Wow.

Ticket to ride train to view scary-looking bridge: $11.50

Watching somebody jump off same bridge on a bungee: Priceless!

Well, I'm assuming that if it's good enough to walk out on for bungee jumpers they should be able to sell 'tickets' just to walk out on it, or maybe crawl... clutching something.

Looking at the uproar they get over the New River Bridge in WV, they may be on to something. For BGRM, I hope so.

Sure enough, here you go: http://www.vertigobungee.net/

[quote="jhamilton"]BGRM did not turn done the C&O line. They had financing lined up to purchase the line,
a very nice site plan with blueprints for a museum drawn up, and where even trying to get an N&W A to run on the line when the financing was withdrawn due to pressure from outside influences that did not want the rail line to remain.

The middle section of the LL then became available and that is where the museum ended up.


James Hamilton[/quote]

In 1984 after the failed effort to purchase the C&O line, BGRM found itself in debt with the Bluegrass Army Depot pressuring the organization to move the equipment off of the base with no place to relocate. We put together a management team and actually approached NS about purchasing the 5.5 miles in Woodford County and essentially talked them out of that section of line even though it wasn't on their abandonment list.

I'll also note that the management team at the time purchased and relocated 3 - 85 passenger cars, purchased the railroad line, made mechanical repairs to all of the museum's equipment to allow it to be moved, repaired the organization's ALCo MRS1 which was used for motive power for most of the move, relocated the museum and retired all debt by the end of the 1988 operating season. This was accomplished without any grants or subsidies and the largest single cash donation to the effort was $500. Revenues were raised by computerizing the organization's mainline NS Steam Excursions (the first organization in the country to do so) which allowed tight control of costs. The organization was blessed by the efforts of a wonderful team of dedicated volunteers that made it all happen. Woodford County did donate 10 acres to BGRM for the actual museum site.

Bill Johnson, Lexington, KY

Randy, currently the bridge deck is not in good enough shape for "public" excursions walking over the bridge. The groups hopes to put together some jumps in early April from the bridge, but this will be with the owners only. These will be jumps to draw attention to the venue, obtain video for promotion, advertising, and a proposed reality show on the bridge. Of course if you just bought this new "toy" you'd want to jump ASAP for fun as well! There are plans for public access across the bridge, but it will require lots of work in several areas from the group from inspections, permits, and physical repairs before that can happen. The above reasons for the jump will hopefully raise more funding to put toward prepping the bridge for public access. There are LOTS of plans for the bridge, public access being one, but other uses of the bridge and surrounding properties as well. As the plans become more reality than dreaming I'm sure the group will continue with more public announcements. As they officially release plans I'll post the news or links here so those who may not be in the affected coverage area can still get the info. I was told I'd get a chance to jump with the group early in the acquisition process, I'm hoping that offer will stand... I'll make sure the video (if I'm allowed to take any) gets a link posted here as well. :)

The first jumps from the bridge occurred several weeks ago. Mitch finally sent me a link to video from the day. In addition to the jumps it has good aerial views of the bridge from a RC chopper cam and shows the work that has been done on decking and fencing. The deck is completed to the middle of the bridge where the jumps will take place. That is as far as Vertigo plans to go with the decking for now. Once the bridge becomes revenue generating parties will look at the feasibility of completing the walkway for the entire length of the bridge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kYx-oz9x ... video_user

First public jumps are planned for spring 2014.

Get in line!

Joe Nugent

Not to say that this isn't a creative way of bringing in riders, but I have two qualms with this video;
1) Why can't you hear the screaming on the way down? That's one of the things I look for in a bungee-jump
2) I thought that it was bungee-jumping, not jumping headfirst into a river?
Tongue-in-cheek response aside, that looks like fun!

Joe -

From my memory of my visit to the bridge, it appears that the walkway being built is from the other side of the river valley, and not the side where the Bluegrass Railroad Museum ride ends. Do I have that right?

Les

You are correct. For now the walkway extends to the middle of the bridge from the Anderson Co. side. Once some revenue has been generated and initial cost offset the plan is to get the walkway complete across the entire bridge.

For those following the development of Young's High Bridge.... Here is a link to some photos on Flickr from Young's on 3-21-14. The decking to the site of the bungee platform is complete, and they are working on finishing up the railing now that the weather is providing some decent days. Jump dates are currently planned for Labor, Memorial Days, and July 4. Plans are to have the zip lines across the river by fall.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23970158@ ... 921144055/

Joe -

Thanks for posting the photos. If my memory isn't failing me, your fourth photo is the one looking back east toward the end of the BGRM trackage. Young's sure is a scary thing! And should bring in some train riders!

Les

Any new updates on the bridge as of 2015? Also the repainted GP8 looks amazing! Great job guys.

Visually not much has changed with the bridge, but the second season of bungee weekends is well underway. Two jump platforms now protrude from the north side of the bridge allowing for a larger volume of jumpers on the jump weekends. The owners still plan on adding a zip-line across the river on the bridge property, and eventually completing a catwalk with safety cable across the east portion of the bridge so those not willing to bungee can at least safely walk the entire length of the bridge, and provide access for the east zip-line tower when completed.

Thanks for the kinds words on 7738, still lots of details to finish but it's looking pretty good. Speaking of her, she and N&W 675 are slated for the museum first ever day/night of photo freights OCT. 10, 2015. If anyone would be interested in supporting this photo special tickets can be bought at this link.
http://bluegrassrailroad.com/#/freight- ... 4589987104
All proceeds go back into more museum restoration efforts.

Thanks for the info! I heard about the freight excursion/special. As long as school doesn't interfere I'm planning on heading down there for it.