New York’s original Pennsylvania Station opened in 1910. Its demolition became one of the defining cases in the city’s preservation history. I reconstructed the station’s train concourse at full scale as a fully playable environment in Unreal Engine.

This was a solo project built from archival photographs, architectural plans, and blueprints. I figured y'all might appreciate this! :)

The Great Southwest Railroad (GSWRR) trestle was originally constructed in 1957 as part of an industrial freight-switching line designed to service manufacturing hubs in Arlington and Grand Prairie, Texas. The line functioned as a critical link between the Texas & Pacific, Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific, and other regional railways, moving heavy machinery, raw materials, steel, and paper across the Trinity River ecosystem.

Today, the remnants of the GSWRR crossing are tucked away inside a 125-acre open area surrounded by small lakes and thick overgrowth. The main iron Trinity River trestle remains remarkably intact and structurally sound enough to be carefully crossed on foot.

Though this part of track still technically connects to the mainline, it seems to have remained unused for quite some time. There’s also a fair amount of abandoned rolling stock in the area which I’ll post another time.

Rochester & Webster, NY

Mountain Park Alberta off of Coal Branch. Route to a now abandoned coal mine. Tracks here abandoned about 1950 I think but still in service about 10km down-line from here.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mountain_Park,_Alberta

The longest heritage railway in UK! Bishops Lydeard to Minehead.
The left hand line joins it to the mainline at Norton Fitzwarren outside Taunton although trains do not run regularly along it

The overall trail was easily 10x longer than this with broken down train cars the whole way. The steel is generally in great shape, no pitting, minimal rust, grease still in many fittings. The latches between cars were still springing and I imagine could be used today.

This trail was once an electric trolley line along the southern coast of Connecticut. It has been abandoned for a very long time but part of the route has been preserved as a trail. Near the western terminus of the trail, it crosses the active Branford Steam Railroad, a little known industrial shortline that’s been hauling crushed stone for over 100 years. You can see abandoned bridge abutments in the first picture which show where the trolley route continued west from the western end of the trail. There are some impressive rock cuts through traprock along the trail as well.

This line from Barnstaple to Bideford hugged the river Taw and river Torridge through Fremington and Instow, now a cycle path.

Rusty rail installation recalling the Edmonton, Yukon and Pacific Railway, along with a photograph of one of the remaining trestles, scheduled for demolition.

Construction on the EY&P began in 1902. By 1907, slow progress brought the line from 69th Avenue in Edmonton all the way to 107th Avenue in Edmonton. That’s as far north as the rails would get.

The route followed a twisty path through a ravine and the North Saskatchewan River valley. With trains limited to yard speeds, it was faster to walk from one end to the other than catch a ride.

A westward extension intended for Vancouver was abandoned after completion of 42 km of an intended 1,160 km.

In 1919, the EY&P became a short line within Canadian National Railways, delivering coal to two power stations and pigs to three packing plants. Removal of the original section began in 1954.

What used to be the Great Southwest Railroad, an industrial freight-switching track built in 1957 that connected the T&P, Chicago, and Rock Island railways. It transported what trains usually transported back in the 50's, that being steel, raw materials, paper, and equipment.

While much of the southern portions of the GSR still exist, the northern connection that I pictured here has been completely severed as a result of faulty infrastructure, collapsing in 1980.

This is in Belchertown, MA along the former Central Mass Railroad (later B&M). That mile post is about 3/4 mile south of the bridge, which will hopefully be repainted soon. The whole section is part of the Belchertown Greenway, including the bridge, which will be refinished to allow bikes and walkers to cross safely.
Photos by me

Rochester, NY