Rail lines were like todays interstates, he said, adding that restoring the Lackawanna Cutoff would especially benefit commuters from eastern Pennsylvania seeking an alternative to driving on Route 80. Thomson, who removed to Changewater in Hunterdon County, became an officer in the Continental Army during the American Revolution, and served two terms in the House of Representatives. However, by the early Nineteenth Century, many descendants of these German settlers removed to newly opened lands in the West (i.e. Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement updated 7/1/2022). No matter how wide Interstate 80 in New Jersey is, even up to the Interstate 95 interchange in Bergen County, theres clearly demand for additional commuter and traveler capacity even if taking into account COVID-19s impact on future workflows. The viaduct was built by the Delaware, Lackaw The Paulinskill Viaduct, also known as the Hainesburg Viaduct, is a reinforced concrete railroad bridge that crosses the Paulins Kill in Knowlton Township, New Jersey. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. yd. Giving up the corridor, which is currently in safe hands NJTransit and gaining interest by Amtrak for their 2035 rail network vision for another recreation trail would be the worst possible decision for the region. Remnants of their chiefly agricultural settlements are still found in local architecture, cemeteries, farms and mills, and the area remains largely rural. Aerial view of the 111-year-old Paulinskill Viaduct. Our fire and rescue has responded multiple times to people who got stuck up there, Starrs said. [1] When completed in 1910, it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. Our main issue is the township of Knowlton does not own the (viaduct). For at least two decades, there has been talk of reviving rail service along the Lackawanna Cutoff, which ran for 28 miles between Roxbury in Morris County and Slateford, Pennsylvania, and utilized the viaduct. But it didnt completely solve the issues. A rogue entrepreneur set up a horizontal pulley system, someone managed to get a car onto the viaduct, and was charging $75 per jump, he said. Now on foot, photos pan left to right from the north side just off Station Road. It was abandoned by Conrail in the late 1970's. Today New Jersey Transit is conducting studies to restore the cutoff and restore passenger trains between Hoboken, Newark, Stroudsburg, the Poconos, and Scranton. The Paulinskill Viaduct has been a bridge to nowhere since 1978, when the last train rumbled across this majestic crossing 115 feet above the river. Today, it is owned by New Jersey Department of Transportation. Of course, I would like positive improvements for all ski destinations in the Northeast, from the Green Mountains in Vermont, to the Catskills in New York State, to ours in the Poconos and Lehigh Valley in Pennsylvania. At the time it was built in 1910, it was the largest reinforced concrete structure in the world. Many had trekked north through the valley of the Delaware and settled along the Musconetcong, Pequest and Paulins Kill valleys in New Jersey and along the Lehigh River valley in Pennsylvania. The Paulins Kill was a conduit for the emigration of Palatine Germans who settled in northwestern New Jersey and northeastern Pennsylvania during the colonial period and the American Revolution. The river owes its fly fishing reputation largely to the prolific populations of various species of the mayfly and caddisfly. Click an image to enlarge! More rare birds sighted in the Paulins Kill valley include: purple martin, scarlet tanager, indigo bunting, Baltimore oriole, purple finch, and a variety of owls, notably the barn, eastern screech, great horned, snowy, barred, and northern saw-whet owl.[64]. It is authorized to succeed to Andover, New Jersey for Phase 1, and it is projected to be in service by 2025. Vtg 1943 Wayland, New York RR Railroad Accident photo Train Wreck Lackawanna: $225.00. That seems to have abated, Mathez said. ", http://archiver.rootsweb.com/th/read/NJSUSSEX/2002-09/1032918263, National Park Service: Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area, State Acquisitions Current Projects, Green Acres Program, NJ Department of Environmental Protection, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Wildlife Management Areas, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Fish and Wildlife: Small Game Hunting in New Jersey, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Fish and Wildlife: Mammals of New Jersey, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Fish and Wildlife: Reptiles of New Jersey, Paulinskill Valley Trail at Rails-to-Trail Conservancy, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection: Division of Fish and Wildlife: Birds of New Jersey, "Louis Finkelstein: The Late Pastels in the Context of His Artistic Thinking" at Lori Bookstein Fine Art, The Bridges Of New Jersey: Portraits Of Garden State Crossings, Memoirs and Reminiscences: Together with Sketches of the Early History of Sussex County, New Jersey, Indian habitations in Sussex County, New Jersey, Archaeology of Warren and Hunterdon counties, Map of Paulinskill Valley and Sussex Branch Trails, U.S. Geological Survey: NJ stream flow-gauging stations, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Paulins_Kill&oldid=1085103753, Wikipedia articles needing factual verification from January 2015, Wikipedia articles needing page number citations from January 2015, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles with failed verification from February 2015, Articles with unsourced statements from February 2015, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0. Upon Ruth's death in 1940, the castle sat empty . [10] The Wallkill River drains the northeastern portion of the valley, flowing north to the Hudson River watershed. After thirty minutes of watching them, we heard a splash. This doesnt even include the rest of Monroe County plus neighboring Lackawanna and Northampton counties. One should be able to comfortably relax, do some work ahead of time, or read a book, listen to some music, or get much-needed nap while they commute. Its a landmark of historical significance. My fellow adventurers on this mad quest were Kagemushi, Giza, and Carmine. Ohio, the Northwest Territory, the Southern Tier of New York) and those that remained had assimilated into English-speaking culture, and the German Reformed or Lutheran Churches often became Presbyterian. Got a story to pitch? The material on this site may not be reproduced, distributed, transmitted, cached or otherwise used, except with the prior written permission of Advance Local. Post this also under r/trains . In addition, over in Colorado, they even have seasonal ski trains, including one known as the Winter Park Express. Paulins Kill Viaduct Primary Photographer (s): Nathan Holth Bridge Documented: November 8, 2015 View Photos and Videos View Maps and Links Facility Carried / Feature Intersected Railroad (Abandoned Delaware Lackawanna and Western Railroad) Over Paulins Kill and Station Road Location Rural: Warren County, New Jersey: United States Structure Type Amongst non-railfans, the Paulinskill Viaduct is known for its internal chambers (used to inspect the structural integrity of the bridge), which are popular among those who enjoy urban exploration. After the New York, Susquehanna and Western decommissioned the route in 1962, the right-of-way along this corridor was purchased by the City of Newark the following year. The Paulins Kill (also known as Paulinskill River) is a 41.6-mile (66.9km)[1] tributary of the Delaware River in northwestern New Jersey in the United States. For a thrill you can go . I asked one person, are the blocks stopping people? He said, no, theyre put up a ramp," he said. 1 stars. In an era before interstates, and before automobiles were common, everyone traveled by rail. Designed by the DL&W's engineering staff under the supervision of chief engineer Lincoln Bush[2] and built by the Philadelphia contracting firm of Reiter, Curtis & Hill, the bridge was considered a pioneering work that opened the door to the building of even larger concrete viaducts by the Lackawanna, most notably the Tunkhannock Viaduct in Pennsylvania in 1915. Its done a whole study with regards to a restoration projet. What we do encourage is appreciating New Jerseys unique history. [45] This site is commonly visited by adventure-seeking individuals. Trout are stocked each year during the spring fishing season by New Jersey's Division of Fish & Wildlife. Mostly its kids with motor bikes, he said when asked what he typically sees up there. The region would be donating possible future guests who prefer to ride the train to their destinations to Vermont and New Yorks Catskills. Trees that add to the beauty of the fall foliage include maple, birch, hickory, elm, and crab apple. The first highway traffic circle ever was in N.J. Youre welcome, America. Paulinskill Viaduct Creepy, Decaying, Abandoned, Haunted Weird NJ, Stree. The passenger train known as the "Phoebe Snow" is seen heading west on April 8, 1951, with the Paulinskill Viaduct in the background.John Treen, from the collection of Mike Del Vecchio / Tri-State Railway Historical Society. Thats nothing compared to bungee-jumping, which Mathez said was popular for a time about a decade or two ago. Generally considered an easy route, it takes an average of 8 h 22 min to complete. [56] Since 1983, several farms across New Jersey have sold development rights to the county programs. Dams were erected to power various small-town gristmills, sawmills, oil expellers, and fulling mills,[28] and the electrical power plant at Branchville established in 1903. [24][25][failed verification] The German cultural impact of this community can still be seen in local architecturemost notably in barns and in stone housesand in cemeteries containing intricately carved gravestones often bearing archaic German text and funerary symbols. They were coming down right over the river. [21][22], Typically, early European settlement along the Paulins Kill was by Palatine Germans who had emigrated to the New World via the port of Philadelphia from 1720 to 1800. Community Rules apply to all content you upload or otherwise submit to this site. Mostly its kids with motor bikes, he said when asked what he typically sees up there. Jul 13, 2018 - Discover Paulinskill Viaduct in Columbia, New Jersey: Once the world's largest reinforced concrete structure, this abandoned bridge now beckons urban explorers. Height from ground 115 feet. vintage.newjersey. [1], After the establishment of Swartswood State Park in 1914, a dam was built in the 1920s across the river in Stillwater Township to create Paulinskill Lake. Reddit and its partners use cookies and similar technologies to provide you with a better experience. It is fascinating how time can turn the mighty into the weak. It just passes our land. One time I got so nervous I didnt feel safe to be there anymore. Youre not supposed to go up there, but people do it all the time, said Rene Mathez, whose home is about a quarter-mile from the 109-year-old span. Andre Malok | NJ Advance Media for NJ.com, News never stops. I dont remember if we found the spot or not but the guy is supposed to walk the tracks on top of the trestle. The most elevating feature of the Viaduct is that on top of the arches, beneath the rail bed, are a series of step ladders. Registration on or use of this site constitutes acceptance of our User Agreement, Privacy Policy and Cookie Statement, and Your California Privacy Rights (User Agreement updated 1/1/21. The people who live around the Viaduct as well as the town of Blairstown are annoyed about the drinking, graffiti anddrug use that has happened there. [28][33], The first road connecting Elizabethtown, and Morristown with settlements along the Delaware River, was the Military Road built by Jonathan Hampton (17111777) in 17551756. This project benefits both New Jerseyans by freeing up parking capacity and Pennsylvanians by giving them dedicated lots in Monroe and Lackawanna counties. However, the Green Mountains and the Catskills are the ones getting the infrastructure improvements with rail investments on the Vermonter and Ethan Allen Services through Amtrak. The benefit doesnt stop just for commuters in the area. The park resided near some marshland right before the Rt. The tracks were removed in 1982 and the Viaduct abandoned. NJ Transit did not immediately respond to a follow-up request for comment. [51] Along Kittatinny Ridge in the northern part of the watershed are parts of Worthington State Forest (west), Delaware Water Gap National Recreation Area (central), and Stokes State Forests (east). Nicholas Dnistran. Today. It flows north from its source near Newton, and then turns southwest. 0 references. Pinterest. Tim, I lived in the Blairstown area for 20 years and belonged to the Local Rescue Squad and have climbed through the maze of tunnels and caverns in the Paulinskill Viaduct. 1. One should have the right to cut down on the carbon emissions they emit by having the comfort and convenience to park their cars at one of the stations on the cutoff whether that be Andover, Blairstown, Delaware Water Gap, East Stroudsburg, Analomink, Pocono Mountain, Tobyhanna or Scranton and commute to and from New York City/North Jersey. This age-old railroad bridge is also known as the Hinesburg viaduct. Some people even say on certain nights there are satanic rituals held in the rooms inside the bridge. The train line went out of service in 1979, the railroad tracks were torn up in 1985 and the Viaduct was abandoned. The Paulinskill Viaduct, also known as the Hainesburg Viaduct, is a reinforced concrete railroad bridge that crosses the Paulins Kill in Knowlton Township, New Jersey. [1][2] State Police Sgt. 2 stars. Together they comprise 6,564acres (2656ha) of protected lands, mostly acquired through "Green Acres" funds. 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