Maybrook but was legally bound to- until the bridge was severed. It was then able to keep it on its own rails and keep more of the revenue generated.

I was at a public meeting (1984?) that discussed the bridge's condition and what to do with it. Basically, the bridge needed only minor repair to bring it up to an E70 (70,000lbs per axle, I think) and was good for E50 as it then stood. The REAL expense was in the need to repaint.

Central Hudson did have lines over the bridge, and paid Conrail rent. When the crook from Pennsylvania "bought" the bridge, he jacked up the rent and the utility made plans to bury the cable under the river (which they did do).
 #189367  by b&m617
 
I recently came into possesion of much paperwork from the foreman of the POk Bridge; mind blowing stuff!!! There are copies of the annual inspection reports that are amazing in detail. Every part of this bridge has an identifying number; and much detail to the extent of the work that transpired between the present inspection and the previous one. Think the last one I have is 1966; every year the engineering firm is telling the RR that they better paint the bridge. In '66, they tell the rr that if they don't paint the bridge soon, they cannot guarantee that they can certify the bridge for rail traffic. Another interesting note: in the Ill fated attempt to spray paint the bridge in the mid '60's, they made the painted part of the structure so it couldn't be walked on and inspection of that part had to be done from a distance. Friend who worked on the bridge said it was like a cosmoline type paint; the rr got the stuff on cars, buildings, and paid a fortune to get the mess cleaned up. Think that was the last attempt to paint the bridge. :(

Work safe
Derail

 #189398  by Hudson Terminus
 
I was actually just up and around the bridge yesterday taking some pictures. It's obvious even now just how deteriorated they let the bridge get. When I get a chance, I'd like to explore the old main east, but it's also obvious those areas in the city are frequented by un-friendlies....

The more time I spend around that bridge, the more I can't understand that there are some that think that it could ever carry a train again.
 #189409  by b&m617
 
Interesting about your observations of the east side main that was just ripped up; one of the reasons the Ill fated NY & E never happened is that the mayor of Poughkeepsie "didnt want trains running thru our neighborhoods"...well u can see for yourself it's not a garden spot!! And they want to make it into a rail trail!!! Come armed!!! I was lucky enough to get central hudson to let me onto the property at Reynolds hill where the cornerstone (supposedly) is... Not sure if you can legally walk onto the right of way on the highland side; central hudson kicked the walkway group off it under the former regime. Not sure if the new regime smoothed that over and got foot passage restored???

Happy hunting!!

work safe

Derail :P

 #189459  by Hudson Terminus
 
The western approach is certainly more accessible, but I'm not familiar with the legality of approaching the bridge.

Regardless, I was there yesterday and took this picture from the locked, gated entrance to the actual bridge:


http://umd.facebook.com/photo.php?pid=30077576

As much as I'd like to get up on the bridge, my extreme fear of heights and unwillingness to undoubtedly tresspass will keep me from doing so. I was amazed how much railroad "stuff" was left behind. Even on the east side, there are still rails along the ROW (and some spurs), at least a few signals (another reason i'd love to walk that line, and all kinds of other smaller artifacts. That walkway group sure has a lot in front of them though...

As for the bike trail...

Come armed indeed. I only walked maybe 100 yards from the eastern approach before I saw the police cruiser backed up into the spur into the city from the main. 15* outside, and there was no shortage of "traffic" in the snow.

What stupidity that allowed a viable link to eastern Dutchess fall away.
 #189510  by b&m617
 
We took a track car out on the bridge in '89; we launched it where you were standing. At this point the walkway idiots hadn't b*stardized the track stucture and it was easy to get a car on; shortly after that somebody made it so you couldn't get back there with a vehicle, then the walkway morons finished it off and tore up some of the rails (on a bridge they didn't own at that point)...So I'm glad we got our pictures when we did. BTW, I think Central hudson has an easement to several hundred feet of the bridge structure to do with as they must. They wanted to give walkway permission to access the bridge by foot access but Sepe told them it was truck access or nothing and thats what they ended up with, nothing!! Thats why the access up the hill and not at the west end. talk about cutting off your nose to spite your face :P

Work safe
derail :-D

 #189526  by Hudson Terminus
 
It'll be interesting to see what happens. Apparently, they got a grant for over $800,000, but how far can that go?

I'm honestly surprised the bridge hasnt been demolished, but then again, I'm not.

I grew up in Poughkeepsie, so the bridge is just part of the city to me. It'd be nice if progress was made either way, but as a railroad fan, I'd like to see it restored and kept up.
 #189665  by b&m617
 
Ok If I beat a dead horse??? There is not enough money in the world to make the walkway happen. That 800 grand is for feasibility studies, and after blowing that taxpayer money, I'd bet that not a wrench would have been turned or one drop of paint applied to the bridge. They don't have that money in their hands yet, anyway.Present walkway group wants passenger elevators on each side of the bridge!! yeah right. And since the bridge is over a municipal water supply, sandblasting/ painting would cost more than the national debt to do it according to regs. Take any phase of this...where's the $$$ coming from??? And the walkway would make a dandy route for the drug dealers to ply their wares on the highland side; remember the fine folks on the east side of the bridge. I would like to see something good happen here but right now the roads in ny state are so poor I'd rather see them fixed. I'm sure the reason it hasn't bee torn down is the cost. had a nut job ask me about scrap value; he was going to buy the bridge for scrap and make a fortune. One thing that you must bear in mind: NY state has final say on what the ultimate use/disuse of the bridge will be. :P

work safe
DERAIL :-D

 #189737  by nysw3636
 
Going back to the 3rd reply on this topic by b&m617...I believe the last train had 5 Erie Lackawanna units, not 3. Unless the picture I have is labeled wrong??

ASD
 #189752  by b&m617
 
I'll look at Woody Cohen's slide of the last train and get back to you....not only did he capture the last train, he caught the fire later...too bad he didn't catch the PC torching it!!!! :-D

work safe
Derail :P
 #196102  by Cosmo
 
I tried to access the photo that Hudson Terminal posted the link to because- (oh woe is me,) I'm not a COLLEGE STUDENT! (AAARRGG!!!!) :(
I would REALLY like to see that photo! Can you maybe post it somewhere else? Say, maybe NERail.org under New Haven RR? :wink:
Meanwhile, I'll keep wishing I could get over to NY to visit that spot/view myself- and just be content to see it from the highway once in a blue moon on my way through to wherever. :-)
Pete "Cosmo" B.

 #196110  by Hudson Terminus
 
Sorry Cosmo, I'll get a link to you in a few that will let you access the page. My fault posting that pic there!!
 #197316  by b&m617
 
Great pic!! Boy that telephoto lens sure plays tricks, looks like the bridge is 1000 feet long!!! A great view of the gauntlet track, or what's left of it :P

Still looking for the slide with the last train...

work safe :-D
Derail

 #197567  by Hudson Terminus
 
As much as I'm terrified of heights, as a rail photographer, I'd love to get up there. That picture's about the best I'm going to be able to do, and there have been enough other pictures from on the bridge to give me an idea. What I like about that pic, is that the bridge seems to end at the barricade. You can't really see past that.

On the walkway site, the have an article discussing "walkers on the bridge" It mentioned stone guard huts on the eastern approach, but I couldn't find anything there. Do you also have any pictures of the sign that's on the right side of the ROW just before the bridge starts over Washington Street? I'd love to know what was on there, but once again, all clues are gone.

I don't really have the desire to go tramping through anyone's backyard to get up onto the bridge west of Wash. st. Would love to know what else you've got!
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