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» RAILforum » Passenger Trains » Amtrak » What is the longest stretch of abandoned/disused/dismantled track in America?

   
Author Topic: What is the longest stretch of abandoned/disused/dismantled track in America?
mr williams
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The UK is about the area of Texas, and I believe the longest stretch of disused line over here is only about 100 miles or so (The Somerset & Dorset and the Waverly routes were both about the same length)

I was watching a documentary last week on rail history and they featured early US lines, and the presenter was standing in a tunnel in the Sierra Nevadas that had taken years to dig/blast out but where the track was long removed. I remembered seeing a programme a year or so back about where the first transcontinental lines met in Utah and that, too was long abandoned.

Was there an alternative route between Sacramento and the Reno area through to somewhere north of Salt Lake City? (Alternative to that now used by the CZ) That must be some length of track! Are there any other mega long abandoned stretches? I was thinking of Chicago - Florida but I would imagine that even though passenger services have gone, freight still remains.

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Gilbert B Norman
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Lines West of my Milwaukee takes that dubious prize.

As I've noted over at another site, had the concept of railbanking, in which the both the owner ceding the property and an acquiring public agency been absolutely held harmless from any potential liabilities, the line would be providing needed railroad transportation today.

http://www.railroad.net/forums/viewtopic.php?f=175&t=9541

quote:
Was there an alternative route between Sacramento and the Reno area through to somewhere north of Salt Lake City? (Alternative to that now used by the CZ) That must be some length of track!
The alternative was the Western Pacific and which was the route of the railroad operated California Zephyr. The Amtrak CZ still operates over the WP from Winnemucca to Salt Lake City. To traverse the Sierras, the WP uses the far more favorably graded Beckwurth Pass. While the route is less scenic than the existing SP route used by the Zephyr, last time I checked, freight is not too interested in moving to the Sightseer Lounge for a view.
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zephyr
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quote:
Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman:
To traverse the Sierras, the WP uses the far more favorably graded Beckwurth Pass. While the route is less scenic than the existing SP route used by the Zephyr...

I suppose scenic is in the eyes of the beholder. But I consider the WP Feather River route much more "scenic" than the SP Donner route. And more interesting to boot.
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Gilbert B Norman
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quote:
Originally posted by zephyr:
I suppose scenic is in the eyes of the beholder. But I consider the WP Feather River route much more "scenic" than the SP Donner route. And more interesting to boot.

I certainly concur with such a sentiment, Mr. Zephyr; after all regarding my often noted favorite tree, there are surely two arborists who can look at a Slash Pine Tree and then a Loblolly, and state with veracity how much more beautiful one is than the other.

Possibly you rode the CZ during "railroad days" and had the pleasure of viewing from a standard Budd Dome, which to me was the best viewing one out there (I rode 'em all at one time or the other).

Lest we forget that the experience of riding a Budd Dome over the SP was only available for the relatively short period of 1974-1980, or between the time that SP and Amtrak entered into an Amended Agreement that more carefully delineated indemnification between the parties, and the inauguration of Superliner equipment over the route.

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Gilbert B Norman
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Mr. Williams, I too am of Anglo Saxon heritage (WASP if you will).....BUT (source: wiki)

UK 94,528 sq mi

TX 288,820 sq mi

apparent closest:

WY 97,818 sq mi

UK's contributions to the political, social, and economic environment of our world? priceless.

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ehbowen
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Going back to Mr. Williams's original post, I believe that what he is referring to are the tunnels over the original Donner Pass grade which were abandoned by Southern Pacific in 1993. According to Wikipedia Donner was double-tracked during the 1920s, but instead of parallelling the original grade an entirely new summit crossing and tunnel was bored for the second track with (then) modern technology. The two lines were operated together for nearly 70 years, but in the 1990s SP decided that the 1920s line was cheaper to maintain and keep clear of snow in winter, so the original 1867 grade was abandoned and tracks pulled up. Since then all RR traffic over Donner has used the newer line.

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Stop by my website: Streamliner Schedules - Historic timetables of the great trains of the past!

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mr williams
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quote:
Originally posted by Gilbert B Norman:
Mr. Williams, I too am of Anglo Saxon heritage (WASP if you will).....BUT (source: wiki)

UK 94,528 sq mi

TX 288,820 sq mi

apparent closest:

WY 97,818 sq mi

UK's contributions to the political, social, and economic environment of our world? priceless.

Apologies, I don't know what I was thinking of there or why I had that figure in my head..oh well, I'm starting to get old so I'd better get used to it!

Considering that UP have been complaining about how the line from Sacramento through Reno is full to capacity would a restoration of the former SP second line be feasible or would double tracking the existing line be more likely?

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Gilbert B Norman
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From Marriott Courtyard Bowling Green KY--

I should defer to Mr. Resor on this point, but it is my understanduing that UP is restoring double track over the Donner Pass.

However, if that be the case, be assured it is not being done with the intent to handle more passenger trains.

Additionally, UP also has the paralleling Western Pacific in its camp. As I noted earlier, the gradient is considerably more favorable over its Beckwurth Pass. I'm not sure if UP tries to route traffic over one line in one direction and vv.

That the Central Pacific i.e. SP/UP was not built over the Beckwurth Pass, of which the sponsors had full knowledge, is a "long story" involving internal "politics" within their group, distrust of one another, and outright boggotry.

Theres more on such at the web.

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rresor
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Well, with traffic down 25% this year over last, it may be a while...but yes, I understand that UP intends to replace the second main that SP removed during the Ed Moyers era.

As for notable abandonments, Mr. Norman is almost certainly correct that the former MILW Pacific Extension is the longest single abandonment -- all the way from Terry, MT (where it crosses the former NP) to Renton, WA (where a bit is still in service).

Other big ones include:

- The Rock Island from Herington, KS to Colorado Springs, CO (some of this out of the Springs was a short line for a time, but I believe they're out of business)

- The former Erie from Pymatuning, OH west to Chicago (all gone except for a couple of very small bits)

- Former Seaboard from Atlanta to Birmingham, AL

- Former Seaboard from Petersburg, VA to Norlina, NC

- B&O from Clarksburg, WV to Cincinnati

- C&O of Indiana from Griffith to Cincinnati (a couple of pieces are still in service as short lines)

The list could go on and on, depending on how far back you want to go. Someone is sure to mention the NY, Ontario & Western abandonment, or even the Colorado Midland.

It's a big country, and when the rail network goes from 354,000 miles (1916) to about 150,000 (today) there are bound to be some big abandonments in there.

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