Abandoned Railroad Unloading Facility

A close-up view of the complex, weathered wooden framework of an abandoned railroad trestle bridge. The crisscrossing beams are over water, displaying the intricate engineering of past construction. The dramatic cloudy sky above sets a moody atmosphere, reflecting the history and decay of this once-functional structure.

Upon driving along the winding road heading to my designated parking address, this behemoth stands out like a fallen giant. A black rusting heap of metal. It just sticks out like a sore thumb. If you were an eagle you could spot this facility with ease. Once so full of energy and endearing to the men who once worked there. This railroad facility is no longer able to unload huge tons of black gold.

Vertical view of the abandoned railroad unloading trestle, its rusted steel frame rising above the tracks.

Getting onto the property was very easy. Getting there was the hardest part due to the long walk. After getting onsite, all my tired worries were washed away as I stood at the beginning of the tracks looking towards the belly of the beast. She was beautiful in every way. Sadly, history and time have not been kind to her.

Looking up the length of the abandoned trestle, weathered wooden beams and steel supports receding into the distance.

All the old mechanical parts were still there as it was on the last day. The wooden track beams were cracking, splitting, and weathered. The landing zone for the train cars was still there but the side rail shoot was no longer a part of it anymore. Nature had decimated a part of her a few years ago.

The rusted steel head house of the abandoned railroad unloading facility against an overcast sky.
Side elevation of the abandoned unloading structure, its machinery frame streaked with rust.

I wasn't able to climb the structure to access the control box due to nonexistent and cut-off stairs. A very predetermined move on either the present owner or the current owner. Looking for one day to return and try to access the control box when I am passing through this area. It is very sad to see this facility rust away but maybe its future will bring something new to its shores.

Track bed running toward the abandoned unloading facility, rails still set in cracked wooden ties.
Cracked and splitting wooden track beams on the abandoned trestle, weathered grey with age.
Steel framework of the abandoned railroad unloading facility seen from below, bolts and plating corroded.
The landing zone where train cars once stopped at the unloading facility, machinery still in place.
Rusting mechanical assembly left on the abandoned unloading structure, gears and housings intact.
Detail of corroded steel plate and rivets on the abandoned railroad unloading facility.
The abandoned unloading facility seen across the water, its black steel frame reflected below.
Cut-off stairs on the abandoned unloading structure, the route to the control box deliberately removed.
The control box perched high on the abandoned railroad unloading facility, out of reach.
📋 Reader Records
🚂 Did you work this unloading facility?

Did you or a family member work on this trestle, or on the crews that brought the coal cars in? Shift photographs, company names, the maker's plate on the machinery, and anything that dates the last load would all help. I would also like to know when the side rail chute came down, and who cut the stairs to the control box. Full credit given to all contributors.

⬇️ Keep Reading
🚂 More coal piers, trestles and waterfronts
Other places built to move cargo off a rail car and onto the water, and what became of them.
⚙️ The Decaying McMyler Coal Dumper at Port Reading Big Mac, built 1917, tipped 25 railcars an hour with 12 men. Three gravity piers and 175 men used to do that. › 🎨 Graffiti Pier Collapse: What’s Next for Philadelphia’s Iconic Spot? Another Reading Company coal pier. On July 31, 2024 a 20-foot section of it fell into the Delaware. › 🌾 Historic S.W. Bowne Grain Storehouse An 1886 Red Hook storehouse came down over a Labor Day weekend, with no permit and no demolition order. › 💀 Brooklyn Graffiti Skull Mural The last building of a Greenpoint jute works, famous only after someone painted a skull on the roof. › 📦 Williamsburg’s CitiStorage Warehouse Demolished A fire scattered 243,000 boxes of records along the waterfront. The city paid $160 million for the site. › 🚇 The Vewer Avenue Tunnel A $24 million rehab started in February 2017. The tunnel did not open until November 2023. ›
📍 A rail-to-water coal unloading facility, its timber trestle and steel head house still standing over the water. The side rail chute is gone and the stairs to the control box have been cut away.

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