Banging My Head On A Headwall

[+Harry Dolphin]

Ah, I was young and naive then. Okay, I was naive...

The nearest benchmark to my home is this one: KV1228

Back then, I thought that coordinates would lead me to the benchmark. (I said I was naive!)

"DESCRIBED BY COAST AND GEODETIC SURVEY 1935 3.1 MI E FROM CHESTER. 3.1 MILES EAST ALONG THE DELAWARE, LACKAWANNA AND WESTERN RAILROAD FROM THE CROSSING OF THE CENTRAL RAILROAD CO. OF NEW JERSEY TRACK AT CHESTER, MORRIS COUNTY, AND ON THE CENTER OF THE TOP OF THE CONCRETE HEADWALL OF A BRIDGE. A CHISELED SQUARE. NOTE-- THE DELAWARE, LACKAWANNA AND WESTERN RAILROAD IS NOW THE ERIE LACKAWANNA RAILROAD. THE ERIE RAILROAD IS NOW THE ERIE LACKAWANNA RAILROAD."

There are some obvious descriptive problems. The coordinates lead to a stone wall at the Dover train station. The wall appears to be of the 1930's variety, but there was never a bridge here! There are 1930's era bridges a half mile or so east and west. Whoever monumented the local stations in the 1930's had a bizarre and mistaken fascination with Chester. Chester is about 9 miles SW of Dover. The DL&W never went to Chester. I haven't figured out where they thought Chester was.

So, anyway, I'm looking for a chiseled square on the headwall of a bridge. What is the definition of 'headwall'?

Any help would be appreciated. (With my luck, it's under the new protective covers they installed when they re-electrified the NJ Transit (formerly DL&W.)

[+PFF]

Judging from your 2004 photo, I'd say there's a good chance you found it. That area has been heavily worked--but what about SNAKE and MIT?

 

We had a poster who gave us definitions for bridge components, some months ago. Hopefully someone will repeat it. I could use it, also.

 

-Paul-

 

HEADWALL (noun)--The vertical surface surrounding (and providing privacy for) the bathroom on a military ship.

[+Black Dog Trackers]

         |                  _
  \             /            \
   \     |     /Wingwall      |Abutment
    \         /               |
     \___|___/              _/
 ~   |       | ~
~~~  |   |   | ~~~
~~~~ |       | ~~~~
~~~~ |   |   | ~~~~
~~~~ |       | ~~~~
 ~   |___|___|  ~~~
     /     ^  \
    /    | |   \
   /       |    \
  /      | |     \
           |
           ^
           Headwall

[+Black Dog Trackers]

it posted twice

Edited November 3, 2005 by Black Dog Trackers

[+Harry Dolphin]

Thanks, BDT.

Paul, MIT is definitely on private property. I will check out the area sometime, and see what the area looks like.

[holograph]

Harry, it probably doesn't help you find the benchmark, but it does help explain all the references to Chester. Here's a section of an 1895 map of NJ railroads. There was a branch of the DL&W that went to Chester, and it joined a branch of the Central RR where I've indicated with the circle.

 

By 1941, a map of the Central RR still showed the Central branch to Chester, but it looks like the D.L. & W. branch down from Dover had been abandoned.

 

 

Edit: I'll change my mind about where the crossing was that is mentioned. The Central and D.L & W crossed a couple of places.

 

If you look at the description of KV1225, it is "at the crossing", KV1226 is 1.8 miles east of "the crossing", KV1227 is 2.7 miles east of "the crossing", and KV1228 is 3.1 miles east of "the crossing."

 

You already found KV1227, so KV1228 is supposed to be about 0.4 miles east of it along the same tracks, in approximate agreement with its scaled coordinates.

Edited November 3, 2005 by holograph