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Discussion relating to the D&H. For more information, please visit the Bridge Line Historical Society.

Moderator: MEC407

 #1059663  by brward
 
Russ,

There is one other bridge still intact. I refer to it as the Engleville bridge. It is nestled between Sharon Springs and Hanson Cross Road through a desolate stretch of farmland. It is of concrete. This was put into place in 1929 after the low lying timber trestle that was there washed away due to the flooding of the West Creek. The Seward bridge site has some of the original timber bents in place and both approach abutments are intact. Hanson Crossing both abutments are in place and in perfect condition. Bates Farm (the monster of them all, 63' foot lattice deck) both abutments are intact. Aside from Route 20, all bridges went over West Creek. Hope this helps!

-Brian
 #1059681  by Mem160
 
Hey Brian,
How's it going?

Hope all is well.

I have a few questions for you when you get the time.....

the concrete bridge - arch or slab, about how long? The lattice deck - steel or wood? I get the impression that most of this line consisted of timber bridges and trestles. Wasn't there also a rumor of a large wooden trestle around Cherry Valley? Somewhere? And isn't there some kind of historical significance behind that thru girder over Route 20? I thought I read something about it in the BLHS Bulletin a few years ago - like maybe the State of NY put it in and it was the first all-welded bridge in the US with no rivets or something?

Also, as always, how's the book coming along?

- Mark
 #1060773  by icphysther
 
March Hare and brward,
You mention an article written by Mary Bowers in the Schoharie Historical Society. Is this something you might be able to share with me? I tried contacting brward offline but was unsuccessful. Mary was my great grandmother.

Thanks
 #1061699  by brward
 
Mark,

The bridge is around 60'. It is comprised of 4 sections of precast concrete slabs set on concrete pilings. The 63' foot lattice deck was steel and as far as my research, was always metal. At the beginning of the branch most of all the substantial bridges were timber and eventually replaced with metal and/or concrete. As far as the ICC maps, the stories from the engineer Thomas Giles and the overwhelming field evidence I can say there was a timber trestle. I just visited the site today and found some artifacts. Very exciting. As for the Route 20 bridge, NYS did put it in but as far as the historical question about the welding notion, I do not know. TW 2 is churning along, if all goes well, looking for an early 2013 release.

-Brian
 #1061906  by w2cdce
 
I have a lot of information on the Cherry Valley branch of the D and H at least in Cherry Valley, Otsego County.....My great great grandfather was president and founder of the CV branch. I owned the section of land known as the Long Trestle now the Cherry Valley Spring Water Company. I worked for the County and mapped the right of way and the distribution after abandonment by Hudson River Estates ( the land agent for the D&H). I would be happy to answer any questions you might have on the northern portion.

Chris Campbell
[email protected]
 #1062316  by Mem160
 
I can't speak for anyone else here, but I would LOVE - and I mean absolutely LOVE to hear any information whatsoever that you have to share with us and are willing to! I've long been wanting to see pictures of any sort, but I'd love to hear anything at all about any portion of that line. When I was little my Dad had a summer place diagonally across from the Seward RR Station. Was 165 there at that time or was it only put in after the line abandonment. After 1956, how long were the tracks there before they tore them up? Any other info would be truly awesome!

- Mark
 #1062318  by brward
 
Chris,

I sent you an email. If you did not receive it, let me know. How cool is it that the great, great grandson of William Campbell is on this forum?! Awesome.

-Brian
 #1062376  by Mem160
 
Thanks for the picture. I was wondering, how much of that branch was double tracked? I watched a DVD - and right now, the name of the DVD escapes me - but it had about 4 or 5 minutes of CV Branch footage, and it looked like it was very well maintained in it's day, but what was surprising was that it showed double trackage and it was signaled. It almost looked like a mainline - maybe just a passing track? Or was it mixed up footage of the main?

- Mark
 #1062396  by brward
 
Mark,

Was it Vintage Rails? I believe that DVD is in the collection. The shot you are thinking of is of a steam locomotive move at the northern end of the CV yard. Its a shame that's the only known footage of any live action on the branch. The entire line had one main 21.04 miles from the junction at KF tower on the D&H to milepost 67 Cherry Valley Station with 3.65 miles of sidings and yard track at its operating height. Since its beginning it had a hodge-podge of track consisting of mainline seconds 56,62,67 and eventually 80 lb. When it was constructed it was iron broad gauge (6 foot) then in 1876 converted to standard gauge. And yes, back in the day the line was immaculate, as was the case with most railroads of the era. Plus, I think the D&H had a lot to do with the appearance being that it was in the contract when the agreement between the Cherry Valley, Sharon And Albany Railroad and the D&H Canal Company was signed.

-Brian
 #1062476  by Mem160
 
Thanks, that picture is awesome. That grass to the right would be my front lawn about 10 years later. Thank you very much for that shot. I hope there are many more Seward pictures in your book.

now that I thing of it, wasn't there 2 tracks there in Seward, either a side track or a passing siding?
 #1062531  by Cactus Jack
 
I hung around Cobleskill a bit in the late '70's and early '80's and always wondered how the CV Branch diverged at KF.
Anyone have pics or mapping that would better explain it, especially in relation to the mainline bridge and the grade crossing ?
 #1062656  by Mem160
 
if you look on google map satellite images find the Warnervilel Cut-Off Crossing and head to the right and you will see the scar in the earth where it diverged from the main line, to the North. Now the way I understand it, there was a Through Plate Girder Bridge on that road the overpassed the RR tracks. It has been filled in, however, I understand it was intact until circa 1980. There is a road to the North of that RR crossing, on the left, which diverges off the Warnerville Cut-Off Road, and when the road begins to level out, to the right, you can see a lot of the old ROW. I think some of this road - I can't remember the roads name - is laid on the old ROW. I posted a bunch of my pictures - of the CV Branches current status - in the Yahoo D&H Group under the category Cherry Valley Remains. I believe that I still have the originals, so if the ones on that group aren't good enough, if I can still find the originals, I'll post them here or send them to you or if Brian needs them for his book.

Later

- Mark
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