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From: chris AT costellomfg DOT com
Date: Mon, 21 Dec 2015 19:12:34 -0700
Subject: Re: (erielack) Portage Viaduct Curiosities
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Brian,

Although I will have control points on the old PRR line, this is not the
area I am referring to. The area I am talking about is on the west end of
the bridge. I have included two screenshots from Google Earth. One is
just a blank aerial that you can see the route that I traced, and the
other shows the routes I traced. The Maroon is the existing track and is
what is shown on the val map as existing. The yellow is the old route and
as you can see is more direct and has less curves.

Chris

>
> Chris where was your control point? The Pennsylvania Rochester branch ran
> on the east bank. This section was abandoned in the early 1960's.
> http://photos.greatrails.net/s/?p=222724
>
> Brian J. Carlson, P.E.
> Sent from my iPhone
>
>> On Dec 21, 2015, at 8:20 PM, chris@costellomfg.com wrote:
>>
>> I'm sure many of you are aware of the work at Portage Viaduct to replace
>> it. What I am guessing none of you are aware of is that my company was
>> contracted to do the control survey for the replacement bridge. Since I
>> am involved in the survey I've taken a bigger interest in it recently
>> and
>> have been looking into the history of the bridge and found a couple
>> things
>> that I am curious about and am hoping that someone can shed some light
>> on.
>>
>> The first one is fairly simple. Thehe Val map references the start and
>> end of a Gauntlet Track on either side of the bridge. Can anyone
>> confirm
>> that there was actually a gauntlet on the bridge? There is one photo I
>> have seen that you can clearly see 4 rails and it looks like the
>> locomotive is on a gauntlet, but I may also be talking myself into it
>> and
>> I am actually just seeing the normal guardrails. All other photos I've
>> seen that show the ends of the bridge where the gauntlet might start
>> show
>> a simple switch from the double track.
>>
>> The next question is a bit more involved. The same map and the next 3-4
>> maps in the section show a ROW going straight off the bridge to the west
>> and the existing track curving to the north. The deeds for the straight
>> track call out the "Attica & Hornellsville R.R. Co." and are dated 1851
>> which makes sense with the build date on the original wood bridge
>> (1851/1852). The existing track that curves to the North is to the
>> "N.Y.L.E. & W.R.R. Co." and dated 1881. In addition, today while I was
>> out there I took a walk near one of our control points. There is an
>> existing trail, but it is too wide and straight to be anything that the
>> park would have out in as a hiking trail, and when I look at Google
>> Earth
>> there is a clear cut through the trees and fields that would indicate to
>> me the location of an abandoned railbed. With all that said, here are my
>> questions. I Know NYLE&W was a previous form of the Erie, but was the
>> Attica & Hornellsville associated with the Erie, or was it something
>> that
>> got swallowed up later? And second, does anyone know why the track
>> would
>> have been realigned? Looking at the route, it seems like the route
>> called
>> out by the 1851 deeds was more direct and the terrain seems similar so
>> it
>> doesn't make any sense to me to relocate the track.
>>
>> Thanks in advance. I'm sure as work continues I'll come up with more
>> questions for everyone.
>>
>> Chris Costello
>>
>>
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>
>
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Image EXIF Data:
Image Capture Date   2015:12:21 21:04:39
Image Digitized Date   2015:12:21 21:04:39
Sub-Second Creation Time   84
Sub-Second Digitized Time   84


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