I never knew that, thanks. For some reason I thought it was as it's spelled, Ash-Ta-Beu-La, dunno why, never been there either.
Off topic, but I have a book I received fifty years ago titled Train Wreck!, by Wesley Griswold (c. 1969). Chapter 7 is titled On The Wildest Night of Winter and it details the "Ashtabula Horror" of 1876 when an iron LS&MS bridge collapsed under the road's Pacific Express with great loss of life. It's the first thing that I think of when I think of Ashtabula. Do you know if a railroad still crosses there at Ashtabula Creek? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ashtabula_River_railroad_disaster
Thanks Point -- interesting stuff there. I find that the location is E/NE of Ashtabula's center and it appears to still host a double track mainline. It's about 700 FT from the nearest road with no easy access.
If you look at the satellite view on Google maps, it appears that there are four tracks on the bridge. Unless you can reach the riverbank through the woods from someplace along Lake Ave., I'd guess the best way to access the bridge might be by kayak launched from the marina just downriver.
I guessed two of the four tracks were yard tracks, there to support operations at the yard to the southwest, but you're right - the four tracks seem to go on and on for many miles. I'm think that this is CSX today. Neat shot of the main here, including a vintage NYC signal bridge and signals. https://www.railpictures.net/photo/613949/
Iris still in use, and it is still 4 track, though one of the tracks is simply used as the lead for switching the industrial area east of town. The original wooden pilings of the old bridge are still in place in the riverbed, with the much heavier stone bridge built stop them. I used to fish for steelhead in that stretch of the Ashtabula river!
