Bath and Hammondsport RR rail question

I also posted this in the B and H Forum under the existing thread “ B and H questions but thought I’d post my question here also.

A few remaining rails continue to stick up thru the grass on the east side of Main Street in Hammondsport. Took a look to see if any date stamps but no luck - would they have dates and if so what part of the rail would have them.

Thank you
Mark



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Would be on one side or the other of the web. Rust would make it harder to find.

Thanks - yes they were pretty rusted but now I’ll need to stop and talk to the neighbor who was pulling everything up with his garden tractor the other day !!! When I had taken a quick look before seemed pretty lightweight.

Keep you posted

I wonder how willing he'll be to talk given he probably is essentially stealing that old rail, would have to look at the abandonment on that section but I would expect the property is still owned by someone.

Updated pic


He has them all pulled- ties stacked to the right, rails back by the wood line.
Talked to him who seemed quite knowledgeable about the ROW as has lived there forever. Didn’t ask him about how he is able to pull it all up.
We looked for dates on a lot of the pulled rail but no luck .
Picked up a bunch of spikes to add to my collection for who knows what.
From there drove over to the where the B&H roundhouse ‘Had’ been as totally gone.
Pics below taken from Liberty Street of the area .

New owner of the land who built his house there has cleared bush and cleaned up the shoreline where the barn had stood .
Drove then around in back to the area the town/village is developing a park .
Wasn’t able to see any evidence of the ROW thru the existing brush but didn’t walk it.

Mark

No roundhouse but the engine-house was there. Are you sure it's gone? It's very well hidden in the brush. I was just there.

https://goo.gl/maps/S8ThABuRkYfTPBfa9

You can't see it from anywhere, the park, etc., unless you hike in.

Maybe I’m missing it as always saw the red building there before now.
Was easy to see from the street.
I’ll look time I’m down ( maybe in the winter when leaves are off)

Yes, it’s not visible anymore and completely overgrown. I had to hike a good 20 minutes into it from the park. It was like jungle cutting getting to it. Once in, I was able to get out quicker as I was able to get my bearings and head straight out.

Visited the site today.
Far as I can see is totally cleared.
Talked to neighbor who has lived there for 40 some years .
Says site cleared for he understands 4-5 building lots.
Work continues on the park to include a. walkway across Cold Brook to be continuation of the trail currently from Curtice Museum . Progress is slow …..

Latest in Urbana Town Board minutes - looking for an agreement with the County IDA to obtain rights to the ROW from Curtis Park to Pleasant Valley Winery to build on the Waterfront Rails to Trails master plan.
Wants a 99 year lease. Why wouldn't the town be able to buy it outright?

Apple maps has updated satellite imagery and does show the engine house gone.

Fireman43 wrote: ↑Mon May 09, 2022 9:21 pm Visited the site today.
Far as I can see is totally cleared.
Talked to neighbor who has lived there for 40 some years .
Says site cleared for he understands 4-5 building lots.
Work continues on the park to include a. walkway across Cold Brook to be continuation of the trail currently from Curtice Museum . Progress is slow …..

Update on the rail trail plans.
Attended a public meeting the town had on the proposals and asking for public input.
Presentation by their consultant indicated the initial trail to go from Main Street westerly to just north of the Curtis Museum , then comes to a screeching halt as DEC finds an Eagles nest along the ROW !!

Apparently no development can take place within 600’ of a nest - yes even a trail unless screening can be installed - like planting 10’ tall trees.
Needless to say a lot of puzzled looks among the attendees:

So now the plan is to have the trail branch off the ROW and head south to the museum.

On the Main Street end the trail will not follow the ROW east to the new park in the area of the engine house as ‘years ago’ I was told the town/village/county had turned that stretch over to a private owner . ( must be the guy I talked to that was pulling out the rails and ties earlier in this thread?????) I was told to reclaim that stretch of ROW was a fight for another day.

So the proposed trail will follow a course through the school parking lots east over to toward Champlain Beach .

I’ll try to attach pics of some of the handouts .
( in the meantime we were told grants for this project and the park and replacing the pier at
Champlin Beach are slowing grinding along.

Finding by having to upload pics as attachments I can’t delete duplicates .

Also makes one work to adjust the orientation.

Mark