I have been researching this route because it was never finished and to me it is like an unfinished puzzle. How many feel good when they have all the pieces of a puzzle and complete the puzzle they started. Traveling from Harrisburg to Wheeling West Virginia, Pittsburgh and some other branch lines as well. The pieces of the puzzle are the actual maps, actual work sites, actual aerial photos and actual correspondences.
This one particular site I drove out to today is located at the foot hill of what is called the Chestnut Ridge just south east of Greensburg, Pa. Here is a farm located that has been troubling me for ten years and finally I got two of the pieces of the puzzle located to complete the route. You see the area had not a stitch of work done and all I had was a semi rough map made by the railroad showing just three streams merging together with one of the streams beginning just below the foundation of a house or spring house. Well I found the site today and boy am I thrilled to have found it. I still wasn't sure of one other piece though until I got home and studied the terrain I had just visited and using 1938 aerial photos which showed another creek which was my real problem was located just a little bit west of my location I was at. If I could locate that creek then I would know where the route would be the rest of the way home to Pittsburgh. Anyway I did some more studying and found that as well. I need to now get back out to that creek and photograph that bend in the creek.
By finding these two landmarks I was able to complete a huge section of the puzzle. WOW Whoopie!
http://i33.photobucket.com/albums/d64/s ... nkenyB.jpg
Here is the view from today. When you first pull down into this driveway you see a two story house and a barn and a few other buildings. But I came away with what actually occurred here. No I didn't tell the owner as I figured this out after getting home just before writing this to you.
1.Behind the house is a two story log cabin over a spring. Smart these people were in 1884 as to not have to go outside for water in the winter. Railroad would travel from left to right behind the house and barn.
2. Who builds a two story (small as it may be) spring house? I figured out that it was the main house. The barn was just to the west (right) of the house next to the creek.
3. With the railroad going to build over the log cabin they appear to have taken the money and built the two story house you see in the photo. The property would still be huge for that period so why move. Live with the railroad and still farm. Only problem Really! the railroad never was completed, the money spent and when the turnpike who bought the railroad right of way themselves never using it (see turnpike off to the right) so the money is not returned, the grounds still used for grazing and a new house built. The barn was dropped and rebuilt using the same lumber but built in the spot you see in this picture just 200 feet up hill from the never completed railroad alignment.
Who made out on this deal I ask.
I saw this about 60 miles to the east as well. This is really a great hobby.The views and story's and letters
Hopefuly you all know that feeling.
