Railroad to space

Railroad to space


Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (PA), US
This old trestle / pier has a curious uplift on the end. Perhaps to stop trains from rolling of the end? Or was it used as a ramp for some stunt at some time in the past?
This old trestle / pier has a curious uplift on the end. Perhaps to stop trains from rolling of the end? Or was it used as a ramp for some stunt at some time in the past?
View in Google Earth Info Requested, Transportation - Rail
By: kjfitz

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Anonymous
@ 2008-06-09 20:17:46
It was used to unload ships
Anonymous picture
Anonymous
@ 2009-07-07 18:03:29
It is called the "Graino" ships would unload their grain onto grain cars that ran along the railroad thru Philly....it's no longer in use.
kjfitz picture
@ 2009-07-08 08:04:44
Actually it is Pier 18 and was used for coal and ore.

On the river at the line of East Huntingdon Street
A last vestige of the once-great Richmond Coal Wharves, Pier 18 is noted by boaters and shore-strollers for its elevated rail line, which ends in a up-turned hook like an elf shoe or ski jump.

Extending 875 feet into the river, Pier 18 carries two railroad tracks and was used for the loading of coal and ore. As recently as 1968, the pier sprouted a six-story steel tower called a McMyler side car dumper, which appears to have been demolished.

The now-defunct Richmond Coal Wharves, developed primarily by the Reading Railroad, encompass a mile of shoreline and 12 abandoned piers. It was once the primary terminal for Pennsylvania’s vast coal output.

In 1981, a Historic Resource Protection Plan by the Pennsylvania Historical & Museum Commission described elements of the Richmond Coal Wharves site as candidates for historic status, including piers like Pier 18.

http://www.planphilly.com/node/832

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