For a transportation system that could only operate over rails, railroads were incredibly dynamic. In the case of C&H, the miles of tracks on which its train ran were constantly rearranged and rerouted in response to the companies ever changing needs. As new shafts opened, new spur lines were quickly laid to meet them while older lines to closed shafts were torn up and removed. This dynamic is quite evident along the remaining sections of rails still standing along the old C&H corridor – a corridor we continue to explore today.

Starting off where we left off last week (point “C”) we move on to the next point on this map. After the bridge we make our way to another switch, this one at “D”. This one, however, was not in quite the same shape as the one we had found earlier.

Here’s where the new branch line splits off of the main – covered now by brush. This switch directed trains to either the C&H’s corridor’s “high road” which ran to the west of the shafts, or to the “low road” which ran down and past the rock-houses themselves.

This branch line is long gone however, leaving only these series of ties in the dirt.

Unlike the previous switch mechanism – which was still standing – this one has been knocked over at some point and now lays on the ground.

Moving on from point “D” we hit another stretch of rail that still remains intact. Interestingly the rails appear warped up the line and probably wouldn’t be able to handle any trains today.

Passing through the foliage covering the line at the end of the previous photo, we come out to find yet another branch line moving off to the left. Sitting atop of it is a small wood rail cart, which I have been told was used to carry rails as they were torn up during the dismantling of the line. For some reason the work was never finished here, and the rails we have been traversing were allowed to remain.

A closer look at the rail cart. Its been chained down to the rail, probably to keep it from being hauled off by a scrupulous scrapper (or railroad collector I suppose). This is point “F” on the map.

Just past the rail cart the branch line ends in this clump of trees. This branch line was a more recent addition to the corridor, put in place to serve the nearby roundhouse after the turntable was retired. Previously the roundhouse was served by a branch coming from the north past the warehouse.

Here’s a look at the old right-of-way for this branch line. The line would turn to the right just a short distance from here, with another line splitting off to the north towards the warehouse.

And here’s point “E”, the where the two lines meet at yet another switch.

This switch mechanism is in even worse shape then the previous two. Here only this connecting road remains. Everything else is gone.

Shortly after the last switch, the line makes a gentle curve to the west before ending here. From here the line would have went off to meet up with the C&H trestle northwest of here. Today, unfortunately, this is the end of the line for the C&H railroad.