29.32 km 96195.19 feet 18.22 mi 5643.00 seconds 94.05 minutes 1.57 hours 11.62 mi/hr
Rode up to Norfolk again. Went straight up Rt. 56 -- not the most pleasant highway riding in the world, but far from the worst. Rode past the Barrett gravel mine, and noticed some center-dump cars sitting on the old railroad tracks. Those tracks used to cross the road, but many years ago during one repaving project or another the rails were ripped up away from the highway. Now they're back. I looked closer at them, and they were actually relaid closer to the highway ... using 110 pound rail. The old rails are like 70 pound rails, much shorter. They look like a dachsund and a great dane mating. The wonder is not that it can be done, but that anyone would attempt it.
Walked back along the tracks a ways, and found that the two sidings visible on the 7.5' topo map are still in place. Also found that the New York & Ogdensburg Railroad had replaced a bunch of ties. They just left the old ones where the equipment pulled it out. Gotta go back and take pictures.
Went east on Adams Road in Norfolk, to catch up with Old Market Road. Did so, but also rode past it to look at the Brothers Lumber yard where a railroad siding used to go. The only things I found were the embankment for the railroad going through a wetland, and a strange concrete structure at what must have been the tail end of the track. It has a tunnel going through it, which I would have thought might be a place for a truck to go under the tracks and get filled from a center dump car, but there's no hole in the roof. I'll take pictures and ask around. Now I'm curious!
posted at: 04:16 | path: /bicycling | permanent link to this entry
