Heading southwest
again, the right-of-way becomes extremely narrow.
Old electrical
switch boxes are found along the right-of-way in this area. There
are no signs that this line was electrified, so I wonder what these boxes
used to control?
Possibly an
old cement support for a crossing gate?
The industry
surrounding this area of the Bushwick branch is typically waste management
businesses. Some companies lease the NYA right-of-way for garbage
transfer operations.
We come across
the bridge over English Kills. If the branch was ever to be upgraded
for increased rail freight activity, this bridge would have to be replaced
or strengthened for heavier train loads.
Walking across
this bridge is not for the faint of heart, and I don't recommend it to
anyone. The railroad ties are spaced far enough apart so that you
can see the water in between the ties. If one ever fell in to this
water, you would have to be hosed down and taken to the hospital for analysis,
since the water is highly polluted. The color of the water is a greenish-white,
polluted from years of industry that lines the water's banks. Surprisingly
enough, the water doesn't smell bad, but then again... who could really
tell since we are next to all of the garbage transfer stations. This,
to me, was the scariest part of the trip!
-->> Click Here to Continue to Explore the Bushwick Branch!