MNCW/NYC Twin Tunnels on Oscawana Island in Crugers, NY

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

MNCW = Metro-North Commuter Railroad

These are the first tunnels that I have seen on NYC's Water Level Route. They are short.

prr4ever via BridgeHunter, License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA)
Looking South

Dave Blaze Rail Photography posted
Eight Of Eight With a free weekend alone I finally took a trip long on my list and made the trek out to the Hudson Line to hunt Metro North heritage units and pay a visit to a few famous locations that I'd never before seen for myself. Tops on the list was Oscawana Island and the twin tunnels on the legendary former New York Central water level route mainline. The weather was less than ideal and far from comfortable with temps in the 90s, high humidity and thick haze making for poor shooting conditions, but I had fun nonetheless. In the short 90 minutes I spent here I shot eight trains and missed a few others before leaving as massive thunderstorms approached. Not many people shoot going away photos of trains and I'm sure this won't draw much interest. But I take a documentary approach to photography including the bad in with the good because someday once everything has changed, as it inevitably will, this will be an interesting scene for somebody. And I treat this as my trip journal and travelogue so try to include at least one shot of each train at each spot. This was the last of the eight trains I'd shoot, before moving on before the gnarly weather rolled in. Southbound Metro North train 878 the 4:51 PM departure from Poughkeepsie due at Grand Central 1 hr 54 min later. They are on Main 2 of Metro North's Hudson Line at MP 36.8 passing thru the 200 ft long west bore with P32AC-DM 207 (GE blt. Nov. 1997) shoving on the rear. This is the original New York Central Railroad mainline which opened between New York City and Albany in 1851 as the Hudson River Railroad, and the first tunnel here (the one out of sight to my left that Main 1 passes thru) dates from the line's construction through here in 1849 while the parallel one beneath my feet with Mains 2 and 4 dates from 1912 when four tracks were installed (the original tunnel had two). In 1864 the Hudson River Railroad was purchased by Cornelius Vanderbilt along with the New York and Harlem. Meanwhile in 1853 Erastus Corning had assembled a plethora of small local lines as the New York Central Railroad running from Albany to Buffalo and in 1867 Vanderbilt merged it with his road to create the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad and the rest as they say is history. By the 1950s as the railroad was showing signs of weakness but also modernizing under the leadership of A.E. Perlman. Around that era the four track mainline was equipped with CTC and reduced to three mains thru here. If anyone can fill me in the exact dates of the changes here I'd be most grateful. Hamlet of Crugers Cortlandt, New York Friday August 2, 2024 Kilo Gigawatt: Interesting shimmy inside the east tunnel. Laurie Still: That's a cracking picture with much of interest. Does it matter that it's going away? Not at all, I do it all the time. Just record 'the everyday!'

Dave Blaze Rail Photography posted
7 Of 8 At Oscawana With a free weekend alone I finally took a trip long on my list and made the trek out to the Hudson Line to hunt Metro North heritage units and pay a visit to a few famous locations that I'd never before seen for myself. Tops on the list was Oscawana Island and the twin tunnels on the legendary former New York Central water level route mainline. The weather was less than ideal and far from comfortable with temps in the 90s, high humidity and thick haze making for poor shooting conditions, but I had fun nonetheless. In the short 90 minutes I spent here I shot some eight trains and missed a few others before leaving as massive thunderstorms approached. Here is the 7th train I photographed, Metro North train 844, a 4:47 PM departure from Grand Central Terminal scheduled into Poughkeepsie 1 hr 50 min later. MNCR 223 (GE P32AC-DM blt. Jul. 2001 and one of 31 on the roster including four owned by ConnDOT) dressed in standard MTA paint is leading the train out of the north portal of the nearly 200 ft long bore on Main 1of Metro North's Hudson Line at MP 36.8. This is the original New York Central Railroad mainline which opened between New York City and Albany in 1851 as the Hudson River Railroad, and this tunnel dates from the line's construction through here in 1849 while the parallel one at right with Mains 2 and 4 dates from 1912 when four tracks were installed (the original tunnel had two). In 1864 the Hudson River Railroad was purchased by Cornelius Vanderbilt along with the New York and Harlem. Meanwhile in 1853 Erastus Corning had assembled a plethora of small local lines as the New York Central Railroad running from Albany to Buffalo and in 1867 Vanderbilt merged it with his road to create the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad and the rest as they say is history. By the 1950s as the railroad was showing signs of weakness but also modernizing under the leadership of A.E. Perlman. Around that era the four track mainline was equipped with CTC and reduced to three mains thru here. If anyone can fill me in the exact dates of the changes here I'd be most grateful. Hamlet of Crugers Cortlandt, New York Friday August 2, 2024

1978 I-65 General W.K. Wilson Jr. Bridge Span over Mobile River at Creola, AL

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

The span is a 800' (244m) through arch. "This bridge spans the Mobile-Tensaw River Delta. Which includes the Mobile River, the Middle River, The Tensaw River, Mifflin Lake and Big Lizard creek." [BridgeHunter]

The bridge is 10 miles (16km) over a wetland containing the five rivers listed above. That is why I have added the word "span" to the title.

Street View, Sep 2022

Wayne Wood posted
The General WK Wilson Bridge over Mobile River, just north of Mobile, AL. Nicknamed "the Dolly Parton Bridge" for obvious reasons.

Jon Runnells: I-65 traversing a 10-mile-wide wetland of five rivers draining into Mobile Bay...

1910 (NS+CSX)/Southern/Tennessee Central Bridge over Emory River at Harriman, TN

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Street View, May 2016

Street View, May 2024

dscharen Flickr via BridgeHunter

dscharen Flickr via BridgeHunter

Carroll Jernigan commented on BridgeHunter:

This bridge was originally built by the Tennessee Central Railroad. It was used for passenger train access by TC trains to their passenger terminal in Harriman. Trains were turned on a "wye" track at the Emory Gap yard and then backed the last few miles across this bridge into Harriman. Southern Railroad acquired the bridge after the Tennessee Central bankruptcy in 1968. One of the photos shows a rail car on a track under the bridge. The track in that photo was owned by the Harriman and Northeastern Railroad. H≠'s passenger terminal was just to the photographers right. For several years after the beginning of the twentieth century the little town of Harriman was served by by up to five railroads simultaneously. (TC, H≠, L&N;, Southern and the CNOTP)

The Southern tracks on the west side of town were originally the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific according to the 2004 SPV Map. the Southern tracks on the right were the ones that L&N used to access Harriman.

1952/54 Harriman Quad @ 24,000

Was this bridge a predecessor of the current one?

History's Mirror posted
"A train crosses over a wooden trestle bridge near Harriman, Roane County, Tennessee, in the 1890s, capturing the era of railroad expansion in the region.

Time Zone and US-70 Bridges over Piney Creek near Rockwood, TN

Time Zone: (Archived Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

US-70: (Archived Bridge Hunter, no Historic Bridges; Satellite) Originally called the Time Line Bridge. Now it is officially the Ray R. Baird Memorial Bridge.

The Time Zone Bridge was built by the Tennessee Central Railroad. It was bought by Southern, which became NS. BridgeHunter_tz says it is now the Franklin Industrial Minerals Railroad (FIMX).

A small fraction of the trestle.

Street View, Jun 2024

The approaches still have wood.

Street View, Jun 2024

Comment by Carroll Jernigan on BridgeHunter_tz:

This is another bridge originally built by the Tennessee Central Railroad that fell into the hands of the Southern Railway after TC's 1968 bankruptcy. This bridge along with three beautiful trestles are located in a thirteen mile stretch of track now operated by a limestone mining co in Crab Orchard, TN. After the closure of the TC the Tennessee State legislature passed a bill allowing the state to purchase the entire rail line and hopefully operate it as a tourist railroad. That bill was vetoed by the Governor.

Photo via BridgeHunter_tz, Photo taken by Calvin Sneed in June 2010

Frank Keller Photography posted
Lhoist 3043 crossing Piney Creek Trestle near Rockwood, TN 4.8.22

John Fry Images: Nice catch crossing the time zone bridge!

US-70 (Time Line Bridge)

The road bridge looks like a UCEB when you drive over it, but Frank's photo makes it obvious that it is an arch bridge. In fact, a "concrete open spandrel deck arch bridge (3 spandrel ribs)" arch. [BridgeHunter_US_70]

Photo from BridgeHunter_US_70
"Built 1929-31; rehabilitated 1978" The 350' (107m) long bridge has a main span of 178' (54m).

Barge Canal Locks #21 & #22 and Bridges near New London, NY

#21: (Satellite)

#22: (Satellite)

Lost Erie (Original) Canal Bridge: (Satellite)

Closed Iron Bridge: (Satellite)

Erie Canal overview

nycanalmap

 

nycanalmap

Cori Willson posted four photos with the comment: "Boy Scouts passed through locks E-22 & E-21 a few days ago on their way to Bellamy Harbor in Rome.  All involved were rather enjoying it,  7 canoes for a lockage is a personal best 🙂"

1

2

3

4

Cori Willson posted four photos with the comment: "These two gentlemen are from Kentucky and started their end to end trip down the Erie Canal in Tonawanda. They passed through lock 21 today, one of them turned 72 yesterday! This trip has been very memorable for them, meeting the people along the way was the answer when asked what's has been their favorite part. People along the canal have helped them out along the way, offering rides to grocery stores and one even offered to lend them their vehicle to gather supplies in Fairport! The most memorable so far has been the two days crossing Oneida Lake."

1

2

3

4

18 photos of the Seneca Chief going through lock #22

7 photos of lock #22

2 of the 9 images posted by Cori Willson with the comment:

NEW LONDON

Ambrose Jones is listed as erecting the first

frame house on the site of the present

village, called the Eagle Hotel. He

was instrumental in having the post office

opened in 1825, naming the new settlement after his hometown, New London- Connecticut.

The first industries used the raw materials

at hand, lumber and fuel wood. The virgin

forest trees grew to 30 feet in diameter.

Lumber was shipped out by the millions of

board feet. Five boat building yards hummed with one of the largest industries in the

state. The story circulated that New Londoners built their boats each a mile long

then sawed them into barge-length sections

and boarded up the ends, thereby turning

out an "instant fleet".

New London, incorporated in 1848

was a commercial center at that time of 800

permanent residents; three hotels cared for

the hundreds more transients passing

through on their way westward. Cheese

from three cheese factories, grain, vegetables, and in spring arbutus flowers for perfumers were shipped to New York City.

The westbound barges unloaded sugar and

manufactured goods at New London to go

By wagon train northward to the settlements of Jefferson and Oswego counties.

The opening of the Black River Canal and the new network of railroads drained commerce from the Erie. The industrialization of nearby Rome and Utica drew families to those towns. A serious fire in 1856, another in December 1900, and again nine years later, wiped out the docks and warehouses, hotels, stores, and gracious classic mansions, never to be rebuilt. The wild rough days of the canallers have become part of Central New York folklore.

The New London of today, straddling the old Erie Canal at the junction of state routes 46 and 49. is entirely residential. A dozen homes of the early canal period remain, clustered around the United Methodist Church, Masonic Lodge, and firehouse. Only the church keeps its original identity. Life in the 20s and 30s centered around a Dramatic Society, Merry Makers Orchestra, Lodge and Eastern Star meetings, sleigh rides, and Saturday night dances at Grosjeans Hall. The canal was still a factor, with accidents and drownings. The 1937 great freeze caught barges end to end from New London to Lock 21.

In August 1947 a charter was oranted the New London Volunteer Fire Department. A 1931 Chevrolet truck was purchased, on which was mounted a U. S. Government- loaned 500 gallon skid-type pumper, two ladders, and 600 feet of hose. The rig was kept in a former bicycle shop, and later in nearby barns. In 1949, when the weight of the equipment dropped the truck through the barn floor, the campaign to raise funds for a firehouse was accelerated. In 1950 the first firehouse was built on the corner of Main and Cornell Streets.

In 1966 and 1967 there was much talk of the Erie Canal Park, with recreational development at its extremes of New London and DeWitt. The Canal Park is on the record, but is as yet one of the many undeveloped areas belonging to the New York State Park System.

-Edith Pangburn, Historian

The History of Oneida County, 1977

a

b

Cori Willson posted three images with the comment:

Erie Canal Lock E-21 – Pre-1958 & Today

Pre-1958: Mid-20th-century color glass slide view inside the lock chamber. Tug Kerry K. Kehoe (built 1938 by Ira S. Bushey & Sons, Brooklyn, NY; originally Crow, later Elsa Carroll, Osceola, Kerri K. Eta) occupies the space, concrete walls bare of plating.

Today: Same east-looking vantage over the empty chamber during winter pump-out. Heavy wrought iron plates now line the walls (installed 1958).

The missing plates date the first photo before the 1958 Ryerson upgrade for Lock 21

1

2

3

The Erie Canal looking West from the lost bridge location. (The view to the East is blocked by trees.)

Street View, May 2023

"Historic Stoney Creek Iron Bridge"  I think it is steel instead of iron.

Street View, May 2023

Hurricane Gulch Arch Bridges in Denali Park, AK

1921 Railroad: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

1971 Road: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite, 615 photos)

Railroad

Dave Blaze Rail Photography posted
Budd Cans On The Bridge You can't ride these here anymore and you certainly can't do this....glad I caught the tail end of an era here. Good memories that from what feels like a lifetime ago. A pair of classic RDCs (#s 701 & 712) on the Hurricane Turn pause on the train's namesake bridge to allow passengers to get off and walk around. As you can see a decade and a half a ago things were much more casual on the Alaska Railroad than they are now. 701 is an RDC-3 built for the New Haven Railroad in 1953 as their number 126. 712 is an RDC-3 built for the New York Central in 1953 as their number M380. This would be the last season for the classic "Budd Cans" as the railroad's crews called them as time and the increasing popularity of this train finally caught up to them. Hurricane, Alaska Sunday September 7, 2008 Ken Heitzenrater shared

 

Dave Blaze Rail Photography posted

Geeps On High

This was arguably my best catch ever from my secret camp spot and overlook high along the north ridge of Hurricane Gulch. 

While not a revenue freight train, the company work train always put on a good show usually rating classic original, built new, home road GP40-2s for power and trailing any combination of a string of ballast hoppers, side dumps, gons, flats, the depressed center car with a piece of heavy equipment or more...and always punctuated by one of the Alaska Railroad's three remaining cabooses. 

On this spectacular fall day it dawned clear and colorful as Frank and John and I awoke in Talkeetna and after a (nearly too!) leisurely breakfast we made the hour drive up the Parks Hwy to the trailhead and hiked in the mile.  When we heard them blowing for the crossing while still trekking in it became a mad dash through the woods, and Frank damn near barrell rolled in through the brush just as engineer Gordon Larson inched slowly out over the Gulch in charge of train 591W with four matching geeps (3010, 3005, 3002, 3004) punctuated on the end by ARR 1092, an ex CN wide vision van! 

Located at MP 284.2, this bridge spans 918 ft and rises 296 ft above the floor below. This famous arch is arguable the signature location the on the entire ARR mainline and was the most expensive and difficult engineering project on the entirety of the railroad. The American Bridge Company started construction in early 1921, erected steel in June and finished in August. To construct the bridge, they strung an aerial tram across the gulch and construction proceeded from both sides. The first passenger train crossed Hurricane Gulch Bridge on August 15, 1921 culminating the $1,200,000 project. 

Hurricane, Alaska

Friday September 15, 2017

Viral Media posted

The company work tran crosses the iconic Hurricane Bridge with a matched quartet of GP40-2s. The train matches the surrounding landscape pretty well.

Dave Blaze Rail Photography posted

Eight Years Ago Today [Sep 15]

Fall was in full swing in the Last Frontier and this was one of my best days of photography in the decade I lived there.

[The rest of the description is the same as above.]

Google eBook, p638

Google eBook, p639

Photo via AlaskaRails via BridgeHunter

AlaskaRails, Photo courtesy of Anchorage Museum of History and Art, BL79.2.301
Freight train crossing Hurricane Gulch, date unknown. 
Hurricane Gulch Bridge was completed in 1921.

GraylineAlaska

Southland Holdings posted three photos with the comment:

From the AB archives: 104 years ago, American Bridge Company began constructing the Hurricane Gulch Bridge in Alaska. The project involved a 918’ [180m] long deck arch railroad bridge with a 384' [117m] arch span over the gorge. The arch was erected by the cantilever method, using derrick cars so that construction could proceed from both sides simultaneously. The bridge also included two 120' deck truss spans, one 50' plate girder span, and a 240' viaduct. The bridge has an elevation of 297' [90m] above Hurricane Creek and is the longest and tallest bridge on the Alaska Railroad. 

1

2

3

alaska
Title taken from front. View of Alaska Engineering Commission Railway construction on railroad bridge over Hurricane Gulch, Alaska, with crane in center of photo and construction workers on bridge. Also from front: "A.E.C. G1889." An Alaska Engineering Commission photo. Photographer's number G1889. Aug. 8, 1921. Photographer: H.G.K. Original photograph size: 6 1/4" x 8 1/4".

Brad Nicholson, Jun 2022

Road

The link for the road bridge was broke so I have just the info that is in the index.

Bridge Hunter Index

Brandon Taylor, Sep 2023

Rockford Weber, Jun 2019

OnlyInYourState, Dr. Cherepanov / Google Maps, this website has a lot more photos and a drone video
"It is 558 feet [170m] long and soars over the gulch at an impressive 254 feet [77.4m] high....The railroad bridge with the same name, the Hurricane Gulch Bridge, is the tallest bridge in Alaska. For the span of a couple of years, it was actually the tallest bridge in America....That bridge also crosses over Hurricane Creek and sits 296 feet [90m] high."

Seth Jones, Jun 2021

Sep 2025 Update

Hurricane Gulch empties into the Susitna River.

G Hine, Jul 2023

I need to remember to read the descriptions all the way to the end. "Hurricane Gulch" is not only in Google Maps, it is in my notes. Instead of cutting to the chase, I followed the railroad on topo maps and Google Maps north of Talkeetna until I found it.

1950/54 Talkeetna, 1951/51 Healy and 1954/56 Talkeetna Mountains Quads @ 250,000

I noticed there is not a road on the topo maps. Indeed, the Parks Highway Bridge was not built until 1971. 

So that today's research is not a total waste of time: things I learned along the way.

The railroad goes through Chulitpa Pass between snowy mountains.

There is an "Alaska Railroad exhibit."

J Prall, Aug 2025

Paul K, Aug 2024 [Google Maps won't give me a correct URL.]