Survey & Construction 1881-1885

      Below: Unknown to most travelers entering the westbound lanes of the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Breezewood, Pa  is this small section of the South Pennsylvania  Railroad sitting off to the shoulder of the merge lane.

     The history of the South Pennsylvania Railroad has fasinated many for years. Many books have been written and are very good, however they left many a reader stranded when it comes to the topic of the railroad that the turnpike has followed. Just where is this alignment and can it be found today?
     For the past thirteen years Russel Love has been researching this route and has done so much that it is a favorite topic amoung many people from drivers to property owners along the route. So much has been found that Russell has been showing off his new information ever since 2001 at the Somerset Mountain Craft days in Somerset County, Pennsylvania. To learn more of what Russell has found please forward ahead to the finds link page on the right.

Harrisburg bridge

Leonardo da Vinci's Vitruvian Man    Right: From the Norfolk Southern bridge in Harrisburg, Pa. is this view of the eight remaining bridge piers of the South Penn Vanderbilt route.

          The only work done on the South Pennsylvania Railroad east of the Blue Mountain is the great bridge which has only eight stone piers remaining in the Susquehanna River in Harrisburg. I do have a letter that describes how the quality of the Cumberland Valley bridge just upstram from this location was inferior to what the South Penn was going to build.

Alternate routes

        Bottom: This photo shows the same crossing of the Rockville bridge and is also showing that the valley across the river to the right is where the South Penn alternate grade was to enter this valley.



      Below: This South Pennsylvania Railroad map shows another survey which took place north of Harrisburg at the present, famous Rockville bridge crossing the Susquahanna  River in 1883.

Above: The 1907 view of the South Pennsylvania Railroad, Susquehanna River bridge seen on the far right hand side of the photo. Ironically these piers seen here next to the Reading Railroad bridge are now gone but the ones not seen still exist as seen in the Harrisburg bridge portion of this page above. (click to enlarge)


28 December 2007

Topics
Curently researching

    Above: After we found this above letter, we camped down at the abandoned turnpike and explored the site and  indeed found the orignal Wooden Bridge creek did cross directly in front of the tunnel or above it and the section found to the south of the railroad alignment which looks rough was dug out by the railroad.

Below: The South Pennsylvania Railroad map showing the Wooden bridge creek passing from the south to the north directly across the mouth of the Sideling Hill east portal tunnel.