Davenport Iowa still has street running. here is a youtube video from my friend Keith Schmidt taken during the NRHS convention in 2012. The ROW is basically in the middle of the street although not literally in the road itself
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=noUmDlxXH9w
Dave Nelson
That is the former Rock Island main line. And is currently the main line of the Iowa Interstate, so it sees some very heavy traffic. The right of way comes off of an elevated track and runs down the middle of West 5th Street for about 10 blocks. From Ripley St. to Taylor St., where West 5th ends. Not only was I driving down that very road today, I was also riding in one of the cars on the train when that video was taken!
Of the times I have been to Jack London Sq. I have never seen any trains on the tracks. I know of others that have seen them, wife included, but not I. [:(]
Street running wasn’t/isn’t all that common, but it’s not all that rare either. Of course streetcars have always done this, but I don’t think that’s what was intended in this post. Baltimore used to have some areas where B&O and Western Maryland had tracks imbedded in the streets to serve local industries. The visual effect was striking, especially when the streets were paved with brick. B&O used their “Little Joe” 0-4-0t saddle tank engines there, and later both B&O and W.M. used G.E. 44-tonners. Same for Chicago, Milwaukee, and a lot of other cities. When it comes to true mainline action, it’s more common for the tracks to form the median, with a one-way street on each side. Easier to maintain the track that way. That’s the way it is in Ashland, VA and Rocky Mount, NC. I rode a PRR passenger train through Sunbury, PA many years ago where this was the way it was. You can also see a location in Tyrone, PA where the ex-PRR branch does this. Back around the mid-1960’s, I rode the L&N/C&EI Bluebird right down the street in Terre Haute, IN. I don’t know anything about the status of that line today, and honestly don’t know whether the tracks were imbedded in the pavement or in the median.
Ain’t this hobby fascinating?
Ashland, Va already mentioned. For a view of Railroad Avenue in Ashland and some of the stores such as the the Iron Horse and the Club Car. go to
Amtrak, RF&P and CSX trundle through the center of town regularly when going between Richmond and DC. Sleepy little Ashland is about 20 miles north of Richmond, intersecting US Route 1 or just off insterstate 95.
Homes and businesses are all along Railroad Avenue.
Richard
What about that big chair it is next to the tracks also.
I remember whizzing by the big chair at 79 mph.
Too bad Ken, next time you are in or around the square, plan on having lunch at one of the many fine establishments in the area. Just choose one where you can get a table with a view of the tracks. Hopefully something will come by while you are eating. Thats how I got to see some trains.
Check out some of the photos by O. Winston Link of A’s, Y’s, and J’s running down “Main St”. Now that’s what I wish I could’ve seen!
Check out some of the photos by O. Winston Link of A’s, Y’s, and J’s running down “Main St”. Now that’s what I wish I could’ve seen!
Do you have links (parden the play on words) of those photos?
Yes! The BN runs through the middle of Loveland, Colorado and Fort Collins Colorado. In Fact BN right now is putting in new street crossing tracks in Loveland. This rail line runs right through Fort Collins downtown district and borders along Colorado State U east side. The BN carries huge coal, freight and container stacks daily through town with a very slow speed because of heavy auto traffic. The Great Western Railway also ties into the BN in the center of Loveland. A lot of switching goes on there everyday. The population of Loveland is about 70,000 and Fort Collins is about 90,000. After the trains exit Fort Collins they pick up speed and head into Wyoming. Sometimes you can sit in your car at a crossing and wait 10 minutes for the train to clear the crossing. Hope this helps answer your question. Doug
I’m sure we will go to Oakland a few times later in this year and next year. So there is hope.
Bellevue Iowa. The tracks run straight through town in the middle of the street about a 1/2 mile, and yes it’s a main line used often.
CSX runs from Mt.Dora through Tavares, to Eustis and back down to Orlando. In Orlando the tracks are 1 1/2 streets from a hospital.
FEC runs through Hialeah to a yard in northwest Miami called Medley.
Flip aka Florida Phil
I was going to mention Loveland Colorado but You saved Me the Trouble…
Reg05, You said right down the street. When I explained to you about the BN in Fort Collins, Colorado I guess I should have told you that when the train is next to Colorado State U in downtown Ft. C it is traveling right down the middle of Mason Street . These are very Large trains. I neglected to mention that the UP has freight switching next to the side walk on Riverside in Ft. C also. Doug
" it definitely had me thinking could I encorporate that somehow into my upcoming new layout… Would be nice to see a EMD or GP series running down the street in a HO scene (downtown perhaps???) "
Hi Regg,
I’m like you, I’m intrigued by trains in the street too.
You might be interested, Portland & Western regularly runs trains down the middle of Front Street in Salem, Oregon.
(yes I know that’s not exactly the Midwest)
A guy known as neilybobmojo on Youtube has posted several really good videos of these trains. Here are a couple.
This is my favorite trainwatching spot.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vtpuQT9MVLk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sIr_10Ngulc
regards,
Doug in Salem
Close enough for you? [swg]
Pentrex has a video on Street running…
@ Larry
That looks awesome and something like that I would love to have incorporated into my layout. I just like the way it looks with the houses literally right across the street from the train.
@ Doug
Thanks for the videos. I’ve been watching numerous videos every since I saw that switcher running down the street in Cicero, IL. Couldn’t get the image out my mind and it had me fascinated like a 3 year old! Lol
That’s whats left of PRR’s Ft.Wayne line through Bucyrus(Oh)…That was a double track main line and yes the houses was there back then.There was several crossing watchman’s shanties along that stretch of track.The PRR passenger station and freight house was three blocks east of the train.
The train is a Westbound Chicago Ft.Wayne & Eastern.