I'm working on an N-Trak module. It's gonna have a Canal through it. A mall shopping area on one side, and just a cement wall the other. This will be below track. So, the question is... How far below street level is the Riverwalk places in San Antonio? How deep is the river? Do you have pics that I could use to get a reference point? Is there a place where rail goes over the river, with the walkway under that?
Hi there! The Riverwalk in San Antonio is probably no more than 25 feet below street level and there are no rail crossings of the Riverwalk itself. The Texas Transportation Company (the electrified Pearl Brewery operation) crossed the San Antonio River just north of downtown but the trestle has recently been removed and the operation has shutdown. I haven't been to San Antonio since June, but did get get some nice shots of the TTC operation on Jones St. by the San Antonio Art Museum. Hope this helps!
The Riverwalk is the area where all the shops and tourists are located. It is a part of the San Antonio River that was created for commercial reasons by by diverting the real San Antonio River. It is only about 3-4 feet deep and is controlled by locks (gates) at each end. It is drained annually for cleaning to remove beer bottles, styrofoam, waste, and, as far as I know, no tourists...yet. But it is a senic area and a good time. (Marguaritas are on tap, not mixed.) I agree with the 25 feet below street level. Also, I would add, the Espee used to switch the Lone Star Brewry near by. I am pretty sure that the Espee did not cross the river and that Lone Star had their own switcher; Espee just picked up and dropped the cars. This was many years ago, maybe in the wooden ice reefer days. The San Antonio River is a Texas river, and as such, is only a trickle during much of the year. It is certainly not considered navigable. Hope this helps.
Thanks for the input Turtle & Sapa. I finally found a site that takes a virtual tour of the walk. Got shots of it empty out too. Looks to be maybe 5 1/2 Ft. at the deepest spot. Perhaps I should check... I think... Chicago. I believe they've got some navigable waterways that got high canal walls. Thanks for ya'lls help though. It does look like a fun and relaxing place.
Ken: The Chicago River may be the place. Those walls are about 40-50 feet high. Several bridges (lift or open span types) cross the waterway at each street intersection. I know that pleasure craft go along there all the time now. If industrial types do not go by there now, I am sure they used to. The river connects the Great lakes to the inner industrial part of central Chicago. There was a lot of dredging there during the industrial revolution (1875-1890 or so) and the waterway became very polluted. In fact, they connected it to the Mississippi River and had all sorts of problems with tides as the river attempted to flow backwards and (theoretically) empty the Great Lakes down the Mississippi. Or course they reversed the process quickly, and Chicago is, today, not like Denver! But, the Chicago River offers endless possibilities of industrial activity even though the approved Chamber of Commerce view of the River today is not very industrial. Flash Blackman (I decided to start signing my name since I see that sapacif is the only name appearing on my posts.)
The San Antonio River, as the replies suggest, is more of a drainage system than a river such as the Ohio or Mississippi. It is maybe 20 yards wide through the River Walk area and a few feet deep, with side walks, shops, and restaurants on both sides. There are flat bottomed river boats which operate for tourists, which might be fun to model. I don't recall from my last visit in July seeing any train crossings. It seems to be about 20 feet below the main street level (maybe 2 stories). Having said this, I do think your idea is interesting for a module. Why not take some modelers' license and just go for it...pretend a double or triple track main line does go through San Antonio. If you want some heavy rail action which does cross water in a Texas urban environment, consider some of the bayous and rivers around Houston. There are a lot of heavily used water crossings along say the Hardee Toll road/UP (old MoPac) corridor past Greens Point Mall towards the Woodlands.
