Railroad Forums 

  • Ithaca Area Rail-trail

  • General discussion related to Rail Trails nationwide, including proposed rail trail routes. The official site of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy can be found here: www.railstotrails.org.
General discussion related to Rail Trails nationwide, including proposed rail trail routes. The official site of the Rails-To-Trails Conservancy can be found here: www.railstotrails.org.

Moderator: railtrailbiker

 #530723  by MarcMeoff
 
I was in Ithaca last weekend and driving down Rt. 13 near Buttermilk Falls park, I noticed a new (to me) pedestrian bridge where the LV/DL&W track used to be.

Exploring further, I found a guy walking his dog on the ROW and I asked him about that. He said that as far as he knew, there were plans to turn the whole ROW up to Morris Chain into a trail, and then connect it to the old LV main line ROW and go all the way to Taughannock Falls with it.

Does anyone know about this for sure? I'd love to bike on this. One of my earliest train memories is of being at Buttermilk Falls and seeing a steam powered train blasting up the grade toward the Chain factory. I recall being confused by the appearance of the engine, because it had the cab in the middle, unlike the engines of my Lionel train set.

Probably a DL&W camelback.

 #530749  by RussNelson
 
A friend who lives in the area tells me that the line between Ithaca and Trumansburg is free of brush, and is bicyclable. Planning to ride it, and the other Ithaca area rail-trails one of these years.

 #530887  by Lehighton_Man
 
Buttermilk Falls.. Thats north of Ithaca.. Right? Or South?
Hmm.
Might've been a LV "Mother Hubbard" (same thing as a camelback) As far as i know, the DL&W tracks in Ithaca didnt go very far at all. After the switchbacks, they went towards the lake, then stopped, like almost next to the LV freight house.
But, i could always be Wrong.
Would Be Nice to see a Trail going up there. I'd like to bicycle it myself.
Cheers.
Sean

 #530890  by TB Diamond
 
Lehighton:

Buttermilk Falls is south of Ithaca proper, right on NY Rt. 13. Can recall that in the early 1950s the falls were out in the country, but urban sprawl and strip development took care of that factor.

 #531663  by lvrr325
 
Lehighton_Man wrote:Buttermilk Falls.. Thats north of Ithaca.. Right? Or South?
Hmm.
Might've been a LV "Mother Hubbard" (same thing as a camelback) As far as i know, the DL&W tracks in Ithaca didnt go very far at all. After the switchbacks, they went towards the lake, then stopped, like almost next to the LV freight house.
But, i could always be Wrong.
Would Be Nice to see a Trail going up there. I'd like to bicycle it myself.
Cheers.
Sean
The DL&W roughly paralelled the EC&N line, coming in from the south, where the EC&N turned hard right at East Ithaca, the DL&W turned left and used a switchback to descend into Ithaca proper, curving around over Route 13 at what has become about the southwestern city limit, and joining the LV passenger main to paralell it into town. The DL&W station still stands, used as a bus station among other things. It could probably be argued the main track of the Ithaca Secondary occupies the DL&W ROW for a few blocks past here.

It should also be noted that today's NS/ex-LV yard was built in 1967 after a flood control channel project required it be relocated. Originally, the yard was north of the passenger station, with a balloon track that circled through what is now Tremain State Marine Park.

 #536668  by uhaul
 
That aqua colored bridge is also known as the bridge to nowhere since you can not walk on it (legally.) There has been a lot of development in Ithaca in the last five years (too much in my opinion) and that has made the Ithaca train yard not as woodsy as it once was.

 #536692  by psdstu
 
[It should also be noted that today's NS/ex-LV yard was built in 1967 after a flood control channel project required it be relocated. Originally, the yard was north of the passenger station, with a balloon track that circled through what is now Tremain State Marine Park.
I remember this well..... I was 9yo when this work was done and helped my dad load some ties which he used to build a retaining wall. Whoever ripped up all the tracks shoved them all into a great big burn pile which was set ablaze and burned for days....... lots of changes to the area even since 1967 when all that flood control and track removal was completed. I left the area in 1974 and haven't been back to many times.