Hidden Railroad Ruins Discovered in Jersey Shore, PA!

[@tylerfenderson2500]

That was the site of the Stone Dump. It was to transload stone from a quarry on pine creek avenue to railroad cars. It was erected in the 60’s. I grew up in Jersey shore and documented lots of that area. The site of the stone dump was also the earliest NYC roundhouse and locomotive shops from the 1880’s-1920’s until Avis Railyard was revamped and turned into the HUB for the New York Central Railroad Pennsylvania Division. Brick colum was the old base of a sewage drain setup from the street above.

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Tyler So nice learning from a local. Thank you for taking the time to comment. It's much appreciated, my friend!

[@deborahgibson9039]

This is my neck of the woods! I lived in Jersey Shore for nearly 20 years before moving to Williamsport area. It's cool to see that you were there!

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Deborah! I'm glad you liked the video! It's a great area for exploring. Thanks for watching!

[@Lorrithefarmergirl-h9o]

Wow, there is so much railroad history in Pennsylvania. Thanks for sharing Jenny

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hiya Lorri! You bet! I'll keep sharing more of PA's hidden gems. Thanks for watching!

[@Lorrithefarmergirl-h9o]

@jennsylvania1633 Thanks, Jenny. I'm looking forward to seeing more. I like exploring hikes, too, and just started posting them . Hope my KZbin channel gets as popular as your one day and maybe love to explore historical areas.

[@TimMcLean-u6s]

The concrete based, brick cylinder structure is the base for a sanitary sewer manhole. They are rarely still made of brick they're now precast concrete, depending on the depth they are transported in sections due to weight. That had 3 inlets and 1 outlet. It was buried concrete side down and was high enough to make the manhole cover match the grade height.

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Tim, thanks for the info and also for taking the time to comment. It's much appreciated!

[@danielmkubacki]

So fun!

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Daniel Thank you for watching!

[@kevinsalsbury2118]

This was so much fun to watch. I passed through Jersey Shore on the way to the Kinzua Viaduct. You just inspired me get back up that way. Look at all the views you’re getting. Great job Jenn!!

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Kevin, that's awesome! The Kinzua Viaduct is a pretty amazing sight. I was there last year and was blown away by the damage. Y'know, whenever I'm wondering around railroad tracks, I sort of think of you and your channel. Yeah, lots of views. I can't figure it out, some videos take off and others just sort of fizzle. Crazy right? Thanks for the kind words. One of these days we might just bump into each other on the tracks...lol

[@kevinsalsbury2118]

It is weird that some videos do well and some disappear into the void. I truly hope we meet up one day. I look forward to it. Stay safe out there Jenn.

[@bernardbredbennerjr8805]

On the old Reading Line, now Lycoming Valley Railroad, over from the former Lycoming Mall, is a cast iron bridge over the railroad. It was moved from around Reading, Pa. and put in place here around 1914, it has a 6 ton limit.

[@cavemanboogie7979]

I'm over here on the West Coast I do the same thing I've done it my whole life but I'm a retired trucker who spent his whole life on the highway and what's always next to highways railroad tracks can't help myself I will find an old set of tracks and just keep going😅

[@jennsylvania1633]

so much to see out west and I hope to make my way out there again soon. Keep exploring, my friend!

[@rickprobst5757]

Hello i just saw your video on here and watched it bc i love railroads and i live in Williamsport PA just down the road from Jersey Shore PA this is really cool i didn't know about that old rail line and I'm Always up to learning more about the history of PA

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Rick, Lycoming county is full of interesting history. I really like the area a lot and plan do many more videos in the area. Thank you for watching!

[@glennsrailroading]

Very cool video. I like the caboose in the background too. I'd like to scope that out

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Glenn, Thanks for watching! Yeah, there's some cool stuff in the Jersey Shore area.

[@RichardKroboth]

The rail through the Grand Canyon of PA was part of the New York Central Railroad. It became part of the Penn Central and then Conrail. It was during the Conrail era when that trackage was abandoned and the Pine Creek trail was created. I believe the rail line you were showing was part of the Pennsylvania Railroad. BTW Newberry Junction on the west side of Williamsport is were the NYC, Reading and PRR trains interchanged.

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Richard, thanks for the info and also for taking the time to comment. It's much appreciated

[@Donald-tr5gl]

Excellent video

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Donald! Thank you for watching!

[@Cojiii1959]

So cool ! Most of our employees live right there in Jersey Shore so I’ll ask them what that gizmo is. Thanks again Jen for keeping it interesting and making us think. 😊. Great stuff and keep up the great work Jen. Thanks for taking us along. ✅

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Carl! That’s awesome! Let me know if you find out more about it.

[@hikingoutdoorfamily]

I have no clue what any of that stuff is, but that is awesome that you spotted this and we able to check it out. The old stonework looked pretty with some fallen snow on it.

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Sara! I agree! It's amazing how many remnants still sitting in the woods. Yes, the snow is pretty...I just wish it wasn't sooooooo cold...lol Thanks for watching!

[@daveyoder9231]

Several viewers are on the right track, no pun intended, that siding and structure was for filling locomotive coal tenders. Horse drawn wagons would haul the coal to the top, and the coal would slide down. The would be a water filler nearby for the engine boiler. This was a main yard for this branch line.

[@gregoryburkett8463]

Great Video. I agree its for loading coal or stone into rail cars below but its much earlier than the 1960's. More like the 1860s but if the rail line wasn't founded till 1880s I would say its from about then. Latter I believe they used the larger coal tipples which were used the fuel the steam engines till they were discontinued in the 1940s.

[@redrooster1908]

Alright, Jenn!! Finding cool train tracks to places unknown! Bitter cold here. Coldest day in 5 years. 🧊 🥶

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hiya Rooster! I hear ya! and we're just getting started, The next few days are going to be frigid! Thanks for watching!

[@bernardbredbennerjr8805]

The tracks are former New York Central (NYC) Tracks followed Pine Creek through Waterville and on up through the Pa. Grand Canyon to Wellsboro and onward to Corning, NY. The hose alongside the coupler is an air hose for the brakes on the caboose. Some older cabooses had an air whistle that ran off the air line. The Lycoming Valley Railroad out of Williamsport now owns the track. I was on the last passenger train to through the Pa. Grand Canyon and on to Corning, NY. and return to Williamsport. The trip started in Harrisburg, Pa. Not real sure of the year. In Castanea, Pa., the south side of Lock Haven is the NYC freight and passenger station that is home to the Clinton Central Model Railroad Club. A large HO layout done very nice.

[@Holly-xn2qz]

I belive that the railroad company would pile those ties along the tracks so that if repairs would be needed instead of waiting for them to be trucked in the ties are already there laying in the grass. At least that's what I heard . Cool structures though. Yeah I hate the cold too. Take care jen😊❤

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Holly, that makes sense. Bring on spring...lol Thanks for watching, my friend!

[@charlespaterson9714]

I do not know this area directly, but based on a short blurb on Bing Maps, it says that Jersey Shore, PA included Railroad shops. I would hazard a guess that based on the size of the area you are in and that the rail trail on one side and the structure is on the far side, that this may have been a rail yard in association with an engine facility. The structure you found may have been a foundation for a coaling station to refill the tender that supported the steam locomotive (somewhere else around there was probably a water tower that is long gone). I also noted that when you were at the top of the structure and looked to the side, it appeared there may have been another rail siding that allowed coal cars to bring in coal for the coaling station to load up with as it is at a higher elevation that the track at the bottom of the station. There would have been a separate structure (holding bins) on top of the foundation that would have had a conveyor to lift the coal into the holding bins. Again, just an assumption based on position of various objects you found. I don't think it is too far a reach. Should be a local museum in town hopefully with pictures of what this all looked like.

[@nickmad887]

Thank you.

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Nick! Thank you for taking the time to comment.

[@jillj8665]

Yeh, I think your right, there was probably a spur line next to the large stone structure and they had hoppers up top which would empty into a rail car, the wheels probably had cables on them to lower or raise the shoots. Stay warm Jen, you are braver then me in this weather, your like Rocky running in the morning cold, ahaha

[@GreyPon3]

This is the answer. Those were used to load open top cars. The brick and concrete thing is part of a sewer system like a manhole opening.

[@jillj8665]

@@GreyPon3 Yes, very old if it was brick and mortar.

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hiya Jill! I agree with your assessment! I'll have to start humming the theme from Rocky on my next wintertime adventure.

[@jillj8665]

@ 😂

[@crossthreading8157]

Love that part of PA. The canyon and Wellsboro and usually go up to Corning New York and to Watkins glen.

[@pagodaracingmountpennreadi8915]

It looks like the stone structure may have been a truck unloading ramp for transloading stone/coal/sand from trucks to railroad cars. The round hand wheels were to raise and lower the metal chutes using cables (no longer there) that ran up and over pullies on the steel uprights. Looks like some of the pulleys are still there. Trucks would back up to the chute with the tailgate between the uprights and dump their load into a railroad car below. I don't believe it was a coaling tower used for loading coal into locomotive tenders as someone else commented. Coaling towers typically had a sloped floor so coal would flow out more freely. I'm fairly new to your channel and enjoy watching your adventures. I especially like that many are local to me.

[@stephenroman9015]

A wonderful look into America's past.... Sometimes I think that our future is in the past. Good to get outdoors, probably that thing you're profiling is to load coal. I love this kind of exploration.

[@jennsylvania1633]

I agree! The past can definitely teach us a lot about where we are now and where we could be going. Thanks for watching!

[@JayYoung-ro3vu]

Railroad ruins are "everywhere" (where there used to be rail lines). I've found them in woods (rail road cut), lawns, streets (long closed factories, or rail/marshaling yards), right beside active rail lines (long gone spurs, train station platforms), or hedges.

[@raymondhoagland4976]

That's what it looks like , a coal Shute possibly ! You'll have to see the Altoona curve someday if you haven't already @

[@alanwilliamson6421]

Cool foundation

[@ocsrc]

The concrete circular piece with the holes is a sewer manhole They come in sections and stack onE piece on top of another to make it the size needed.

[@jennsylvania1633]

I'm thinking you are correct. Thank you, my friend. I always seem to learn a little more from your comments. Much appreciated!

[@KK-jj7zi]

Nothing better on a Monday Eagles win last night and a Jennsylvania vid today. You sure have a good nose for sniffing stuff out in the woods

[@jennsylvania1633]

GO BIRDS!! Thanks, glad you enjoyed it! : )

[@lawrencepaulson6767]

More cold weather is coming. Mild warm low pressure is trying to push cold high pressure air out through Canada. May last several months.

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Lawrence Yeah, I hear ya. It's been a cold one this year. thank you for watching!

[@raymondzane5858]

It was a loading dock for the train the train would back up to that and offloading and then behind you that was a road and trucks and wagons used to come in there and get loaded up.

[@jennsylvania1633]

Yes, I agree, that is correct. Thank you for the information!

[@Johnny-tt8zc]

Coal dump possibly?

[@jennsylvania1633]

That's kind of what I thought Thank you for watching, Johnny!

[@TonyWilson-y4z]

Go to the library and look up you know what used to be in the area what's so old

[@patricksparks6631]

A little research turns up this: In the end it was taken over by NY Central.(1899) The Jersey Shore, Pine Creek and Buffalo Railway was a railroad built in the early 1880s to give the New York Central and Hudson River Railroad access to the coal regions around Clearfield, Pennsylvania, United States.

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Patrick, Thank you so much for sharing the history. It's very interesting!

[@TonyWilson-y4z]

It looks like the top of the septic tank or some man cover the covered up was concrete and then it broke off

[@amerphoto1]

Hi Jen, I would have to agree with you about the stonework looking like some sort of chute that trucks or wagons would drive up on to and fill the rail cars via the chutes. Always something of the past to find interesting. Whatever is there is usually in disrepair or only partly left so the rest has to be left up to your imagination. That's what makes it so interesting...Daniel

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi Daniel, I completely agree with you! There's something so fascinating about piecing together the stories of old structures. The stonework definitely does resemble a chute setup for loading. You're right-it’s often the incomplete and weathered remains that make it even more intriguing, leaving just enough mystery for our imaginations to fill in the gaps. Thanks for taking the time to comment. Have a nice weekend, my friend!

[@amerphoto1]

@@jennsylvania1633 I still think you would be great at piecing together an Aztec or Myan ruin for National Geographic!!!

[@jamesackley5824]

The concrete thing is a sewer man hole

[@jennsylvania1633]

Hi James, That's what seems to be the consensus Thank you for watching!

[@freddimaggio6234]

The round thing with the x is the bottom of a man hole

[@jennsylvania1633]

I believe you are correct...thank you!

[@roberttaylor3157]

The stoneThe

[@JEFFREYADEWALD-i7b]

READING PA

[@iamme453]

You should nor be doing this type of exploring on your own, a slip, trip or fall could be dangerous, especially if you drop or break your phone. That being said, great video

[@jennsylvania1633]

Thanks for watching and for the safety reminder! I do always try to be careful! I appreciate the kind words. : )

[@andrewcarnegie589]

You hit a home run this time, Jenn, and slid right into home base, in Jersey Shore, for the incredible Beech Creek Railroad, which was first chartered in the early 1880's as the Beech Creek, Clearfield & Southwestern Railroad. Historically, there has never been a railroad in Pennsylvania that had more to do with kicking off the bituminous coal industry, or which had a more fascinating origin,, clear back to the legendary Vanderbilt family of New York. Thx for the great footage, and I could go on for hours, but for starters, you can start here- en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Beech_Creek_Railroad