Crisp autumn adventure

A crisp morning adventure on a small stretch of rarely used Short Line. This Indiana Eastern Railroad (IERR) is a short-line railroad that operates a former Chesapeake & Ohio Railway line running north through Boston, Indiana and into southern Richmon. There it breaks connection and begins a new bikeing trail through the "Depot District of Richmond. Route: Runs approximately 40 miles between Richmond, Indiana, and Fernald, Ohio, passing through Boston, Indiana (milepost CI 54.9) and interchanging with CSX at Cottage Grove. One of the interesting finds was a Rail Lubricator Mat A greasy mat or plate sitting right next to the inside of the railhead, it is part of a wheel flange lubricator. When train wheels pass over it, they trigger a pump that squirts grease onto the rail. The mat helps catch excess grease and spreads it onto the passing wheel flanges to reduce friction, preventing wear and squealing on sharp curves. I really enjoyed this scenic walk as the Rails twisted through beautiful country. There was no acces to these two tressles but a cross road. Finding the existing conmunication lines mostly intact with glass insulators brought a grin to me. The wood sleepers were definatly in bad shape as I traversed but wierd as it was one I continued to fine ine in such a state of rot and right next one almost perfect. The first Tressle wich was in great condition. Built by Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company (WB&I) was a prominent American structural steel fabricator and bridge builder founded in the late 19th century. Founding: Originally started around 1870 in Wauwatosa, Wisconsin, as Weinhagen Brothers, Engineers by George, Friedrich, and Reinhold Weinhagen. Incorporation: Formally adopted the name Wisconsin Bridge and Iron Company in 1880 and incorporated under that name in 1891. Decline & Closure: Sold to Burning Hills Steel Co. of Tulsa, Oklahoma, in 1980. The company filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1982, closed its North Milwaukee facility, and was involuntarily dissolved in 1990. Notable Projects, Turtleville Iron Bridge / Lathers Road Bridge (Beloit, WI, 1887) — A pin-connected Pratt through-truss listed on the National Register of Historic Places (NRHP). Ashfork-Bainbridge Steel Dam (Arizona, 1898) Redridge Steel Dam (Michigan, 1901) Hauser Dam (Montana, 1907) MacArthur Bridge (1917) Jefferson Street Viaduct (1936) Bridge Street Bridge (Grafton, WI, 1888) — Relocated to Limekiln Park in 1996. The Second Tressle was 80% wooden structure. A very nice find. Could not find a builder plate though. Notice the local environment has created a damn of debris. Probably not good for longevity.