The river flows...

sheepherder · 03-04-2021, 04:05 PM

...Let your waters wash down
Take me from this road
To some other town...

I live close by the Erie Canal, and although I've lived here 26 years, I didn't know that this railroad bridge was just a couple miles from me. It's the same rail line as my pic in the first post, spanning the Erie Canal. It's known as the 'upside-down' bridge. I'm planning on visiting it in the next few days, just 'cause...

sheepherder · 03-12-2021, 01:01 PM

...Was to be free
And that's the way
It turned out to be...

It was a beautiful day out today, so I spent a couple hours looking for the 'Upside-Down' bridge. I found it. It was about 10 feet away from a viaduct I pass under about 15-20 times a week.

There's no fences or any obstruction blocking access to the bridge - You could just climb up the slope where the viaduct is and be on the railtrack.

I didn't climb it. I wasn't even sure if it was allowed to park where I was (I often see City Police cars parked there, radar-ing speeders coming up the hill).

The third pic is of one of the Canal locks, with the bridge in the background. Next pic is of another lock up-Escarpment from the last lock. The Erie Canal and the rail line runs roughly parallel to Lake Ontario although some 15-20 miles South of the lake. There is what is called locally "The Escarpment", which is simply the difference in height above sea level between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Where I live, in Lockport, that difference is 224 feet. My house is 6 feet above the level of Lake Ontario. Hence, the locks. Trains also have to climb that Escarpment, but the rail line is much more gradual. The locks and bridges are in a perpetual state of repair/maintenance. My tax dollars at work. There's virtually no commercial traffic on the Canal, it's pretty much all recreational now.

I noticed a couple of passenger cars parked on a remote siding. I wanted to get closer but this is a 'rough' part of the City and I was hesitant about intruding on anyone's 'turf'. Going a couple blocks farther North I noticed a couple more, obviously boarded up and unused for years. These two, like the other two, were parked on an unused siding (possibly the same one) alongside warehouses that did have regular tractor-trailer traffic while I was there. Offices or storage maybe?

When I had first pulled off the street at the viaduct, an engine with several cars was just crossing the bridge. I wasn't fast enough to get out and take a pic of that.

So, I went down to what I think is the 'train yard' (there's only two engines in the Falls Road Railroad). I couldn't get in a position to take a pic of the front of the trainshed, just the rear. It looks like there's some kind of rail machinery parked there, but the engines weren't in sight.

My digital camera with it's tiny LED display screen was washed out in the bright sunlight; I couldn't see/read the symbols on the screen, so the pics are pretty poor. (Couldn't even tell when they were in focus, if they ever were). For some unknown reason, the camera switched from single-pics to .AVI for the last three shots. I had to take SS's from the video.

An interesting tour of part of the FRR line. If I get a chance in overcast daylight I'll take better pics, and maybe get a shot of the engines.

sheepherder · 03-12-2021, 03:32 PM

I found some pics online of FRR's locomotives. There are also several online sites with information about the 'upside-down' bridge, the engines, FRR, rails lines in WNY...Many many sites...

It seems that the FRR line is small but also connected to other bigger lines that occasionally use this section of the line. Genesee Valley seems to have an interest in it as their engines are sometimes seen in the Lockport rail yard.

Wikipedia has a page on FRR describing the engines -

Engine roster

The Falls Road Railroad, like all other GVT properties, is Alco-powered. The railroad uses one New York Central vintage RS32 (2035) as well as one Nickel Plate vintage RS-11 (1802). The 2035 is the primary engine; however, 1802 will be used on days when an extra train, such as a passenger excursion or snowplow, is needed.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falls_Road_Railroad

https://www.gvtrail.com/region/western-new-york/

https://historicbridges.org/bridges/...ss/lockportrr/

I believe that last pic of mine in post #1 shows the snowplow parked at the rail yard.

03-12-2021, 01:01 PM	#2
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,197 Thanks: 1,416 Thanked 4,462 Times in 2,336 Posts	...All he wanted... ...Was to be free And that's the way It turned out to be... It was a beautiful day out today, so I spent a couple hours looking for the 'Upside-Down' bridge. I found it. It was about 10 feet away from a viaduct I pass under about 15-20 times a week. There's no fences or any obstruction blocking access to the bridge - You could just climb up the slope where the viaduct is and be on the railtrack. I didn't climb it. I wasn't even sure if it was allowed to park where I was (I often see City Police cars parked there, radar-ing speeders coming up the hill). The third pic is of one of the Canal locks, with the bridge in the background. Next pic is of another lock up-Escarpment from the last lock. The Erie Canal and the rail line runs roughly parallel to Lake Ontario although some 15-20 miles South of the lake. There is what is called locally "The Escarpment", which is simply the difference in height above sea level between Lake Ontario and Lake Erie. Where I live, in Lockport, that difference is 224 feet. My house is 6 feet above the level of Lake Ontario. Hence, the locks. Trains also have to climb that Escarpment, but the rail line is much more gradual. The locks and bridges are in a perpetual state of repair/maintenance. My tax dollars at work. There's virtually no commercial traffic on the Canal, it's pretty much all recreational now. I noticed a couple of passenger cars parked on a remote siding. I wanted to get closer but this is a 'rough' part of the City and I was hesitant about intruding on anyone's 'turf'. Going a couple blocks farther North I noticed a couple more, obviously boarded up and unused for years. These two, like the other two, were parked on an unused siding (possibly the same one) alongside warehouses that did have regular tractor-trailer traffic while I was there. Offices or storage maybe? When I had first pulled off the street at the viaduct, an engine with several cars was just crossing the bridge. I wasn't fast enough to get out and take a pic of that. So, I went down to what I think is the 'train yard' (there's only two engines in the Falls Road Railroad). I couldn't get in a position to take a pic of the front of the trainshed, just the rear. It looks like there's some kind of rail machinery parked there, but the engines weren't in sight. My digital camera with it's tiny LED display screen was washed out in the bright sunlight; I couldn't see/read the symbols on the screen, so the pics are pretty poor. (Couldn't even tell when they were in focus, if they ever were). For some unknown reason, the camera switched from single-pics to .AVI for the last three shots. I had to take SS's from the video. An interesting tour of part of the FRR line. If I get a chance in overcast daylight I'll take better pics, and maybe get a shot of the engines. Attached Thumbnails __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter... Last edited by sheepherder; 03-12-2021 at 03:24 PM. Reason: spel chekr

03-12-2021, 03:32 PM	#3
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,197 Thanks: 1,416 Thanked 4,462 Times in 2,336 Posts	I found some pics online of FRR's locomotives. There are also several online sites with information about the 'upside-down' bridge, the engines, FRR, rails lines in WNY...Many many sites... It seems that the FRR line is small but also connected to other bigger lines that occasionally use this section of the line. Genesee Valley seems to have an interest in it as their engines are sometimes seen in the Lockport rail yard. Wikipedia has a page on FRR describing the engines - Engine roster The Falls Road Railroad, like all other GVT properties, is Alco-powered. The railroad uses one New York Central vintage RS32 (2035) as well as one Nickel Plate vintage RS-11 (1802). The 2035 is the primary engine; however, 1802 will be used on days when an extra train, such as a passenger excursion or snowplow, is needed. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Falls_Road_Railroad https://www.gvtrail.com/region/western-new-york/ https://historicbridges.org/bridges/...ss/lockportrr/ I believe that last pic of mine in post #1 shows the snowplow parked at the rail yard. Attached Thumbnails __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter...

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03-04-2021, 04:05 PM	#1
sheepherder Lifer Lifetime Forum Patron Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: ...on the 'ol Erie Canal... Posts: 8,197 Thanks: 1,416 Thanked 4,462 Times in 2,336 Posts	Flow river flow... ...Let your waters wash down Take me from this road To some other town... I live close by the Erie Canal, and although I've lived here 26 years, I didn't know that this railroad bridge was just a couple miles from me. It's the same rail line as my pic in the first post, spanning the Erie Canal. It's known as the 'upside-down' bridge. I'm planning on visiting it in the next few days, just 'cause... Attached Thumbnails __________________ I like my coffee the way I like my women... ...Cold and bitter... Last edited by sheepherder; 03-04-2021 at 06:08 PM.