Solving the MYSTERY of this ABANDONED Railroad

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  • @stevengetz9874
    @stevengetz9874 Жыл бұрын

    It was the Pennsylvania Granite Company Quarry. You should get the following book: The Mines and Minerals of Chester County, Pennsylvania by Ronald A. Sloto. It describes all the mines and quarries in that area. Many with old pictures.

  • @gordonmiles9995
    @gordonmiles9995 Жыл бұрын

    Most likely the stone platform was for a water tank. Steam trains needed water periodically throughout their run. The water tank had to be elevated for Gravity filling.

  • @ohioyodertoter6827

    @ohioyodertoter6827

    Жыл бұрын

    I was wondering that very thought

  • @Roon3808
    @Roon3808 Жыл бұрын

    The tracks you found coming off the RR branch west of the bridge over Mine Run were just for a turning wye, used for turning the steam locomotives. I have no idea why they chose the spot they did (requiring 2 more bridges over Mine Run). The wye appears to be out of service by the 1950's. No other maps i have found show any rail spurs coming off the branch before it reaches the switchback at Saint Peters (the tracks curve up to the north of the village, over the trestle, then must reverse on a switchback to get to the mill and quarry in the village). A 1905 topographic map does show a extremely small industrial spur coming off the branch west of Trythall Road. No idea what those stone pillars are. Your guess of a crane to load stone might be correct. The area was busy with timbering for charcoal, iron mines, and rocks quarries, so at one time there were access roads crisscrossing through the whole area. Edit: Found an aerial photo from 1946 that does show another railroad spur connecting from the branch to the water filled quarry you visited. That quarry does not appear on any topo map until 1956 when it is show as being filled with water. Again, no rail spur shown on any topo map though.

  • @joseleswopes1400
    @joseleswopes1400 Жыл бұрын

    This always gives me a get away it's 30* and the wind is howling at 40 miles an hour. It blew our ladder down. It's starting to snow and the wind is supposed to go up to 50 MPH soon. Makes you want to stay in side 😎 Here in Albuquerque NM

  • @alanhykes8777
    @alanhykes8777 Жыл бұрын

    The two "railbeds" formed what railroads called a Y. They could turn entire trains around at a Y spur.

  • @humanipulationnation
    @humanipulationnation Жыл бұрын

    My dogs love that howl, big thanks from central pa

  • @chucktplatt

    @chucktplatt

    Жыл бұрын

    👍🏼J-Town

  • @cliffordfreeman7829

    @cliffordfreeman7829

    Жыл бұрын

    Cats here ears perk up at the howl then scatter.Funny watching them trying to hide werever.

  • @robinchristmas6448
    @robinchristmas6448 Жыл бұрын

    I love the winter videos you create. The crunching underfoot, the extended view that exposes things you can't see when the woods turn green. A special experience, too, when the temperature is moderate so you don't have to bear the cold. Thanks for taking us along!

  • @SueGirling68
    @SueGirling68 Жыл бұрын

    Hi Cliff, a nice hike with some history thrown in, awesome. Thank you for sharing, much love. xx💞

  • @lindamccaughey6669
    @lindamccaughey6669 Жыл бұрын

    That was fabulous, love that stonework. What a great area that is. A really fun hike. Thanks for taking me along. Please take care

  • @kateclark7250
    @kateclark7250 Жыл бұрын

    This was a great explore. You found so many interesting things. Thank you for letting folks tag along.

  • @brookeshaffer4377
    @brookeshaffer4377 Жыл бұрын

    All kinds of interesting history out there✨Thanks👍

  • @susanlongb4
    @susanlongb4 Жыл бұрын

    So grateful for these recent videos. My ancestors built the Inn/the Excursion of St. Peter's Village and founded nearby Knauertown when Johann came from Coburg, Germany in 1753..They had mills and Davis Knauer founded the quarry and St. Peter's Village from what I've read

  • @maryhelen1011

    @maryhelen1011

    Жыл бұрын

    That's so cool to know that history! All the best to you!

  • @susanlongb4

    @susanlongb4

    Жыл бұрын

    @@maryhelen1011 Thanks so much and for you too. I was actually near there in the 80s when I lived in Indiana (the state), but didn't know anything about it then. I now live in Arizona and right before I left 7 years ago I was directed by a chance meeting to a small roadside family plot and found it was John and Anna the first Knauers to settle in Indiana from Chester County.

  • @maryhelen1011

    @maryhelen1011

    Жыл бұрын

    @@susanlongb4That's amazing! Especially a chance meeting! It's a really grounding feeling to know our ancestors before us. I'm so happy you got to go there. I hope you're loving Arizona and that scenery! All the best to you and your family!

  • @susanlongb4

    @susanlongb4

    Жыл бұрын

    @@maryhelen1011 I DO love Arizona! Thanks and all the best for you and yours.

  • @hiworldstephensonultranate290
    @hiworldstephensonultranate290 Жыл бұрын

    like all trees falling formations Nature is beautiful like d Day u got

  • @lindadonahue9279
    @lindadonahue9279 Жыл бұрын

    This looks like an area that could take days to fully explore. Extremely interesting, Cliff. Thank you.

  • @ruthgoebel723
    @ruthgoebel723 Жыл бұрын

    A very enjoyable video! I love exploring too. Nice finds a long the way.

  • @rumpleforeskin5064
    @rumpleforeskin5064 Жыл бұрын

    That is pretty, pretty cool. Shout from west Pa.

  • @robhubbs6317
    @robhubbs6317 Жыл бұрын

    My uncle had a camp ground there and there was rock quarry were use to jump and swim I love that place it was called franks folly .

  • @kenharbin3440
    @kenharbin3440 Жыл бұрын

    Alco the Railroad Dog approves of this video. I enjoyed it also.

  • @MarkBrockman1956
    @MarkBrockman1956 Жыл бұрын

    Ok. I’m pretty sure what you were seeing was a turnaround or “Wye” pronounced Why that hey used to turn the train around.

  • @jalleman61
    @jalleman61 Жыл бұрын

    All your videos are my hometown .It would be nice if you could find actual vids of times passed by

  • @coalcrackerchris
    @coalcrackerchris Жыл бұрын

    Nice hike!! Try using LIDAR for terrain maps. Much more defined Don't know what those stone pillars are. The split in the rail bed is a wye for turning trains around. Ever use PSU mine map atlas? It answers alot of questions on mining areas.

  • @MarkBrockman1956
    @MarkBrockman1956 Жыл бұрын

    Could be a Wye that they used to turn the trains around so that the engine was pulling forward.

  • @robertvirtue8070
    @robertvirtue8070 Жыл бұрын

    Most likely narrow gauge railroad or built for ore cars to be pulled by horses. The ore would be loaded from the cars to a bigger Railroad Car. There is a Iron furnace just north of Morgantown , could these mines supply the iron ore for it.

  • @barbkriner2374
    @barbkriner23749 ай бұрын

    I love watching your videos

  • @tomtransport
    @tomtransport Жыл бұрын

    Much better hike today, I'm thinking the high stone platforms were for wooden water tanks like we see the girls swimming in on the old TV show Petticoat Junction. They held water for the steam locomotives back then. The wood would have long been removed or rotted away. As for quarry swimming/jumping, if they want to do that dangerous crap please leave the call for help device home. Don't put first responders in harms way because you want to spit in deaths eye and do foolish stuff. I remember 2 scuba diver's drowned one winter scuba diving in a frozen over quarry here in Birdsboro, Berks County in 1990 or so. So sad but also so needless.😪😪😪

  • @leonaheraty3760

    @leonaheraty3760

    Жыл бұрын

    I loved watching Petticoat Junction as a kid in the 1970s. Great show! 😊

  • @tomtransport

    @tomtransport

    Жыл бұрын

    @@leonaheraty3760 That show and Green Acres with Eddie Albert and Eva Gabor, so side splitting funny. 🤣🤣🤣

  • @leonaheraty3760

    @leonaheraty3760

    Жыл бұрын

    @@tomtransport I loved Green Acres too! So funny! 🤣

  • @mikedc3
    @mikedc3 Жыл бұрын

    That's a Granite quarry plain as day.

  • @rikspector
    @rikspector Жыл бұрын

    Cliff, Was it my imagination or was there someone on the trail for a second, around 6 minutes or so? With those quarries and all those old structures and rail lines, I would think there has to be some written history of that industry, right? Cheers, Rik Oops!, I read below and other people knew all about it:( Sorry for the redundancy.

  • @thewanderingwoodsman7227

    @thewanderingwoodsman7227

    Жыл бұрын

    I did pass several folks on the trail.

  • @danmathers141
    @danmathers141 Жыл бұрын

    At 11:00; Those man made stone work pillars Could have supported a rail car dump where coal or something was transferred to another carrier.

  • @mynanasapron
    @mynanasapron Жыл бұрын

    I enjoy your videos very much!

  • @chrisgray8774
    @chrisgray8774 Жыл бұрын

    I love that kind of adventure.

  • @nickmad887
    @nickmad8877 ай бұрын

    Thank you.

  • @retr0bits545
    @retr0bits545 Жыл бұрын

    Where is this as I know where I can find maps of areas like that. I might be able to find out how far it went.

  • @markandrews2942
    @markandrews2942 Жыл бұрын

    It's a well. Means there was a home right there. Could have been an early frame house with no basement

  • @BRIANDER100
    @BRIANDER100 Жыл бұрын

    would anyone have a map of this rail line ?

  • @bruinsfan8278
    @bruinsfan8278 Жыл бұрын

    Time for Cliff to get a metal detector!

  • @skiphughes7705
    @skiphughes7705 Жыл бұрын

    Detective Cliff

  • @stevechapasko5244
    @stevechapasko5244 Жыл бұрын

    Just wondering if you noticed the animal that was watching you at about 5mins in

  • @thewanderingwoodsman7227

    @thewanderingwoodsman7227

    Жыл бұрын

    nope

  • @lotsoffish
    @lotsoffish Жыл бұрын

    LOL here's the link to that abandoned stone bridge he forgot to add in the comments. kzread.info/dash/bejne/pI6em8-qitrWY5M.html

  • @Northcoastrails
    @Northcoastrails Жыл бұрын

    I enjoy railroad history 🚆🚂

  • @matthewjones5450
    @matthewjones5450 Жыл бұрын

    those could be old WPA works