Nostalgia & History > Photos of tracks that Ramp Up to another RR?

I am going to do that on my Model RR and need photos for inspiration... I am thinking a low line meeting a "High Line" for full length trains to traverse from either direction. Please, only photos of the real thing, not models.

You might search for photos of Shenandoah Junction. Althought the connecting tracks are no longer used, the arrangement sounds like what you are looking for. This was a location where the N&W crossed over the B&O. Good Luck!

Thanks PilotBlue but I'm not looking for a RR ramping to go up and over another RR but rather to connect with it.

Perhaps something like this at lower left.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/14 14:12 by wabash2800.

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City of Prineville railway ramps up to the BNSF

Camino Placerville & Lake Tahoe where it joined the SP?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/14 14:18 by nicknack.

That's the old Rahway Valley RR connection (Now OOS) to the CNJ in Aldene, NJ (Cranford, NJ). The Aldene Connection to the Lehigh Valley is in the background, which is still in use.

I should also note, that the other end of the RVRR connected to the E-L in Summit, NJ. It didn't exactly "ramp up", but it came out over busy Morris Ave via a pretty neat looking trestle, which is now gone, and into E-L's MU Yard, which is now NJ Transit Hill Yard. The connector actually dropped down into Summit Station. The track is now used to store NJT'S Catenary train.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/14 14:23 by rwa14.

No photo, Hudson Jct is a newer connection between LHR(under)and Erie(over) just east of Campbell Hall NY. Like Aldene that you showed except the crossing is more acute angle closer to 90 degrees. NYSW installed in the lake 80's to facilitate stack train movement to northern NJ.
Here is Bing map birds eye view: http://binged.it/X8I60f
Hope this helps.

http://binged.it/YMFO91

Sidney Ohio where CSX's (B&O) Toledo sub meets (NYC) Indianapolis line.
Just north of there was a really neat transfer track between the B&O and NYC's old Sidney main there. It has been torn out for a while though.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/14 15:05 by ERAD.

I know that short/steep grades are not that big a deal with long trains as they are on model railroad, but typically what's the grade on such a connection--3%?

The connection of the INRD and the Belt in Indy is about 3% and is still in use.

How about Kelso, WA where the old C&C connected with BNSF. Sorry for the smaller compressed images. This is the only CD I could find at the moment. The other CD with the full images is the one I need to find. If you enlarge the photo to 150-200% you'll get a good idea of the connection. What's intersting is that the C&C (Weyerhaeuser) line goes downgrade to the switch, then then climbs upgrade to cross the river.

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Many years ago, there was a ramp on the NKP (I think) in Toledo down to the NYC Chicago line. Ramp started near Anthony Wayne Trail and ended not far from the depot. I never saw nor got a picture of this line.

NS has such a set-up here just west of Fort Wayne, Indiana to connect the old PRR and NKP lines but I can't get anywhere near it. I tried once but was chased out. But I can see part of it from I-69. I drove by there on 69 the other day and saw a train snaking through there with another waiting. It would have made a great photo. Of course, if I ever stopped to take pictures from the overpass I'd have to feign car trouble as parking and standing off the side of the freeway is a no-no and dangerous.

> Thanks PilotBlue but I'm not looking for a RR
> ramping to go up and over another RR but rather to
> connect with it.


He provided you with a good suggestion - I've been there, the tracks DID connect at Shenandoah Jct. You can still see portions of them if you check one of the on-line map resources; look for "Shenandoah Jct".

There are many, many of these "ramp-ups" across the US to choose from, hopefully others can provide pics of some of them for you or check Google Earth or other on-line resource for overhead views. If you want an extreme example, check the east end of UP's Proviso Yard (former CNW yard) in Chicago where they meet the IHB going overhead. There's the original wye connection (now 3 tracks up the hill), the original "Provo Jct" connection from 1978 south of the mains (single track) and the new connection (also single track) for a total of 5 "ramp-up" connections in one location. That should give you several ideas to work from.

Take care,

Mark

Thanks Mark and PilotBlue. I understand but just want to ramp up and make a connection. My two lines would have never crossed, regardless.

Yes, I would say that with the mergers over the years, these ramped connections might have become more common. I can imagine that PC and CR did a few though they had some already also many at grade. I remember one at Three Rivers, Michigan, I think, with a CR train, smoking like holy hell, with GEs headed upgrade. it was a long train. I took a movie of that but somehow it got away from me.

Victor,

We have a REALLY SKEWED Warren Truss where the Soo Line (Now CP) crosses the Northern Pacific (Now BNSF) double track near downtown St. Paul.

http://pegnsean.net/~johnm/Soo%20Line%20Jct%20Bridge.html

Google Soo Line Junction for more information. Check the track diagrams - lots of model railroad potential.

-John

The Gooseneck, a very interesting and very heavily trafficked location on the northwest corner of downtown Kansas City, Missouri has a short but important connecting ramp between two very busy routes. Here's a nice recent image, and a search here on TO will give you others as well. The retaining wall along the ramp was rebuilt recently; previously it was was faced with stone. Other images you can find here will show the previous stone facing. See the eighth image at this thread.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,3516708,3516721#msg-3516721

And here's one more, an image of mine that gives a different angle on the ramp. Slight delay as I had a little trouble finding it.

http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?1,2793795,2793795#msg-2793795

Good luck with your project.

MC
Columbia, Missouri



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 09/15/14 20:28 by ironmtn.

7th photo in this thread:
http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,1996769
is one from Portland, OR. It connected with a track that went under the bridge the train is on. The connecting track isn't there any more.

Victor, there are a number of areas that fit your description (I think) along the IHB, starting with Blue Island and including LaGrange and Provo Junction. Provo Junction has been rebuilt over the past few years, giving it two connecting tracks, one of which is a flyover. The grades still look pretty impressive.

Carl Shaver
Lombard, IL

wabash2800 Wrote:
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> NS has such a set-up here just west of Fort Wayne,
> Indiana to connect the old PRR and NKP lines but I
> can't get anywhere near it. I tried once but was
> chased out. But I can see part of it from I-69. I
> drove by there on 69 the other day and saw a train
> snaking through there with another waiting. It
> would have made a great photo. Of course, if I
> ever stopped to take pictures from the overpass
> I'd have to feign car trouble as parking and
> standing off the side of the freeway is a no-no
> and dangerous.

I walked this roadbed when it was being built, and don't recall much if any grade to it, even though the NKP passes over the Pennsy just to the east. The INRD grade up to the Union Belt was the one that came to my mind, but somebody beat me to it. I DID get to hear a set of INRD GP38-2s go up the to the belt a couple of years ago, and it sounded SWEEEEET!

Took a walk over at Soo Line Jct. today. Some pictures of my walk are attached.

1. The view from Jackson Street, looking due west at double track BNSF with CP line breaking off toward Parkway Jct. to join line across skewed Warren truss at Parkway Jct.

2. Looking South from Arlington Ave. toward Soo Line Jct. No steep grades here - I'd say the steepest part, to my back, is only about 1%.

3. Grade crossing with Arlington Ave shows only about 25 feet or so vertical separation with upper line.

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