Abandoned ERIE bits and the LAL

Virtually all segments of the Avon Wye were long ago abandoned and torn up. If my memory serves me right, the Wye was abandoned by CR shortly after the takeover from the EL and was never used by the LA&L. In my earlier post to this thread I noted that the LA&L made a serious bid in '76 to purchase the former EL line from Avon to Caledonia and possibly further west. Conrail never considered the offer and soon after rapidly abandoned this branch line. As a side note I also remember that the EL had laid fresh ballast from Avon to Caledonia (again possibly much farther west along this line) just prior to the CR takeover likely making it even more desirable to the LA&L. It sure would be an awesome sight to see the LA&L crossing the massive old trestle over the Genesee River in Avon. It should also be noted that this old RR trestle is still in place and current planning calls for it to be used as part of the expansion of the existing Genesee Valley Greenway Trail from Canawaugus (Town of Caledonia) into the Village of Avon.

scottychaos wrote:Are all three "legs" of the Avon wye still in place?

Obviously the mainline to Rochester (east side of the wye) is in place,
and a small segment of the line to Caledonia is in place (west side of the wye)
but what about the northern section of the wye? connecting the two lines...is it still there? or gone?

If its gone...why?
would be a handy place for the LAL to turn engines.


thanks,
Scot

Scot, and all,

The South to west side of the wye is gone, the north to west side of the wye is also gone, there is no track going westbound anywhere in the Avon yard. Where the Barilla siding comes off of the main cuts west of the main just before where the former north side switch would have been. The new grade down the new siding cuts through the old grade. The former ROW to Caledonia is gone past a small overpass to the steel bridge over the Genesee River. The ROW was taken out when grading for Barilla was done.

Greg

The ROW going west from main (WYE) is gone well before the Genesee River Trestle and just west of the WYE. It now stops at a former "farmer's underpass" south/southeast of the Barilla plant complex. The former ROW was excavated and used as fill during construction of the Barilla plant to bring the facility up above the 100 year flood plain.

avonrailfan62 wrote:The ROW going west from main (WYE) is gone well before the Genesee River Trestle and just west of the WYE. It now stops at a former "farmer's underpass" south/southeast of the Barilla plant complex. The former ROW was excavated and used as fill during construction of the Barilla plant to bring the facility up above the 100 year flood plain.

Didn't I say that in the message above?

railwatcher wrote:

avonrailfan62 wrote:The ROW going west from main (WYE) is gone well before the Genesee River Trestle and just west of the WYE. It now stops at a former "farmer's underpass" south/southeast of the Barilla plant complex. The former ROW was excavated and used as fill during construction of the Barilla plant to bring the facility up above the 100 year flood plain.

Didn't I say that in the message above?

I think avonrailfan62 was simply trying to expand on your point. Avonrailfan62 answered the "why" portion of the question in his last sentence.