Wednesday, May 25, 2022

Albany-Hudson Electric Trail - Valatie Southward...

On Wednesday, I rode a section of the Albany-Hudson Electric Trail.  A former trolley line that ran all the way from Albany down to Hudson, it often paralleled the scenic Kinderhook Creek. Its fairly flat and an easy ride. I parked on Main Street right in downtown Valatie and rode the trail down to the Rossman Falls vicinity before heading back.

Basically "where I rode"
Downtown Valatie 
(Google Street View)

Valatie Depot

Mills Park Depot
Wildlife :-)
Scenic!
Chittendens Falls
(Now known as Rossman Falls)


Further Info

The Albany-Hudson Electric Trolley corridor runs from Hudson to Rensselaer in New York State. An electric trolley ran on the corridor for 30 years before closing in 1929. 

Lots of good history info here:
Trolley Rail Line History, Electric Trolley Depots, Mohican Homelands, etc.

Great History Stuff Here

Sunday, May 1, 2022

Portland - Abandoned Airline RR

Today I decided to hike the abandoned railroad bed in Portland, CT. This stretch was part of the Air Line built way back in 1873 as a more direct route between New York City and Boston.

I parked at the Golf Shop on Rt 66 and hiked up the short hill to get to the flat raised embankment.

Surprisingly, it was well used - probably a favorite of local ATVers.
There were still plenty of railroad ties in the ground!
I even spotted a couple of dinosaurs! <wink>

railroad ties
Ah - a rock cut!
Overgrown for sure but still cool...

There were numerous off shoots of ATV trails. Some of them were apparently old farm or logging roads.
(The trail/rr went straight)
Looking uphill (to the right)
Side  trail offshoot...
Another overgrown rock cut

End of the line

On the way back...

railroad tie
on the side... ?
"snake" vine
I believe--from the amount of chiseled  brownstone boulders strewn along the short climb up from the road--the incline here was much less and tapered possibly with a bridge as well...