Its been a long time since we've discussed anything concerned with the Gardenville Line/Sonwil Industrial track. Their is still service on the line. The warehouse somewhat near the WSRR is still receiving boxcars. Their were two the week before last and another two again last week. Its the first time I've been through the area since early last year.
Two weeks ago, I was riding my bike to the Amtrak Depew station. Needing exercise desperately. As I approached George Urban Blvd, I ran over shards of glass before I saw them. Within 20 seconds my front tire was flat. 2 hour walk home. To cut some distance, I walked up the line towards the airport. I haven't actually walked a line in years. It felt good to explore again looking for things. Which brings me to this post:
Lots of torn up rails and ties. But CSX must have done a clean up operation as the piles of rails and ties were gone. Dang! No pick'ins remaining. As I continued beyond the warehouse still receiving boxcars, I couldn't see some very long railroad ties under the active rail. I assumed this meant that a switch must have been there along with a spur into another warehouse. I started looking for the track bed where this spur would have been but the brush was thick and it looked like it was bulldozed flat long ago. I kept walking. But I also kept turning around...something kept telling me to turn around. And suddenly, I see something......I walk back 50 feet and to my amazement the spurs rails and ties are still perfectly intact. I've walked by here several times long ago but never saw this. But then I realized I'm usually here in the summer with leaves on the trees and bushes. And it is THICK!
There are no rails from the where the switch would be and then across the access road. It basically starts where the bushes start and goes all the way to the warehouse which is mostly buried in stone. Here are some pictures:
Two weeks ago, I was riding my bike to the Amtrak Depew station. Needing exercise desperately. As I approached George Urban Blvd, I ran over shards of glass before I saw them. Within 20 seconds my front tire was flat. 2 hour walk home. To cut some distance, I walked up the line towards the airport. I haven't actually walked a line in years. It felt good to explore again looking for things. Which brings me to this post:
Lots of torn up rails and ties. But CSX must have done a clean up operation as the piles of rails and ties were gone. Dang! No pick'ins remaining. As I continued beyond the warehouse still receiving boxcars, I couldn't see some very long railroad ties under the active rail. I assumed this meant that a switch must have been there along with a spur into another warehouse. I started looking for the track bed where this spur would have been but the brush was thick and it looked like it was bulldozed flat long ago. I kept walking. But I also kept turning around...something kept telling me to turn around. And suddenly, I see something......I walk back 50 feet and to my amazement the spurs rails and ties are still perfectly intact. I've walked by here several times long ago but never saw this. But then I realized I'm usually here in the summer with leaves on the trees and bushes. And it is THICK!
There are no rails from the where the switch would be and then across the access road. It basically starts where the bushes start and goes all the way to the warehouse which is mostly buried in stone. Here are some pictures:
