Hojack Swing Bridge dismantling

That is AWESOME information! Thank you for posting it!

Memster1 wrote:That is AWESOME information! Thank you for posting it!

You're quite welcome! Glad it means something to somebody. So many times I see some pic from 70 or 100 years ago, and aside from the engine number and location you really can't tell the whole story. Between hanging around as a kid and actually working a while at Charlotte I was fortunate to have a decent feel for the place. I have described either earlier in this thread or a similar one,the one time I was on the swing bridge and rode it as it turned for the river and back to the railroad. I sure wish I had paid more attention that day.

Thanks BR&P, definitely much appreciated! I bet it was indeed some sound on the climb back up the hill!

Charlie

Memster1 wrote:Here is one I have as my laptop wallpaper. At least in photos we can recall what once was.....

Phew, I think that's one of the first photos I ever uploaded to RAILROAD.NET.

-otto-

Otto Vondrak wrote:

Memster1 wrote:Here is one I have as my laptop wallpaper. At least in photos we can recall what once was.....

Phew, I think that's one of the first photos I ever uploaded to RAILROAD.NET.

-otto-

I am glad you did!

The remaining structural elements of the swing bridge were removed this afternoon.

This thread has been most interesting. Thank you for all the info and pictures. I'm think thinking somewhere about a year ago, there had been discussion about the bridge, and a picture was posted with a train on it with blue Conrail units leading it. But I couldn't find it again when I looked last. What was the last customers /traffic across the river that the bridge was used for?

Since I haven't figured out how to use the quotes.... Just want to thank Nessman for posting a link to the document from 2001:
Memster1 for the photo of the alcos on the bridge;
and BR&P for the story to go with it!

Have the day off and some more pictures. Do note details such as the gears placements, wheels, and so on.

Chris

https://picasaweb.google.com/1123575824 ... Y_hqNjb6QE

https://picasaweb.google.com/1123575824 ... l7_Y5ZT0dQ

https://picasaweb.google.com/1123575824 ... bS-u9S1qAE

https://picasaweb.google.com/1123575824 ... I6p7vfKoQE

Note: I'm planning to go back now for the day's wrap up pictures to add to the 11-30 -12 album.

Great pictures... really gives you a good idea of how strong that bridge was.

I hope before dismantling the bridge was very well documented - particularly the control house, gears, and all that good stuff. I doubt the original engineering drawings of that bridge still exist.

Definitely a nice job, Chris........thanks for taking the time to document this so well!

I agree, Les---I share those same hopes. I appreciate you posting that 2001 document, as I never knew what the inside of
the control room looked like.

I'm glad the waterway will be safer for the folks that use it, but I really believe this area lost a lot of it's personality with
this bridge's demise. You all know what they say about "change", though.

Charlie

jayenelee said: This thread has been most interesting. Thank you for all the info and pictures. I'm thinking somewhere about a year ago, there had been discussion about the bridge, and a picture was posted with a train on it with blue Conrail units leading it. But I couldn't find it again when I looked last. What was the last customers /traffic across the river that the bridge was used for?

The last train I saw go across the bridge was the empties coming back from Beebee Station along with the yellow centercab that was stationed there(which ended up at the R&GVRRM at Industry...shameless plug for the museum)...pictures can be found here:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/duncanrichards/page6/

I'm not sure if they went across again to serve any other customers after that time(Ridge Lumber maybe?)but I know that when they went to Beebee for the last time they went up as light engines, so no cars were brought up for anybody else at that point.

Thanks for the photos, Mr. Richards.......I just looked at your entire photostream. Loved the Hojack
shots in Hilton, drove school buses in Hilton until not long ago and it's neat to see what it looked like
beforehand!

Charlie

As related to BR&P's description of the first belt coming up the hill from Charlotte in the early-mid 60's, it was a show every railfan with a video camera today would absoultly love to shoot. I lived in the same neighborhood as BR&P did, I can't tell you how many times we could hear the Alcos clawing their way toward Dewey Ave, often giving us a 5-10 minute warning that they were coming. Enough time for us to run down to Dewey Ave. It wasnt just the sound but the smoke and the smell that made the show. One other thing, BR&P mentioned 45-85 cars on the train, I those numbers were rather conservative, often 90-110 cars. When they started running loaded unit coal trains, normally 105- 130 cars back then, the road power would take the train to Charlotte, return south with just the caboose or cabooses, and the first belt would bring the emptys south along with the normal freight traffic a couple of days later. Back then I used to count the cars on trains I saw, the biggest loaded unit train I saw was 146 cars, power was Alco RS32's when they were still in road service. As far as southbounds go, although not Alco powered, there was one of 166 cars, all mty hoppers, pulled by Geeps around 1966. I guess I went off track here but it was fun remembering this stuff.

This shot is from the PC era, around 1973 is about the best I can do. RS32's are working on the other side (East Yard). I'm standing on the Lake Avenue bridge facing east. To the left are some empty hoppers on the lead to the port of Rochester facility (just shoved in there because everything else is full - no, we weren't exporting coal that way...). To the right and out of sight is the curve leading to South Yard (the only section of track remaining today). The curved track just off bridge on the west side was a direct link permitting northbound trains to cross the bridge without having to do a runaround move in the West Yard. I never saw it used in either the NYC or PC era and I don't think it lasted very long as part of Conrail. Best guess it was removed in the '80s.

Very nice pic! I had forgotten both the siding and the "Old Coal" tracks were on the north side of the Hojack main, I was mentally thinking one on each side. It's been too many years!

One correction - the east leg of the wye did remain in service fairly late. Not sure when it was taken out of service but I believe its use lasted into the 80's. It had a strange arrangement due to the cramped space - after crossing River Street northbound, the track swung to the left (west) in an arc. If a train wanted to go east across the bridge, there was a switch which led off to the LEFT. It went left a ways then curved back around to the right and crossed the west leg of the wye on a diamond, and continued northeast and east until it reached the Hojack main as shown in your picture.

I do not recall the date Beebee station stopped using receiving coal by rail - did the east leg last that long or was it gone by that time? It used to be a maintenance headache due to the sharp curvature.