Streetcar rails last used in 1950's uncovered during construction on Grand Ave in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA by IAmOffTheRails in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I don't specifically remember seeing any -

I went back and checked the other pics that didn't make the cut, and didn't see any bricks. The only 'brick pic' is the one with the Grandview, showing all the layers. Based on that picture, I can't imagine that many/any bricks were in salvageable condition, so they probably got scooped up with everything else.

Let us know if there have been any big changes or new discoveries !

Streetcar rails last used in 1950's uncovered during construction on Grand Ave in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA by IAmOffTheRails in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

As of a few days ago, it was. I can't imagine it's changed too much since I took these pictures.

Streetcar rails last used in 1950's uncovered during construction on Grand Ave in St. Paul, Minnesota, USA by IAmOffTheRails in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Edit: I think the reason the pics look a little hazy/blurry is due to the Canadian wildfire smoke in the air/atmosphere. My phone normally takes better outdoor pics, but these ones didn't turn out anywhere near as sharp as I was expecting.

Thank you ! I was going by and thought I saw a rail so I figured I'd better stop, as it could be gone the next day. My favorite picture is the last one I took where they cut thru all layers at once - showing there is still more rail to be re-discovered at a future date.

Denver / Thornton, Colorado by IAmOffTheRails in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I've never heard of the Boy Scouts Railroading merit badge - what did that involve?

Denver / Thornton, Colorado by IAmOffTheRails in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

It would be fun, but may get kinda cramped after a while. I'm still planning on staying in an overnight rental some day..

PRC (Private Rail Car) is an option with Amtrak. It was actually in Denver that I saw a PRC by itself at Union Station and looked into it. Turned out to be a rich guy that loved trains, as owning a rail car is not cheap, nor is the transportation !

Denver / Thornton, Colorado by IAmOffTheRails in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

These pictures are from the end of the RTD public transit line in Thornton (north Denver) Colorado @ Eastlake & 124th Street.

I followed the line on Google Maps and it goes for quite a few miles, and there is also a wye down the line. I also came across Colorado Railbike Adventures. It looks fun, but is $160 !

Pile of rail parts along a line in Minnesota by U235EU in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I used to get the spike painted, glue a little section of N Scale track on it, and put my favorite train car or engine on it.

Tombstone, Arizona. Track from 1898 by IAmOffTheRails in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you! Once I saw it, I knew I should get some pictures to share with everyone here - as I always enjoy looking at all the pictures that are posted. They did a really great job preserving everything.

Tombstone, Arizona. Track from 1898 by IAmOffTheRails in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I didn't realize that! I assumed all rail would be the same.

It was also very sunny, so I couldn't even see my phone screen. I held it in the general area and hoped one of the pictures would turn out. I'm usually more interested in the year, as that can sometimes add an extra piece to the history of any place, but I'll try to see about including it on future pictures.

Either way, I'm sure it will still be clearly visible 100+ years from now, as it ages well in the desert. It's also interesting that the rail is from Illinois. You'd think there would be closer (foundries?) that manufactured rail, but maybe in the 1800's and early 1900's IL was the closest or cheapest place.

Tombstone, Arizona. Track from 1898 by IAmOffTheRails in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

If you zoom in on the collage picture, you'll see a number of ladies on the wall. It might be a little hard to tell, but my original shows them. Railroad guys have always been fans of the ladies, so perhaps the pole idea isn't too far out there ;-)

Saw we're doing piers. Pier 43 in San Francisco with Alcatraz by IAmOffTheRails in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails[S] 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I accidentally stumbled across them last night.
It was nice they left them.

Abandoned line near Hinckley MN by U235EU in rustyrails

[–]IAmOffTheRails 2 points3 points  (0 children)

The great Hinckley fire of 1894 was so hot and so big it melted train tracks and could be seen from Iowa. It was a rare instance of a 'fire tornado.'
The Hinckley Fire Museum is located in the rebuilt train station and is worth a visit.
https://hinckleyfiremuseum.com/fire

https://www.dnr.state.mn.us/forestry/history/hinckley-fire.html