4th. C&O Canal Crossing/B141.5

4th C&O Canal Crossing/B141.5




The WM crossed the C&o for the 4th time here on a thru-truss bridge. This bridge is just west of the 6th Potomac River Crossing and can be seen from Md Rt. 51 in the winter.



On October 2001, I rode my bike west from the bridge here to Fairplay. The right-of-way has really changed when I previously photographed it on 4/12/92. The trees were so small, you could even see the river crossing in the distance. Notice the size off the trees in the first photograph and then compare then to the photo previously taken.

Here is the western side of the WM's bridge that crossed the C&O Canal. This photo was taken in 2003 before the trees grew leaves and hid the bridge from view. (2003)

Down on the canal's towpath looking at the bridge that crossed the canal. If the WM was converted into a railtrail, this would be one of the spots where a loop trail could occur. (2003)

A photo taken in 1905 or 1906 at the WM bridge over the C&O Canal. This is the 4th out of 7 crossings that the WM makes over the C&O Canal on its way to Cumberland. I went up to the bridge in early 2003 in hopes of taking a similar photo. This is what turned out, not as bad as I'd thought it'd be.

Click here for a photo of the WM trestle over the C&O Canal on Rick Mc Mullians C&O Canal site.

The WM right-of-way at the east side of the bridge over the C&O Canal to the west end of the bridge over the Potomac River is now part of a cow field. The only plus of this is that the cows have keep the weeds and trees from taking over, but in turn the cows have trampled paths all over the right-of-way. Another downside is that the right-of-way is fenced off. It however is owned by the C&O Canal and should not be used as it is by the local farmer. If a trail was built a cow crossing would need be be aranged with the land owner. This location was once the site of WM's second hotbox detector, along with automatic block signals 141.1 and 141.5.

This crosstie with the rubber hoses attached was once part of the WM dragging equipment detector here near Paw Paw. The hoses contained sensors that could detect dragging equipment. This is also the location of WM signals 141.4 and 141.5. (April 2003)

This was the base for signal 141.5. (April 2003)

Here is the remains of the WM signals 141.4 and 141.5. (April 2003)

The hotbox detector today is in the middle of a cow field. In the forground you can spot the legs that once held the hotbox and dragging equipment.

This is the eastern most crosstie that held the sensors for the dragging equipment detection system. I am still looking for a old photo of the hot box and dragging equipment detectors installed and working. (April 2003)


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