Re: "Gravity Hill" / "State Line Hill"

Russo Loco Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Steve Forney Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I asked John Bush about the name "Gravity
> > Hill."  He told me he had heard it called
> "State
> > Line Hill," and "Gravity Hill" was new to him.
>
> Sorta like "Tanglefoot Curve", which IIRC was
> known by the D&RG(W) as "Cumbres Loop".
>
> Earl Wrote {approximately}:
> --------------------------------------------------


> -----
> > "Gravity Hill" is something the Antonito Boys
> > came up with in the last few years.  I
> never
> > heard the term until I left the C&TS.
> ...  The
> > funny thing is the grade there is considerably
> > less than other spots between Antonito & Lava.
> > It is a serious optical illusion.  The
> entire topo-
> > graphy is sloped close to a 1.5% grade, down-
> > ward toward Mt. Blanca & the valley.  The
> top
> > of the mesa slopes down, the track is climb-
> > ing up on something around 1%.  Once you
> > get around the curve at the top, you have to
> > pull harder on {up to} Lava.
>
>
> I vaguely remember the same thing, Steve -
>
> But maybe 'cause I read it on one of John's or
> Earl's previous posts.  Most of the run-bys
> there take place just uphill (northeast) of m.p.
> 289, and the trains seldom back down far enough to
> make the grade (or lack thereof) apparent. 
> But on September 13, 2009, there was a "chase"
> train being chased by #315, and the freight was
> held back at least a mile while we
> Phraud-O-Graphers™ set up.  In the
> following series of pics, it's pretty clear that
> as the train crosses the state line (#4 in this
> first series) it's more across from us than
> below:
> [attachment 33550 090913-174-177.jpg]
>
> The difference in elevation that shows in most
> posted photos at that location is mostly due to
> the majority of us climbing up the hillside above
> the track.  (Some o' them young
> Whipper-Snappers, like Kevin, are able to get a
> lot higher than us old Curmudgeons):
> [attachment 33551 090913-178-181.jpg]
>
> Here's a shot of the little trestle at m.p.
> 286.72* - about 2½ miles away as the
> crow flies - which shows #315 descending the hill
> way in the background (arrow).  It's
> clear that - like Earl sez - the grade ain't
> really all that steep:
> [attachment 33554 080616-214.jpg]
>
> - Roosso
>
> * The trestle shown above was culvertised in 2009.
>  

At the risk of hijacking this thread, you can see the fatal flaw in the trestle. You can see the stringer is rotting where it is resting on the cap. there has been an attempt to shim the location, the shim is working out and is laying on the cap. As a complete aside and hijack, In the mid-80's I was firing 487 westbound across this little trestle when it broke the right rear side rod segment.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/01/2015 08:57AM by Earl.