moodna viaduct

The Moodna Viaduct is an iron railroad trestle that spans the Moodna Valley between Schunemunk Mountain and Woodcock Hill in Beaverdam Lake-Salisbury Mills, New York. The bridge was constructed between 1904 and 1908 by the Erie and Jersey Railroad Line and was opened for train passage in 1909. The trestle spans the valley for 3200 feet (975m) and is 193 feet (59m) tall at its highest point, making it the highest and longest railroad trestle east of the Mississippi River. The open design of the trestle was used reduce wind resistance and is a major reason why the trestle is still in service today. Currently, the viaduct services the Metro-North Commuter Railroad Company and Conrail freight. The trestle is important to the people of the Hudson Valley who commute to New York City on a daily basis. The commuter line runs 95 miles from Port Jervis, New York to Hoboken, New Jersey. The trestle is also a tourist attraction for the small town of Salisbury Mills. The viaduct creates a spectacular landscape when viewed from the corner of Orrs Mills Road and Jackson Avenue. Amateur and professional photographers stop regularly to photograph the scene. The best viewing occurs in the Fall, when the leaves of the trees have changed colors, but is spectacular in any season. The Fall season is often accompanied by excursion steam trains that send magnificent plumes of smoke into the air while crossing the trestle. Among the sites of the Hudson Valley, the Moodna Viaduct is a beautiful example of how the natural and the manmade can merge to form a site that will leave viewers in awe.

External links

http://www.mta.nyc.ny.us/mnr/ Metro-North Railway web site http://users.bestweb.net/~hchong/Random/Selected_Images7.htm Views of The Viaduct web site http://www.hudsonvalley.org/ Hudson Valley web site

Moodna Viaduct

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See also