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Facing south,
uphill, here is the through-girder bridge that carried the RVRR
mainline over Orchard Street. This bridge was immediately parallel
to the bridge seen in the picture on the right.
Photo taken by Jeff Jargosch. |
Facing north,
downhill, here is the deck-girder bridge that carried a siding over
Orchard Street. This bridge was immediately parallel to the bridge
seen in the picture on the left.
Photo taken Jeff
Jargosch.
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Wm. Wyer &
Co. Report on Rahway Valley Railroad
August 1944
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Over Shun Pike Road or Orchard St.
One span thru plate girder skew bridge for main track. One
span deck plate girder bridge for side track. Length of
girders 44'-0". Underclearance 12'9" (painted on bridge).
Condition good. |
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On
the Rahway Valley Railroad's final approach into Summit it crossed
over
Orchard Street. In fact there were
two seperate, but parallel, bridges over the roadway. One
bridge, of the through-girder type, carried the main track
over the road while the other bridge, of the deck-girder type,
carried a siding over the road. The siding was the loading
track of the Houdaille Stone Quarry.
The original bridge here was contructed in
1913 when Shunpike Road was realigned and the roadway
depressed into the mountain. After the
railroad was officially closed in 1992, the bridges were removed leaving
only the concrete abutments in place. |
See what remains
of the Orchard Street
Bridges today. |
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Facing south, uphill, here is the
through-girder bridge that carried the RV mainline over Orchard Street. 1990.
Photo taken by Peter Thornton, courtesy of Don
Maxton.
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Here we see the two Orchard Street
bridges, side by side. The bridge on the right is the main track
while the one on the left is the side track. We are looking towards
Summit. Photo taken by Peter Thornton,
courtesy of Don Maxton. |
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This view, from the quarry
side of the roadway, shows both bridges
side-by-side. The bridge carrying the main track
is on the left and the bridge carrying the siding is on
the right. We are looking towards Springfield. Circa 1964.
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