Hammond Belt Railroad FOUND!!! - Trains Magazine

Carl and Tony -

Yes, I fully understand how challenging it can be to find info on something that disappeared that far back, long before copiers and cameras were common.  Once or twice a year I get professionally involved with researching as far back as the 1850's to 1870's for the origin and/ or disposition of something - usually a township road, a trolley line, or occasionally a long-abandoned branch on a Class I, etc. - it's always a challenge.  Sometimes I have to wonder if it ever really existed, or if it's just a figment of someone's imagination.

I've been pleasantly surprised at what exists at the historical societies/ commissions.  In this area, a series of atlases that were compiled and published at the time of the nation's Centennial in 1876, and later histories at the time of the Sesquicentennial in 1926 and Bicentennial in 1976 have been very helpful - at least with maps, and often with photographs.  But it seems you've already tapped those resources.

When was the line built ?

- Paul North.

EDIT: P.S. - Tony, above you said perhaps yo'd go to D.C. to find photos of the line.  Presumably you meant the National Archives in College Park [?], which should have the ICC valuation studies and reports that were prepared in the 19-teens ?  I've recently seen some samples of those for the PRR in the Altoona-Pittsburgh area.  It seems that it was the practice or standard as part of those reports to photograph all railroad structures along the line - although as that author said, none of the valuation photographer's was ever nominated for a Pulitzer Prize for the qualIty of those images . . .   - PDN. 

"This Fascinating Railroad Business" (title of 1943 book by Robert Selph Henry of the AAR)