Re: PC: Goodby Conrail

[BGXX32A@xxxxxxxxxxx (MR PETER A KING)]

>> track-less rights of ways where trains ran endlessly. And it is 
Conwreck who
>> damaged the Maybrook Line ripping up the entire line west of the
>> Poughkeepsie Bridge. 

>I am curious to know what purpose the Maybrook line served once New 
Haven
>was taken into Penn Central?  The B&A line handled the majority of 
freight
>traffic into and out of New England during PC's tenure and Conrail.

I recall reading that only 1 train per day used the bridge before it 
burned.

> With
>the P-bridge burnt out in 1970 or '71, nothing went across the 
Maybrook
>line for Conrail.  

>Why keep it?

There have been rumors that the bridge will be reactivated, or that a 
new bridge will be built. I believe this will not come to pass 
because:

- The bridge is now in private hands, it is not owned by the railroad.


- The ROW is obliterated on BOTH sides of the bridge. A gas pipeline 
or some such is on the ROW on the west side. The bridge over 
US44/NY55 was just torn down last year on the east side. Yeah, I know 
about covenants and restrictions on the original land deals. And I'm 
sure, legally, that the railroad could get the ROW back, but I'd bet 
the protracted legal battle would make it not worthwhile.

- The bridge is VERY old, and would require extensive work to make it 
usable, if the current owners would give it up.

- A new bridge would be expensive, and it would be hard to find a 
site.

Peter King in NY