by Nicolai3985
Note: I had posted this on another forum I frequently visit to no avail. If no luck here, I'll try the Yahoo group, but would like to drum up some conversation on the forums first...
I'm in the process of doing design work on a section of I-70 east of Washington, PA, and found a mysterious B&O ROW shown on the 1950s era plans of the original interstate...
Attached is a map showing the approximate location of the Right-of-Way. The plans state that it was Railroad Right-Of-Way (legal terminology rather than actual grading) and label it as "B&O Wheeling Ext," but do not indicate any rails were laid.
I looked at a combination of our ground survey and the Lidar contours from PASDA, and it appears there had been some grading done. On the east side, north of Rankin Road, there was some clear cut-and-fill. It looks as if the cut was not finished. I could not find anything east of that point that stood out as railroad engineering. On the west side, there is some embankment between the present rail line and the stream. Everything else in between was disturbed when I-70 was built.
I'm not that familiar with the B&O nor railroads in that part of Pennsylvania. My best guess would be some sort of aborted mining branch, though that doesn't really seem to fit. Any thoughts gents?
I'm in the process of doing design work on a section of I-70 east of Washington, PA, and found a mysterious B&O ROW shown on the 1950s era plans of the original interstate...
Attached is a map showing the approximate location of the Right-of-Way. The plans state that it was Railroad Right-Of-Way and label it as "B&O Wheeling Ext," but do not indicate any rails were laid.
I looked at a combination of our ground survey and the Lidar contours from PASDA, and it appears there had been some grading done. On the east side, north of Rankin Road, there was some clear cut-and-fill. It looks as if the cut was not finished. I could not find anything east of that point that stood out as railroad engineering. On the west side, there is some embankment between the present rail line and the stream. Everything else in between was disturbed when I-70 was built.
I'm not that familiar with the B&O nor railroads in that part of Pennsylvania. My best guess would be some sort of aborted mining branch, though that doesn't really seem to fit. Any thoughts gents?
-Nick
Below are a LiDAR view from PASDA in which the grading really shows up, and a google maps view with the ROW highlighted for reference.
I'm in the process of doing design work on a section of I-70 east of Washington, PA, and found a mysterious B&O ROW shown on the 1950s era plans of the original interstate...
Attached is a map showing the approximate location of the Right-of-Way. The plans state that it was Railroad Right-Of-Way (legal terminology rather than actual grading) and label it as "B&O Wheeling Ext," but do not indicate any rails were laid.
I looked at a combination of our ground survey and the Lidar contours from PASDA, and it appears there had been some grading done. On the east side, north of Rankin Road, there was some clear cut-and-fill. It looks as if the cut was not finished. I could not find anything east of that point that stood out as railroad engineering. On the west side, there is some embankment between the present rail line and the stream. Everything else in between was disturbed when I-70 was built.
I'm not that familiar with the B&O nor railroads in that part of Pennsylvania. My best guess would be some sort of aborted mining branch, though that doesn't really seem to fit. Any thoughts gents?
I'm in the process of doing design work on a section of I-70 east of Washington, PA, and found a mysterious B&O ROW shown on the 1950s era plans of the original interstate...
Attached is a map showing the approximate location of the Right-of-Way. The plans state that it was Railroad Right-Of-Way and label it as "B&O Wheeling Ext," but do not indicate any rails were laid.
I looked at a combination of our ground survey and the Lidar contours from PASDA, and it appears there had been some grading done. On the east side, north of Rankin Road, there was some clear cut-and-fill. It looks as if the cut was not finished. I could not find anything east of that point that stood out as railroad engineering. On the west side, there is some embankment between the present rail line and the stream. Everything else in between was disturbed when I-70 was built.
I'm not that familiar with the B&O nor railroads in that part of Pennsylvania. My best guess would be some sort of aborted mining branch, though that doesn't really seem to fit. Any thoughts gents?
-Nick
Below are a LiDAR view from PASDA in which the grading really shows up, and a google maps view with the ROW highlighted for reference.
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