BRHSLIST
[Top] [All Lists]

Re: HY&T

To: BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com
Subject: Re: HY&T
From: Denny Anspach <danspach@m...>
Date: Sun, 6 Oct 2002 10:34:38 -0700
In-reply-to: <1033896166.358.92306.m12@yahoogroups.com>
References: <1033896166.358.92306.m12@yahoogroups.com>
The HY&T was simply the most dilapidated operating railroad that I personally observed. Its only rival in my memory was the old Hetch Hetchy railroad in the California Yosemite foothills- a very, very close second!

The HY&T R-O-W ran along side the highway for a ways (old 6 or 34??), and it was almost impossible at any given moment on casual observation to determine whether or not it was actually there. Weeds were as high as the corn, and ties (such as they were) were invisible. The alignment/embankment was simply an accurate reflection of the dips, rises, and slopes of the local (*very* local) topography- and as such really was indistinquishable. That the twisting rails (looking in retrospect like about 20 lb.!) actually seemed to actually connect with one another, and also stay relatively in gauge seemed at the time and in retrospect to have been a true act of God, rather than man.

That railroad has always been my dream prototype for the modeling challenges of the penultimate of a truly minor railroad holding on to life only with its fingernails.

Denny


Denny S. Anspach, MD
Sacramento, California

<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>