MILEPOST
= EP 40.0
ACCESSIBILITY = SOMEWHAT EASY (REQUIRES SHORT WALK)
AMENITIES = LODGING, FOOD, GAS (IN COLUMBIA OR MARIETTA)
PHOTO ANGLES = VARIED
H18 crosses Chickies Creek with an oddity; a high-nose SD40-2. NS owns quite a few high-nose units, but they are hardly ever seen on the Port Road.
H18 CROSSES OVER
CHICKIES CREEK
(SIMILAR VIEW TO pHOTO ABOVE) 1:23 - 5.0MB
Chickies Rock is a very scenic location between Marietta and Columbia. Here, the Susquehanna River makes a sharp 90 degree turn to the west. This is also where Chickies Creek flows into the Susquehanna. As the railroad is concerned, this is the location of LAKE, which is the start of Lake Siding. Unlike many sidings, this one is located between the two main tracks. It is only accessible via track two at LAKE. Lake Siding is sometimes used to store westbound trains whose crews have "outlawed" (worked the maximum 12 hours). The siding ends at COLA, 1.6 miles east. For the Pennsy fans out there, the LAKE signals are position-light style, mounted on the catenary supports over the tracks.
There are quite a few choices when it comes to taking photographs here. as a side note, all of the locations here are within Chickies Rock Park. There are trails, overlooks, picnic areas, and restrooms within the park. If you like to hike or just enjoy nature, this is a great place to spend a few hours. We will start at the north end of the park, near Chickies Creek. Parking is located at the bottom of the hill along the southbound lane of 441. A short walk brings you to a series of trails. If you continue straight towards the tracks you will end up just north of LAKE, at the start of a long curve. A short walk west brings you to the stone arch bridge over Chickies Creek. You can walk down along the banks of the river and get a good shot of the bridge (lighting will be a bit tricky when a train shows up, though).
These two views show an eastbound 054 welded rail train
passing
by the Chickies Rock Overlook. The lead engine in the first
photo is roughly in the same spot as the photo of H18 above.
That's my scanner antenna sticking out in the second
photo...oops!
About 3/4of the way up the hill on 441
brings
you to the next location. Park in the gravel lot against the trees.
Following this trail 1/2 a mile brings you to Chickies Rock
Overlook, which is about 200 ft above the river. To get shots of
Port Road, you have to walk around the fences (do this at your own
risk!!!). The fences are posted "no trespassing" because too
many people have fallen off of here. Anyways, if you walk out
all the way out, you can look straight down, 200ft to the tracks
(not for the faint-hearted!). This is a great vantage point for
eastbounds crossing over Chickies Creek. The westbound view
is pretty good too.There is another overlook, called Breezy View, another 1/2 mile south on 441.This one has a good view of the river, but trains are obstructed by the trees. There is a trail that starts here and heads down to river level. This trail follows the old Columbia Branch right-of-way, which was replaced by the current line in the early 1900s.
