Selkirk Branch flyover at Fullers

On the West Shore, some miles west of Selkirk

http://tinyurl.com/ckb9qh (Switch to "aerial" and zoom out to get oriented)

It's not on the 1927 topo (the two tracks were on the lower-level alignment then) so did it have something to do with the army depot a few miles south?

I grew up in the area and remember it being this way back into the early 1960s.

IIRC, this was covered extensively in a long-ago post, but I can't find it.

The flyover at Fullers was the result of triple-tracking the West Shore between VO and RJ as part of the original Selkirk Yard project. The flyover aligned the trackage to match the conventional operation east of there with the odd arrangement to the west on the Mohawk and Syracuse Divisions which had the freight mains operated left-handed to the north of the passenger mains. Trackage was numbered 2-1-3-4 south to north as opposed to the conventional 4-2-1-3 used elsewhere. This was utilized as all of the major freight yards between W. Albany and E. Buffalo were sited on the north side of the right-of-way, and having Tracks 1 & 3 adjacent reduced the severity of any sideswipe incidents.

The photo indicates the bridge to be superficially deteriorated. It appears CSX is profiting in the short run from investments of prior owners. The 'high command' at 500 Water Street is living from quarter to quarter.

As a boy in the early 40's I recall NYC bridges routinely painted black (no rust) with the roads name in white. Switch machines, relay cases, and signal bridges were bright silver. Had an opportunity to be back in central New York this past weekend and observed the decrepit condition of the signal bridges on the SRB; just an old weathered gray with plently of rust.

My seniority was established in the early 60's on the B & A. At that late stage of NYC influence the Supt. (Mr.EC Cross) still had resources to be painting depots & wayside buildings...although then in jade green. This effort lasted into the 2nd or 3rd year of PC.

Just on observation from someone who knew 'better times' on the railroad.