Eastern Railroad Discussion > Abandoned Track To Amazing Places --- Gone In 50 Years

Looking at some depressing pictures on another thread of the dormant Tennesse Pass line got me to thinking . . . 

Here's a list of scenic / historic / engineering marvel rail line segments that have been abandoned in my lifetime.  We've paid a high price, folks! 

<> SD&AE's Carriso Gorge 
<> NWP's Eel River Canyon 
<> the Camas Prairie Grangeville Branch 
<> Tennessee Pass / Royal Gorge 
<> CP's line through Coquihalla and Myra Canyons / Farron Hill 
<> SP's Modoc Line 
<> MP's Pueblo Line 
<> MILW's Western Extension 
<> The St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County covered bridge line 
<> The CN on Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland and the Gaspe Peninsula 
<> CN & CP trackage on Vancouver Island 
<> WP&Y into Whitehorse 
<> The NS wooden bridge over Abblemarle Sound 
<> UP's branches to West Yellowstone, Victor, McCall, New Meadows, Burns, Wells, Wallace and Burke 
<> NP's branches to Wallace and Gardiner 
<> SP's branchlines onto the western slope of the Sierra 
<> DRGW's line to Marysville 
<> CN & CP lines through the Ottawa Valley 
<> NdeM's line through "Hand Canyon" near Iguala  
<> CH-P line from La Junta to Juarez 
<> DRGW from Chama to Durango 

​This list is certainly not all-inclusive.  Can other readers come up with some other noteworthy candidates?  I'm referring to stuff that has been abandoned just in the last fifty years or so. Obviously the Colorado Midland, Yosemite Valley and the FEC Key West extension qualify, but they happened long ago. 
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/15 19:23 by CA_Sou_MA_Agent.

Saluda Hill?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/15 19:33 by wabash2800.

Beat me to Saluda in the East. Also Conrail through the Grand Canyon on PA, WM through Blackwater Canyon WV, as well as most of the WM Connellsville extension. I'd also deem the loss of all the Lake Michigan car ferry operations as noteworthy

NYOW Middletown west to Wharton
DLW cut off
Erie Jeff Div (DH Penn Div )
Reading Catawissa Branch
B&O west end to St Louis
Erie(EL) Marion to Chicago
....
Nice idea for a thread jogs the memory



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/03/15 21:14 by pal77.

B&O  across  Southeast Ohio. PRR  Columbus, Dayton, Richmond to Indianapolis.

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looking at some depressing pictures on another
> thread of the dormant Tennesse Pass line got me to
> thinking . . . 
>
> Here's a list of scenic / historic / engineering
> marvel rail line segments that have been abandoned
> in my lifetime.  We've paid a high price,
> folks! 
>
> <> SD&AE's Carriso Gorge 
> <> NWP's Eel River Canyon 
> <> the Camas Prairie Grangeville Branch 
> <> Tennessee Pass / Royal Gorge 
> <> CP's line through Coquihalla and Myra Canyons /
> Farron Hill 
> <> SP's Modoc Line 
> <> MP's Pueblo Line 
> <> MILW's Western Extension 
> <> The St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County covered
> bridge line 
> <> The CN on Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland
> and the Gaspe Peninsula 
> <> CN & CP trackage on Vancouver Island 
> <> WP&Y into Whitehorse 
> <> The NS wooden bridge over Abblemarle Sound 
> <> UP's branches to West Yellowstone, Victor,
> McCall, New Meadows, Burns, Wells, Wallace and
> Burke 
> <> NP's branches to Wallace and Gardiner 
> <> SP's branchlines onto the western slope of the
> Sierra 
> <> DRGW's line to Marysville 
> <> CN & CP lines through the Ottawa Valley 
> <> NdeM's line through "Hand Canyon" near
> Iguala  
> <> CH-P line from La Junta to Juarez 
> <> DRGW from Chama to Durango 
>

my favorite on your list is the MILW western extension

CA_Sou_MA_Agent Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Looking at some depressing pictures on another
> thread of the dormant Tennesse Pass line got me to
> thinking . . . 
>
> Here's a list of scenic / historic / engineering
> marvel rail line segments that have been abandoned
> in my lifetime.  We've paid a high price,
> folks! 
>
> <> SD&AE's Carriso Gorge 
> <> NWP's Eel River Canyon 
> <> the Camas Prairie Grangeville Branch 
> <> Tennessee Pass / Royal Gorge 
> <> CP's line through Coquihalla and Myra Canyons /
> Farron Hill 
> <> SP's Modoc Line 
> <> MP's Pueblo Line 
> <> MILW's Western Extension 
> <> The St. Johnsbury & Lamoille County covered
> bridge line 
> <> The CN on Prince Edward Island, Newfoundland
> and the Gaspe Peninsula 
> <> CN & CP trackage on Vancouver Island 
> <> WP&Y into Whitehorse 
> <> The NS wooden bridge over Abblemarle Sound 
> <> UP's branches to West Yellowstone, Victor,
> McCall, New Meadows, Burns, Wells, Wallace and
> Burke 
> <> NP's branches to Wallace and Gardiner 
> <> SP's branchlines onto the western slope of the
> Sierra 
> <> DRGW's line to Marysville 
> <> CN & CP lines through the Ottawa Valley 
> <> NdeM's line through "Hand Canyon" near
> Iguala  
> <> CH-P line from La Junta to Juarez 
> <> DRGW from Chama to Durango 
>
> ​This list is certainly not all-inclusive.  Can
> other readers come up with some other noteworthy
> candidates?  I'm referring to stuff that has been
> abandoned just in the last fifty years or so.
> Obviously the Colorado Midland, Yosemite Valley
> and the FEC Key West extension qualify, but they
> happened long ago. 
>  

my favorite on your list is the MILW western extension

NH Poughkeepsie Line and bridge over the Hudson

L&HR through western and northern NJ that connected with the NH at Maybrook,NY

CNJ through the Pinelands of NJ

LV Sayre to Buffalo

L&NE across NJ and eastern Pa.

ACL A line through Va and northern NC

Madison Hill (IN)

PRR's Atglen & Susquehanna
Southern end of DT&I into Ironton
PRR Elmira branch, esp. in PA

B&O's line from Chardon Ohio I believe to Grand River Ohio. GRRY is running on replaced track for 3 miles from Grand River to Painesville but the rest is gone.

Posted from Android

Most of the NEW York Central brnaches in Ohio & SE Michigan especially the "old Line" with only the A&B left.

NS's former N&W route through Farmville, Va. -- and over the famed "HIGH BRIDGE" upon which I rode many a steam-powered excursion train behind 611, 630 and 722, and also aboard the Red Unit Circus Train.

SEE: http://www.dcr.virginia.gov/state-parks/high-bridge-trail.shtml#general_information
 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/05/15 15:53 by rbx551985.

How about the Northern Central from Balto to York, and the PRR Frederick branch between Hanover Pa and Taneytown MD.  Also the B&O Hagerstown branch.  Not long lines, but they are gone.

Just a few minor corrections: It was known as the "Old Road".  There are at least three more segments in operation other than the Adrian & Blissfield.
Daveb Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Most of the NEW York Central brnaches in Ohio & SE
> Michigan especially the "old Line" with only the
> A&B left.

CSXT's former Seaboard Air Line route from Petersburg, Va. (Collier Yard) southward as far as "Norlina" N.C. (although they might some day restore it as part of the so-called Southeast H-Speed Rail Corridor, if that project ever gets approved and/or off the ground).