Retracing the Hudson Valley RailwayPlease use your device in landscape view.
Willow Glen Trolley Bridge Ruins
Retracing the Hudson Valley Railway - Section 3
April 5th, 2012 - Undoubtedly the grand finale to our efforts was seeing the bridge at Willow Glen. It was truly spectacular and an impressive reminder of the scale and legacy of the trolley era. What’s even more amazing is how few people even know that this exists!
Although it was cloudy and gray all day, after examining the structure and snapping photos, the sun came out! We were blessed!!
Historical Photos
Built in 1902, this took a lot of manpower. The top photo shows the construction crew on a similar HVRR trolley bridge over Moses Kill. (Bing Aerial View >). The lower photo is an historical photo of the Willow Glen Bridge.
Current Photos
View a short user-driven slide show of the bridge ruins...
Bird's Eye View
Using Google Aerial View, you can get a nice view of the bridge in the midst of its surroundings.
Future Development in the Area
Massive redevelopment for the railroad yard nearby is "in the works" and/or planned for the near future:
Article Dated Mar 24, 2012 - Expanding the Mechanical Railroad Yard >
Sadly (do I sound like a broken record?) this seems to be another forgotten discard “unworthy of mention” as a landmark of any importance to local historians and preservationists. One wonders…will this bridge — a wonderful relic from yesteryear — be destroyed in the expected redevelopment in this area and simply "tossed in the dust heaps of history forgotten"?
Let's hope not...
Rich Coffey - April 8th, 2014
