Railroads and Bridgeport (now Lemoyne)

A few days ago, I was searching out the tracks of the old CVRR line in Lemoyne, PA. What I came across were relics of yesterday's railroads. Most of the tracks were torn out, but bridges and out buildings still stood giving hints of what use to be.

360 degree shot standing at 40.247852,-76.890175 GPS Coordinates

Northern Central Railway bridge

As you drive up Market Street from the Susquehanna River, you go under three girder bridges. The first (farthest east) carried Northern Central Railway up north. This bridge is still in use. 

CVRR (PRR) bridges that would take trains to Enola's yard.

The next one is a dual girder. This bridge is obviously not in use as the tracks have been removed.

Most western of the three girder bridges.

The last girder bridge is still in use. 


After you drive under these three bridges you see a Keystone marker that explains Lemoyne was formerly named Bridgeport. It was also known as Riverton before that, but was changed. Incorporated in 1905, Lemoyne (Bridgeport) was a hub for the Cumberland Valley Railroad.


Here is a map from 1872 that shows many rail lines converging at Bridgeport. This is before the Philadelphia & Reading line made its way into the area. But, the Northern Central was in existence and paralleled the Susquehanna River. Although there is no sign of the J Tower, later called Lemo, one can see the need for a tower. This photo shows how many tracks filled this area. Notice the tower in the center an smoke stack to the right.


In this photograph you can see the tower and the smoke stack a little closer. The tower now exists at the train museum in Strasburg, PA. 

If you go to this page http://d_cathell.tripod.com/lemo.html and scroll down to the third photo the caption explains that until a curved steel bridge was built in 1901, the Northern Central trains would have to bring their trains around the tracks in the foreground and then travel in reverse across the CVRR bridge. They did this for 50 years!


I have taken a huge guess in laying out what I believe were the lines.

Feel free to comment on any additional thoughts, guesses, facts, or corrections.


SOURCES and suggested reading:
http://www.west2k.com/pastations/cumberland.shtml
http://www.railroadsignals.us/harris/harris.htm#the_Ex_Reading_Depot_in_Camp_Hill.__
http://d_cathell.tripod.com/lemo2.html
http://lemoynepa.com/documents/LemoyneBook.pdf

Remnants of Chambersburg and Gettysburg Railroad Bridges

The C&G was incorporated with the state and began construction in September 1890. The route strated at Conococheague Island, near Fayetteville on the Mont Alto Railroad and ran to Wolfe Hill north of Caledonia. It opened in summer or early fall in 1891.

I have discovered on Google Maps three locations (to the east of Chambersburg, PA) of this old rail line. Two of them I have found in person. The third is buried on private property. Winter is the best time to locate these bridges as they are not full bridges, but fragments of steel I-beams, girders, or stone.

BRIDGE A
The first bridge is more like decking with abutments and piers can be seen to the north of Brindle Road.

BRIDGE B
Bridge remnants near Edgewood Court. Note: this road is a dead-end even though it looks complete. To locate the bridge come at it from the west.

BRIDGE C
The third bridge is off of Woodstock Road. It is within a thick forest of private land. I have not located it in person, but I believe it to be where the waterway makes a quick hook east and then south again.

Railroads and White Hill (now Camp Hill)

White Hill, PA? Where is that??? 
My interest in local history and railroads brought me to this question as I learned of a Cumberland Valley Railroad station located west of the Susquehanna River.

Westenhaffer's "History of the Cumberland Valley Railroad" started this adventure. He stated the Cumberland Valley Railroad opened for travel from White Hill to Carlisle in August, 1837. By November of the same year it connected to Chambersburg. I gathered White Hill was west of Harrisburg before crossing the river. Bridgeport was Lemoyne's former name so that wasn't it. New Cumberland was too far to the south.

To my surprise, Camp Hill was the town formerly known as White Hill. Here's the facts on the town's naming from Wikipedia:

The name Camp Hill is believed to stem from a split in the congregation of a Peace Church, located west of the current borough. One faction of the church began meeting outdoors, on a hill. Prior to the American Civil War, the area was known locally as White Hill, which served as a stop along the Cumberland Valley Railroad between Harrisburg and Carlisle. During the Civil War, the Battle of Sporting Hill became the northernmost engagement of the Gettysburg campaign, which took place at Camp Hill in late June 1863. Camp Hill was incorporated as a borough on November 10, 1885 from East Pennsboro Township.

Back to the railroads...
If you live around Camp Hill, you discover two sets of tracks impede your travels from north to south and vice versa. Today, the one set of tracks is used by Norfolk Southern. The other set is idle. There is talk of using the tracks for Corridor One which would provide commuter rail transportation from Carlisle to Harrisburg.

Until January 16, 1839, CVRR's trains did not cross the river. This town that sat across the river from Harrisburg was the "end of the line." Now called Camp Hill, then called White Hill, was the place where CVRR eventually located it's northern most rail yard and a brick roundhouse. Forty-eight years after this railroad began, the CVRR engine house was completed in White Hill. This would be one year before Camp Hill was incorporated.

Rewind to a time when trains were the cat's meow for travel. The CVRR dominated the south central Pennsylvania area. In the mid-1800s, Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) had its western mainline in service, but its trains were routed north to Lewistown then to Altoona and eventually to Pittsburgh.

Location of former White Hill CVRR Station

The original passenger station stood to the east of the 17th Street bridge on the south side of the tracks. Here you can see the newer 1906 CVRR White Hill station. Today, it no longer exists. In the photo to the right, you can see the 17th Street overpass in the background.  Based on the location of the power lines, I would think the 1906 station was located near the power line that is the most prominent in the photo.

For years the CVRR successfully blocked all competitors' requests to connect into their main line which connected to Harrisburg by 1839. However, The Philadelphia & Reading Railroad (P&R or the Reading) worked its way into the location later.  In 1891 the Reading built a bridge across the Susquehanna and then linked Harrisburg to Bowmansdale.  The P&R had dreams of connecting westward to Pittsburgh to battle with the B&O and CVRR. P&R built the Philadelphia, Harrisburg and Pittsburgh branch (PH&P) to Shippensburg, PA where it connected to the Western Maryland line.

An interchange point connects CVRR to the P&R line near the 1900 block of Hummel Avenue.

You can see the older triple "S" intersection here. Today it is a wye connection that allows traffic to connect to the northern track.

Looking west: P&R on left; CVRR on right. You can see the ADM Milling building (ADM Alliance Nutrition) in the one o'clock position of photo.

Looking west.

Looking East at Wye (Camp Hill station is on left past the signals in the distance).

Today, you can see P&R's station off of 18th Street.

Camp Hill P&R Station

This is the story behind the parallel tracks in Camp Hill, PA. 

SOURCES:

"History of the Cumberland Valley Railroad" Paul J. Westenhaeffer, copyright 1979

History of Dauphin, Cumberland, Perry, Bedford, Adams and Franklin Counties, PA" I.D. Rupp, copyright 1846.

http://cvrr.org/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Camp_Hill,_Pennsylvania

http://www.oakwoodbaptistcamphill.org/camphill.htm

http://www.west2k.com/pastations/cumberland.shtml
http://www.railroadsignals.us/harris/harris.htm
http://davecathell.tripod.com/ch.html
http://broadway.pennsyrr.com/Rail/Prr/Maps/Centhist/

Photographs from a Sunday Afternoon - Location 2

LOCATION 2: Miller Bridge (also known as Slate Hill Road Bridge) and Grist Mill

And now a word from our PENNDOT Historical Inventory:

The single lane bridge carries a 2 lane road over a stream in a rural setting.  At the southwest quadrant is the non-operative D. Miller grist mill (ca. 1870), now owned by the United Water Co., which operates a modern water treatment facility adjacent to the mill.  The mill dam and race systems have been expanded and rebuilt to service the water company.  To the northwest is a recently constructed residential subdivision.  The setting does not have the cohesiveness or integrity of a historic district.
 The 4-span, 123'-long stone arch bridge has red sandstone voussoirs at the 2 center spans, and brick arch rings at the 2 shorter end spans.  The spandrels and parapets are contrasting white limestone fieldstone.  At the north end, a section of parapet has been replaced with concrete.  Several generations of repointing have partially obscured the stone in some sections of parapet, spandrels, and intrados.  Available state and county records do not document the date of construction and the plaque has been lost, but a date of ca. 1900 is estimated based on style and comparison with 12 extant stone arch highway bridges in York County.  All of the documented examples in the county have early 20th century dates of construction.  Stone arch bridges are a traditional technology that was brought to Pennsylvania in the colonial period and used with great frequency through the early 20th century.  Over 350 examples have been identified statewide.  This example is historically and technologically distinguished in the local and regional population.  It is the longest and only example of greater than 2 spans in York County.  Although of unequal span lengths, the bridge has relatively handsome proportions and stonework exhibiting craftsmanship.

Grist Mill

From left to right: Miller Bridge, Grist Mill, Raceway, Dam

Looking North East
The dam is behind me and the grist mill is to the right (not seen in shot).

Photographs from a Sunday Afternoon - Location 3

LOCATION 3: On Lisburn Road near Shelter lane--just a hop, skip and jump from the Camp Hill Correctional Facility.

Photographs from a Sunday Afternoon - Location 1

I completed my chores for the weekend but only had a few hours of daylight to spend so I couldn't venture out very far from home. I decided to visit four places within 10-15 minutes of my home. Here is one of four spots I visited.


LOCATION 1: Green Lane Bridge (also known as Etters Bridge).

This bridge crosses the Yellow Breeches and allows entry to Green Lane Farm which you can tell was a farm converted to a housing development. This bridge is VERY busy for a one lane bridge.

Overview - Through truss bridge over Yellow Breeches Creek on Green Lane Drive in Lower Allen Township

Location - Cumberland and York Counties, Pennsylvania

Status - Open to traffic

History - Built 1889

Builder - Dean & Westbrook

Design - Pratt through truss

Dimensions - 

Span length: 132.9 ft.
Total length: 132.9 ft.
Deck width: 16.2 ft.

Adventures in Bridge Hunting

Some people are afraid to ask so I am going to spell it out...

What is 'bridge hunting'?
Bridge Hunting is a fun way to see the country side, but more importantly than seeing bridges connect towns to other towns, is to see how bridges were made when CAD didn't exist and concrete UCEB (ugly concrete bridges) weren't commonplace. It is going after what you think might be there based on Google or Bing Maps. It is finding a renown bridge that no one has documented in your circle. It is going back in time to experience what your ancestors did 75 years ago...100 years ago...125 years ago.

Do I need a license?
No. But do wear protection. I wear an orange safety vest when in higher traffic areas (and don't tell my mother, but I have a conceal carry permit and sometimes I carry a gun).

Do I get to eat what I kill? 
Ahhh you must be from Pennsytuckey...and the answer is no. Please do not take anything from the locations you visit...and leave only footprints and slight ruts in the mud like CatHerder does cuz she's easily 5,000# after visiting McDonalds.


Is there a season for that?
I will tell you this:

• April and May are great because flowers are just starting to blossom, yet foliage is still minimal meaning you can see MORE of the bridge.
• October and November are great because the leaves are changing which adds vibrant colors. And in November you might see less colors and leaves and the bonus here is that it is still pretty warm (mid-50s in PA).
• July and August are hot and humid...picture haze in your shots, let alone LOTS of foliage blocking the bridges or your path to get a better shot.
• If you hit warm, sunny times in Dec., Jan., Feb. or March take it...get out and shoot. 
• Be aware during high rainy seasons...bridges might be closed, damaged or not as photogenic.
• Be aware during summer months as the foliage which is so beautiful can hide your subject.
• Be aware that rain and overcast make for blah shots just as...
• High contrast, sunny shots that you get when the sun is at a lower position to the equator (in winter months) also leads to blah shots.

What gear do I need?
You can get buy with a basic digital point'n'shoot camera and basic editing software like what comes default with Windows and Mac. If you want to step it up here are some suggestions:

• If you have the passion get a Digital SLR - I love my Nikon D3100. You will not only get great shots QUICKLY, but you can get other accessories to make your life a dream. This is a great entry level DSLR.
• Get another lens or two (beyond the kit lens): A super range lens like NIKKOR 18-200mm f/3.5-5.6G ED VR II Zoom Lens will handle 96% of your business. For the 4% that are too long/wide and there are times you won't have much room to back up, the 10mm is great as it will distort a little BUT not to the extreme as a fisheye. I like Tokina's 10-24mm.
• Get a polarizer...you're shooting bridges...that means 90% of the time water is your subject and a polarizer on your lens will cut the glare allowing more emphasis on your subject, the bridge or the surrounding...and it also makes the sky's blue color more vibrant.
• Get a sturdy tripod. I know it's tempting to go light BUT you need one that will hold your heavy lenses. AND, your tripod can become your walking stick when you traverse a large hill to get to that perfect shot of a railroad deck high above the road and valley. I like Manfrotto 055XPROB Aluminum Tripod Legs with Manfrotto's 222 Joystick Head. This might be on the heavy side but it is SOLID. This also comes with a quick release head--this alone is worth its weight in gold. If you've ever had the "pleasure" of unscrewing your camera from a tripod, you will appreciate this!!! As a bonus you can use the heavy-duty tripod as a weapon if needed. I keep this tool in my trunk at all times. If anything I enjoy the "walking stick" feature as I do go up and down steep hills frequently.
• Just like I said get a polarizer (unless you are shooting bridges in the desert), get a flash if you plan to shoot covered bridges....or even to get light under a bridges deck. I love my Nissin Di622 Mark II Digital TTL Shoe Mount Flash for Nikon.
• Have a spare camera battery, spare flash batteries and multiple spare memory cards. I have heard people say don't use 16GB+ cards because if you shoot that many photos and the card goes bad that,  you lose 16 GB of photos. Well, if you shoot RAW inaddition to JPEG as I do (for its flexibility later) then you can easily kill a 4GB card in a day's shoot. I recommend you treat your cards well, and buy quality cards and enough to support your shooting needs and then some. And remember it's not all about capacity, check out the Class of the card and the speed it writes. Usually the higher the class, the faster it writes.
• Let's talk about safety...get yourself a safety vest (orange or lime) to wear when you are on busy roads. Yea, you might feel like a dork (or a PENNDOT laborer...not sure which is worse), BUT people will see you and that might save your life. Now, another thing I want to mention is protecting yourself from the trolls who live under the bridges. They do exist. Most are harmless. Carry pepper spray, a taser or a handgun...check your legal rights. My point is that you are heading into the wilderness--whether a state forest or an urban neighborhood, you should be prepared for "the  adventure." Most homeless folks I have stumbled upon are decent and keep to themselves, but you never know. Be prepared for the worst...within the laws of where you are travelling.
• Bring water and snacks...and a full tank of gas. You never know if you will get lost, get OCD about something you sense nearby, car breaks down, or get hit one of those hunger pangs...be prepared.

What tools do I need?

• Use Google Maps or Bing Maps to locate places. But be aware, these are not up-to-date. In Pennsylvania, historic bridges are getting replaced as quickly as Walmart's have replaced farm fields. If there has been flooding in that area consider that the bridges in the area's waterways might have been affected. I use Google Maps for documenting my bridges in the "My Places" tool. I usually will group a list by bridges close to each other, or if I know I am taking a trip for other purposes, I will locate all the bridges on my way and in that area and label it something like "NJ Shore trip." 
• GPS is great, but I also carry paper as a backup (although with my Android phone that seems unnecessary since Google Maps works great...if I get a signal). Remember, you might be travelling to remote areas that do not have coverage (okay, I'll admit I'm an AT&T customer). 
• This is the mac daddy site for sharing historic bridges: http://bridgehunter.com/ If you find you enjoy it feel free to donate to the webmaster as he funds it out-of-pocket (read that as no ads on the site).