This viaduct still looks pristine, with no maintenance in 50 years, where the Tappan Zee bridge built in the 1950s was about to fall into the Hudson River before it was recently replaced. Conrail absorbed the Erie-Lackawanna (The Erie and the Lackawanna merged in 1960) in 1976 and stopped using the Lackawanna cutoff in 1979, the tracks were removed 5 years later.
It was a shame that Conrail tore up the tracks on the Lackawanna cutoff in 1984. The route of the Lackawanna, later the Erie Lackawanna across Northern New Jersey & in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Southern Tier of New York State was one of the most scenic rail routes in the Eastern United States. It will be nice once rail service from the New York City area to Scranton returns. I-80 & I-380 are now parking lots and/are becoming parking lots. Train service is the only way to go in easing traffic congestion on the interstate highways and the air travel is a hassle & a drudgery.
Agree, it was a shame. And in 1984, New Jersey government did nothing to protect the RR right of way under state jurisdiction. That neglect of nearly 40 years is why it is now so expensive to fully restore the Lackawanna Cutoff. The Delaware River Viaduct along will cost a fortune to either rehabilitate or replace. At High Point State Park, look at the Kueser Mansion demolition site and the decaying 200 foot monument for more New Jersey government neglect. Pathetic!
What a great video. I'm glad I looked for and found this!! Myself and a few friends were traveling on the paulinskill rail trail which runs under this Viaduct today. (July/2019) I took some really nice pictures and then we climbed up to the top of the viaduct and took pictures down and out into the countryside. This evening, I found your video and now this is all I really need to show friends and family this beautiful sight and amazing structure. Thanks for making it. I feel bad that this is going to waste and that the trains don't run anymore. I hope they do bring them back. It is still a possibility!! This is part of the Lackawanna cutoff and they are bringing the passenger service back as far as Andover New Jersey, but not yet to Pennsylvania or as far west as this Paulinskill, or the Delaware River Viaduct.
An achingly beautiful view of New Jersey. I hope this gets developed as a park. The hills and trees look so nice. I bet it looks awesome in winter too!
I would canoe the Pailinskill as a kid with my father. Always would stop at the viaduct so Dad could fish and I could explore the viaduct. There were access ladders down to the arches. Crossing the river via the arches was always great fun as a kid. Giant playground. Good memories.
have you seen the rest of the route. helper need for scranton pa. dans ville hill had a lot of problems. the Ex erie was not much better. the NYC water level was much better Engineered. I have no bad things to say about the El as i did see one El train in markle IN and have walk the Marion oH YARD and have walk across the Delware Bridge
@@dknowles60 - Only in youtube videos. Impressed by these 2 concrete bridges and Pequest fill/embankment. You would think a water level route would need less civil engineering features. In UK its the main lines which go through the hills that have best structures e.g Settle & Carlisle and Derby-Manchester (closed) routes.
@@alanrobertson9790 but if handles longer trains and faster trains then the cut off ever could. Nyc could get a train from New York to Chicago in 16 hours.over the cut off it took 24 hours
Hey man! I recently uploaded a video of myself here aswell! Just wanted to say though that this video is beautiful, loved watching every single second. You got a new subscriber, cant wait to see more from your drone shots.
SkaterForLife Gordon same rail line and only about a mile apart from the other bridge that covers over rt80 and the river to PA I have another recent video me showing that bridge
The tracks were owned by Conrail at the time, but this irks me why Conrail never wanted to keep this line - it was superbly built with several concrete bridges and very little grades and curvature. If the fates had willed it, Conrail could have and should have sold the line possibly to Delaware & Hudson.
@@robertnicholson7192 the Nicholson Bridge, also known as the Tunkhannock Viaduct, was completed in 1915, several years after this Paulinskill Viaduct. It is almost twice as high and twice as long.... located in northeast Pennsylvania, not too far from this Viaduct, it is still in operation today for freight trains and carries two tracks across the Tunkhannock River. When the Nicholson Bridge or Tunkhannock Viaduct was completed, the Paulinskill Viaduct was no longer the largest concrete structure in the world.
>^..^< Yes, shame this was shut down. However it was shut down ONLY due to lack of votes/dollars income, nothing more. Actually the vary same reason the USA does not run many trains nation wide.......
No, you can go right through part of the cement block walls have been taken down.... I was just there today. 6 days after your post. Entered from the East side.
This viaduct still looks pristine, with no maintenance in 50 years, where the Tappan Zee bridge built in the 1950s was about to fall into the Hudson River before it was recently replaced. Conrail absorbed the Erie-Lackawanna (The Erie and the Lackawanna merged in 1960) in 1976 and stopped using the Lackawanna cutoff in 1979, the tracks were removed 5 years later.
been over the viaduct when it was active many times, dad was an engineer for the dl&W great memories
Must have been amazing to ride in a train on it.
It was a shame that Conrail tore up the tracks on the Lackawanna cutoff in 1984. The route of the Lackawanna, later the Erie Lackawanna across Northern New Jersey & in Northeastern Pennsylvania, the Southern Tier of New York State was one of the most scenic rail routes in the Eastern United States. It will be nice once rail service from the New York City area to Scranton returns. I-80 & I-380 are now parking lots and/are becoming parking lots. Train service is the only way to go in easing traffic congestion on the interstate highways and the air travel is a hassle & a drudgery.
yes i agree
Agree, it was a shame. And in 1984, New Jersey government did nothing to protect the RR right of way under state jurisdiction. That neglect of nearly 40 years is why it is now so expensive to fully restore the Lackawanna Cutoff. The Delaware River Viaduct along will cost a fortune to either rehabilitate or replace. At High Point State Park, look at the Kueser Mansion demolition site and the decaying 200 foot monument for more New Jersey government neglect. Pathetic!
What a great video. I'm glad I looked for and found this!!
Myself and a few friends were traveling on the paulinskill rail trail which runs under this Viaduct today. (July/2019) I took some really nice pictures and then we climbed up to the top of the viaduct and took pictures down and out into the countryside.
This evening, I found your video and now this is all I really need to show friends and family this beautiful sight and amazing structure. Thanks for making it.
I feel bad that this is going to waste and that the trains don't run anymore. I hope they do bring them back. It is still a possibility!! This is part of the Lackawanna cutoff and they are bringing the passenger service back as far as Andover New Jersey, but not yet to Pennsylvania or as far west as this Paulinskill, or the Delaware River Viaduct.
One day rails will ride over it. After all Lackawanna built there structures to do one thing last forever.
The most iconic rail infrastructure ever built is now left to the weeds and graffiti; typical. What a shame.
An achingly beautiful view of New Jersey. I hope this gets developed as a park. The hills and trees look so nice. I bet it looks awesome in winter too!
I would canoe the Pailinskill as a kid with my father. Always would stop at the viaduct so Dad could fish and I could explore the viaduct. There were access ladders down to the arches. Crossing the river via the arches was always great fun as a kid. Giant playground. Good memories.
Superb structure. Its an irony that the last built best engineered railroads are the ones that shut first.
have you seen the rest of the route. helper need for scranton pa. dans ville hill had a lot of problems. the Ex erie was not much better. the NYC water level was much better Engineered. I have no bad things to say about the El as i did see one El train in markle IN and have walk the Marion oH YARD and have walk across the Delware Bridge
@@dknowles60 - Only in youtube videos. Impressed by these 2 concrete bridges and Pequest fill/embankment. You would think a water level route would need less civil engineering features. In UK its the main lines which go through the hills that have best structures e.g Settle & Carlisle and Derby-Manchester (closed) routes.
@@alanrobertson9790 but if handles longer trains and faster trains then the cut off ever could. Nyc could get a train from New York to Chicago in 16 hours.over the cut off it took 24 hours
Hey man! I recently uploaded a video of myself here aswell!
Just wanted to say though that this video is beautiful, loved watching every single second. You got a new subscriber, cant wait to see more from your drone shots.
I've fallen and I can't get up
Спасибо! Классный вид этого моста, впечатляет.
Hard to see through vegetation, but it is an impressive viaduct. Plus, the Lackawanna Cut-Off closed in 1984, not the 1960s.
Is this the same structure that crosses over I-80 in NJ? If so, impressive!
SkaterForLife Gordon same rail line and only about a mile apart from the other bridge that covers over rt80 and the river to PA I have another recent video me showing that bridge
F'n graffiti. Can't get away from that cancer of the railways.
The tracks were removed in 1984 actually. I know because I used to live near there.
The tracks were owned by Conrail at the time, but this irks me why Conrail never wanted to keep this line - it was superbly built with several concrete bridges and very little grades and curvature. If the fates had willed it, Conrail could have and should have sold the line possibly to Delaware & Hudson.
Great photos! How does Paulinskill compare to my namesake viaduct, Nicholson, named for me some thirty years before I was born?
@@robertnicholson7192 the Nicholson Bridge, also known as the Tunkhannock Viaduct, was completed in 1915, several years after this Paulinskill Viaduct. It is almost twice as high and twice as long.... located in northeast Pennsylvania, not too far from this Viaduct, it is still in operation today for freight trains and carries two tracks across the Tunkhannock River.
When the Nicholson Bridge or Tunkhannock Viaduct was completed, the Paulinskill Viaduct was no longer the largest concrete structure in the world.
@@kevinlynch1227 Doesn't matter much to me which is bigger as all 4 of the viaducts along that route were built by the Lackawanna RR.
Put the speed on 2X.
Good fishing there!
>^..^< Yes, shame this was shut down. However it was shut down ONLY due to lack of votes/dollars income, nothing more. Actually the vary same reason the USA does not run many trains nation wide.......
Very high property Taxes and tough grades
that shoud be made into a rail trail
it currently is a horse/walking trail. also bikes.
might cheak iit out sometime
+ESTOUCHFPV Do any local ATV clubs have access to this ROW?
@@glenreynol0075 This viaduct is now blocked off on both ends with huge concrete block walls!
No, you can go right through part of the cement block walls have been taken down.... I was just there today. 6 days after your post. Entered from the East side.