[Date Prev][Date Next]
[Chronological]
[Thread]
[Top]
RE: (erielack) Building the entire Erie RR on PILES!
On Fri, 19 Oct 2012 Michael Connor shared:
>
> JHP For those listers with a copy of Hungerford's "Men of Erie" this sad
> episode in the NY&E's onstruction is given brief mention on page 53. Mott's
> "Story of Erie" goes into a far more extensive coverage of this "folly and
> extravagence" on pages 48 and 323. This subject may make an interesting
> article for the Diamond--I'll look into it. In researching for an
> uncoming presentation on the Erie's Corning Line Change (placed in service
> on November 22nd, 1952, sixty years ago) I came across the following in
> "Corning and Vicinity 1789-1920" (Uri Milford, 1921): pg 158-"May 7,
> 1841........Eight spile driving machines are now at work between Owego and
> Hornellsville, and also several grading parties" and at pg 159- "A boat load
> of rails, for the New York & Erie Railroad, arrived last week," says the
> Advocate of September 15, 1841, adding "This does not look much like the
> spiles rotting before the rails will be laid, as predicted by opponents of
> the road." Note that the piles were called "spiles." The NY&E was
> cursed with some poor engineering decisions and the abortive "railroad on
> piles" through the Susquehanna River valley was one of them. This folly
> cost the NY&E $600,000 to $1,000,000 (Mott) for about 117 miles of this pile
> structure upon which no track was ever laid. Sad.MJC
MJC,
I have a copy of Hungerford's "Men of Erie," but I honestly don't recall
where I first heard about the "Road of Piles." It's a somewhat vague
recollection so I am guessing it was quite some time ago.
JHP - Henry
J. Henry Priebe Jr. Blue Moon Internet Corp Network Administrator
www.bluemoon.net Internet Access & Web Hosting
www.railfan.net Railfan Network Services
The Erie Lackawanna Mailing List
http://EL-List.railfan.net/
To Unsubscribe: http://Lists.Railfan.net/erielackunsub.html
------------------------------