Lackawanna Cut-Off - Part 4: Pequest Fill

This video is about the Pequest Fill on the Lackawanna Cut-Off, the largest railroad fill in the world when it was constructed between 1908 and 1911. Over 3 miles long and as high as 110 feet above the surrounding terrain, the Pequest Fill contained 6.625 million cubic yards of fill material. During our tour we'll see the site of the NJ Transit Andover station site, the Sussex Branch where it crosses under the Cut-Off, as well visit the site of the "buried schoolhouse" in Huntsville, NJ. Video recorded on December 27, 2016. Videographer and video editing: Larissa Walsh

[@garykuipers2696]

Thanks for recording this history. I was a towerman for the ELRR from 1970-Conrail and then train service until retirement from NJT 2013. I had the priviledge of riding and working on the cutoff as a towerman at UN, train crew for the High Iron Co. on the 759 Rambles 1970 & 1971. I also worked E. Stroudsburg tower from time to time. This is an excellant series that you have compliled.

[@jimdiskin3760]

i can't tell you how much i am enjoying these videos! i have been a big fan of all the railroad elements in this area for quite a while now. it is so great to know there are other geeks like me who find this history so interesting. i love it! thank you for these awesome vids!

[@barrykery1175]

That was an amazing feat of engineering. It's about an hour and a half's ride from here and as soon as it gets warm enough, I'm going to take a look-see at it as well as the Nickelson Viaduck. Thanks for posting so many interesting Lackawanna Cut Off videos. Barry

[@blownb310]

I am enjoying each installment of this series and really appreciate your efforts to put it all together. Nice work!

[@LackawannaCutOff]

Thank you very much, we really appreciate it!

[@Elephantsworld33]

very cool, thank you!

[@Chancelund]

Thanks for posting these!

[@Construction_King]

I visited the fill last weekend and I noticed that the arch bridge on Pequest Road has an odd design with wing walls but a retaining wall behind it. It looks similar to the underpass on the Sussex branch.

[@elpee2174]

Awsome video now looking foreward to the roseville tunnel edition i know that will be interesting as thay had started out as a cut instead of a tunnel Thanks again

[@timsnook7924]

Ur literally down the road from my grandmothers she remembers it being use she grew up crest rd on a dairy farm... her back yard was dug out to make the rail road bed

[@skymasterO2A]

I would like to mention that the cover photo of a passenger train, going east on the Pequest fill, at the beginning of this video was taken on top of a railroad water tank. The base of where the tank was located is still in place, as of a few years ago..

[@LackawannaCutOff]

skymasterO2A, interesting, that would explain why the photo is off to the side, and not from on top of the nearby signal bridge, which never seemed quite right as an explanation. Thanks!

[@geoffreylee5199]

1960s short sightedness was rampant ... but knowing what EL/Conrail were dealing with, it is understandable.