American Civil War Game Club (ACWGC)

I know this is aposting from a while back but thought I would chime in since I was at Gettysburg jogging yesturday. It was a beautiful morning so I grabbed my camera and decided to grab some pics of the RR Cut in question.

Looking Northwest from the spot where the Confederates were trapped


Looking Southeast towards Gettysburg


Perspective shot. At the deepest part of the Cut I took this picture and stood up on the side of it to give you an idea of its depth. Now I am not the tallest guy in the world but the cut is very deep here.


Lastly, another shot (much like Kennon's earlier), that shows the RR cut from the perspective of the Yankee soldiers above it.


Hope this gives yall a better idea of how the Cut looks and is situated. Along most of its route the sides seem to be fairly short. Though where it "cuts" through hills and ridges it obviously gets deeper. I am not sure how much the original RR cut has changed in appearance since the battle though.

Excellent perspective.

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General Ernie Sands
President ACWGC -Sept 2015- Dec 2020
7th Brigade, 1st Division, XVI Corps, AoT
ACWGC Records Site Admin

"If you do not know where you are going, any road will take you there."

Love the photos, Blake ... although I do have to say that the 2nd to last one does sort of make you look about a foot and a half tall . . . (speaking of perspective) ...

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~Retired~

Thanks guys. Yes, I admit I even had to jump up on the side of the embankment just to get out of the ditch and be seen. I am not sure if the cut is naturally so deep here or if the sides were built up some for the overpass of the tour route road currently there. I think it is a naturally deep part of the cut that has been built up a little more to accomodate the road. Do they still use this rail line? I cant imagine that they do but the tracks were in good shape and looked like they were being used.

Gents . . .

I'm not very familiar with the HPS Gettysburg Map - nor obviously, am I familiar with the modern Townships in the area. However, I found this info below, which may be about the line thru' the Cut in question. If this info is actually about the line that Blake pictured, then the line is still in use today.

"Gettysburg Passenger Services is an outgrowth of the steam-powered excursion services begun on the Gettysburg Railroad in June 1978.

The Gettysburg Railroad is a shortline freight railroad that connects CSX at Gettysburg with Conrail at Carlisle Junction, a distance of 23.7 statute miles."

(Emphasis are mine.)

Again it would appear that when the line is not in use as a Freight Link . . . it's used for Steam Excursions.

Also I found this Report regarding an accident on this line in 1996, which if You bear with it's repetitive nature in the first few pages, is quite instructional on the mechanics of Steam Locomotion and explained to Me some of the Railroad Snippets or Phrases, I have heard in various Westerns over the years.

Some of Ye might find it interesting - while more of Ye will just think Me a Geek!

http://www.ntsb.gov/publictn/1996/sir9605.pdf

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Railroad tracks will rust if not in use. In the pictures the rails are shiny so they are being used as Eireb says.

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Gen. Drex Ringbloom,
AotS ,Commanding

Gents,
yeah those tracks are used, both by CSX and by the Gettysburg Railroad Sightseeing Company (located on Washington St, right by the college (I used to live across the parking lot from it).

the cut where Blake took those shots is the more imposing section of the line, further west, where I think the original picture posted, the cut is shallower and more overgrown with vegetation (as you can see in the photo), but right where the Wadsworth Ave bridge crosses the cut, it is deep and has very steep and tricky to climb sides (I did it when I was out there at school a number of times, but I can't imagine doing it under fire (in fact, those Rebs from Davis' Bde who surrendered were the smartest). Blake, just opposite the bridge (in your photo looking NW) and up atop the cut, is the 14th NYSM statue (one of 3 they have on the field; more than any other unit at Gettysburg) and according to the flank markers near the bridge, it is actually the exact location of the charge conducted by the 2nd Wisconsin, 14th Brooklyn and 95th New York that rounded up a good portion of Davis' Bde.

Ok, to get back on topic, only in some area's should the cut be impassable as a hex-side...like by MacPherson's Ridge...further west...not so much..maybe have a stone-wall to visually represent the cut, but that way it doesn't impede movement AS MUCH.

I've walked those tracks a good many times Blake, seeing those pictures you took was like having flashbacks!

<salute>

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Brig. Gen. Nick DeStefano
5th Artillery Battalion, 2nd Division, II "Wolf-Pack" Corps, AotM
[img]http://www.acwgc.org/IVCorps/Image/IVCorps250.png[/img]

Ironically, Nick, I have the very photo you were talking about. From this pic you can see the top of the 14th NYSM monument peering down into the Cut. Its not a beautiful picture but it does show the height of the cut in relation to the viewpoint of the Rebs inside of it. Keep in mind the Yankee monument is probably 15 feet tall and all you can see from where I took the photo is his upper torso.



I am heading out to Gettybsurg Monday and/or Tuesday so if anyone has any other questions that a pic might clear up let me know.

Blake,
Great shot, definitely shows the imposing height of the cut in that area. Closer to town, in that 2nd shot you shared, there are some sections comparable to the one by Wadsworth Ave, but that area is the most extensive I believe. Oak Ridge is fairly high ground when compared to that in front of and behind MacPhersons's Ridge (the eastern edge of the ridge dominates the campus and you can see RR sidings where they sometimes store freight and tanker cars from the patio area of the College Union building), so you can imagine the effort that went into making that cut.
Good old 14th Brooklyn. I used to do Civil War reenacting in HS and college, and was a member of Company "C", 14th NYSM. Best. Regiment. Ever. (Yes, I'm very biased.) The Red-Legged Devils were no joke at all, even Stonewall respected them (and that's saying something, Old Blue Light didn't have a lot of respect for the other team most times).
<salute>

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Brig. Gen. Nick DeStefano
5th Artillery Battalion, 2nd Division, II "Wolf-Pack" Corps, AotM
[img]http://www.acwgc.org/IVCorps/Image/IVCorps250.png[/img]