Historic places are often pulverized with the wrecking ball to make way for modern redevelopment. Not so with New York City’s historic High Line railroad, which runs for 1.5 miles through Manhattan’s West Side. Thanks to a small group of people with a grand vision and some imagination, the railroad that once ferried freight around local businesses now transports visitors on a winding tour through Chelsea’s historic industrial district.

The High Line was built in 1933 by the New York Central Railroad in partnership with the City of New York.  Part of the West Side Improvement, the High Line lifted dangerous trains 30 feet above the streets of Manhattan’s largest industrial area.

Images by Jim Henderson (top) and Google Earth

When first completed, the High Line ran from Penn Yards at 30th Street (above, top) to the massive St. John’s Terminal between Clarkson and Spring Streets.  Activity declined over the next four decades until the last train rumbled along the steel viaduct in 1980, pulling three carloads of frozen turkeys.  The image above shows an abandoned stretch of the High Line near Penn Yards, soon to be added to the park.

The High Line connected directly to factories and warehouses, allowing trains to roll right inside buildings. All manner of produce and manufactured goods could be moved around with zero disturbance to street-level traffic.

Even 30 feet above ground level, the views from the High Line Park are impressive.  While Moran’s Irish Pub beckons from the east side of the viaduct, a glance to the west reveals a number of historic industrial views, including Pier 54.  The eyecatching arch is all that remains of the once grand Cunard Line building.  It was here that the RMS Carpathia docked in 1912 with the survivors of the Titanic disaster.

The High Line was an innovative concept at the time, eliminating 105 street-level road crossings.  Originally 13 miles long, it cost a staggering $150 million in 1930 – more than $2 billion today.  It was designed to cut through the centre of Manhattan’s blocks, rather than over the avenue, to avoid the negative impact of elevated subways.  (The pictures above show restoration work being done on phase two of the redevelopment project.)

The southern section of the High Line was demolished in the 1960s, while property owners lobbied in the 1980s for the remainder of the then abandoned railroad to be torn down.  Plans were thwarted by a local railroad enthusiast and in 1999, Friends of the High Line was founded to advocate the railroad’s preservation and reuse as a public park.  A decade on, their conservation efforts have had a dramatic impact on the local environment.  The High Line Park officially opened in June 2009 and celebrated its two millionth visitor – a schoolboy from North Carolina – earlier this month!  Find out more about the High Line here.

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