Abandoned grade between Elmira and Big Flats

[poppyl]

The EC&N bridge over Pine Tree Road off 366 in Ithaca is going to be destroyed and replaced by a simulcra. http://www.tompkinscountyny.gov/highway ... t#pinetree" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

Does anybody here live in the Ithaca area? I am trying to get pictures of every abandoned railroad bridge in NY, and I don't have a picture of this one yet .... even though I bicycled over it. They're starting construction on Monday, so if you don't go get a picture Sunday, it might be too late.

I went by there this past Wednesday on the way to the vet school. The bridge is partially apart as it looks like they are cutting it up in situ rather than trying to lift it off its base. I'll be by there again mid-week but I will not be surprised if it is completely gone. BTW, with the road under the bridge closed, traffic is a real mess in that area.

Poppyl

[Exa]

The driveway is the old cinder roadbed.

No, the roadbed was on the other side, between the depot and the creek.

[RussNelson]

I have moved down to Elmira, so it's easy for me to go exploring here now. Here is what I know about the EC&W (the trolley):
I know of no trace between Big Flats and Corning, but there is a bridge at the intersection of Main Street and NY-352 in Big Flats.
My understanding is that the power line east of River Street is built on the ROW, and switches to the west of NY-352 when the power line does.
As NY-352 turns to the west, the trolley crosses the highway and then crosses Sing Sing Creek on a bridge with concrete approaches and a missing steel trestle.
It visibly stays on the other side of Sing Sing Creek and crosses NY-352 again when the creek does.
It follows Sing Sing Creek then becomes Maricle Lane (a private driveway) until it turns 90 north.
Goes through the woods (you can see it in the vegetation that grows on it), cuts behind the houses on Palisades Blvd,
then becomes Cottage Drive East, crosses NY-352 and immediately goes over a concrete arch bridge over Old Narrows Road.
I expect that Old Narrows Road was the trolley-era routing of NY-352.
It's then clearly visible on the north side of NY-352 to the intersection with NY-225, where it fades out.
About halfway to NY-225 is a creek on the north side of the highway and another concrete arch trolley bridge.
Entirely street-running through Elmira. Maybe there are rails in some streets? Certainly some streets still have bricks under them.
We next pick up the trolley running alongside the Erie on the way to Waverly.
At the southern border of Southport is a farm road and private crossing. A few feet north of that is a defunct creek.
The Erie filled in the creek bed, but the trolley bridges (two of them) still cross a creek bed, as does NY-427, Maple Ave.
The southern abutment of the bridge at Seeley Creek is still in place but the northern has been destroyed.
The trolley railbed is quite visible next to the Erie's tracks.
Just south of Dug Road is the trolley's powerhouse. You can see the portals for the power lines on the back wall. It's now the town museum.
Not sure if the trolley follows the Erie or the highway between here and Wellsburg, but on the north side of the Erie's bridge over Bentley Creek are trolley bridge abutments.
I know of no traces east of Wellsburg. Happy to be filled in.

[TrainDetainer]

After Dug Rd (swung over right behind the power house - can be seen on Historic Aerials 1944 view) it was along Lower Maple Ave (west side of the road) until just shy of the Erie crossing. The ECW turns left and crosses Lower Maple just before the Erie crossing (now a driveway, easily seen on Google satellite) to run along the north side of the Erie until Chemung, where it ran up through the village. You can still see the line in the trees from Lower Maple crossing to Wellsburg, about 50-60 feet north of the Erie. At Wellsburg IIRC there was a wide siding area just west of where the river crowds at Lowman Crossover, then it moved immediately adjacent to the Erie just before the Crossover. I seem to recall seeing a small hotel and a house next to the trolley on the north side of the Erie just across from the end of Main Street at the siding location in a picture once. At the Chemung River bridge in Chemung, the ECW was 'attached' to the north side of the main span. You can still see the piers/abutments are wide enough for the additional single track girders. I've never seen much on it through Chemung, but the trolley jumped up to Main Street just west of Thomas Road and traveled Main Street to where River Road ducks under the Erie. With the foliage off you could probably find the grade climbing up from the Erie to Main Street and on today's Google sats you can still see where the trolley curve widened from the curve in Main Street to swing back over to the Erie at River Rd. From there the trolley ran adjacent to the Erie on the north side to Waverly. You can still see the remains of trolley abutments at Dry Creek and a concrete retaining wall below O'Brien's where the trolley ROW was a few feet higher than the Erie tracks for a ways -vertical separation only to reduce blasting more of the cliff I'd guess - the trolley wasn't very far from the WB main there. If you look closely at the current Google sat pics where the Erie roughly parallels Chemung Street east of O'Brien's you can easily make out the retaining wall next to the main (the white-ish rubble line just 10 feet or so from track centerline). At Waverly the trolley jumped up to Broad Street in the curve west of downtown - you can see the line in the trees here: https://www.google.com/maps/@42.0015617 ... a=!3m1!1e3" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;.

[EwaNelson]

An article from Star-Gazette, dated July 7th, 1905.

[EwaNelson]

The Waverly - Elmira section began at a point at the corner of Broad and Elmira Streets in Waverly and proceeded west along the northern side of the current Erie Railroad alignment to Elmira. The bed is visible at most points along this route and is cleared of tracks and ties throughout. It lies directly adjacent to the Erie tracks and varies from 25' to 45' in width. The area through which it runs is mostly rural farmland, but becomes more populated near the villages. The roadbed itself is 5±' above the grade of existing Erie-Lackawanna tracks and is fairly straight in alignment. It follows along the base of several foothills and the Chemung River. The roadbed is in fair condition in most places, being overgrown with grass and brush. One item that should be noted is that the bridges or trestles across road underpasses and streams have been taken out and removed; only the concrete abutments remain. a. Length: 19.5± miles. b. Width: 33±' c. Condition: Roadbed is generally in good condition though somewhat overgrown with brush and grass. At road crossings, the trestles have been removed. d. Structures: Ties, tracks, signals, bridges and all other facilities have been removed. e. Indication of ownership: Entirety bought by Erie Land & Improvement Corp, in 1930, recorded in Liber 259, Page 133. The Erie Land & Improvement Corp. in turn sold many segments back to current adjoining land owners. f. Nature of terrain: Terrain is generally hillside from Waverly to the Village of Chemung. Thereafter it is somewhat flat farm land. g. General land use: Abutting land is either unused hillside or agricultural. There is also some residential and commercial, though very little. h. Recreational possibilities: Could possibly be used for hiking. i. Existing transportation facilities: This roadbed runs along and adjacent to the existing Erie-Lackawanna Railroad tracks from Waverly to Elmira.

Source: http://russnelson.com/inventory/invento ... ion-6.html" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[RussNelson]

Notice the last name on the most recent post here. Not bragging, just proud.

[RussNelson]

The LV bridge in Odessa has been removed.

I found trolley rails in Lake Street in Elmira. Not strictly the Elmira Corning & Waverly but it was connected. They're so deeply buried that there aren't even cracks. I needed to use my metal detector (which lives in my car for exactly this use) to find them.

[SST]

"....metal detector (which lives in my car for exactly this use) to find them."

Now that's dedication to the cause!