I was struck today by these two sections of the same map of Passaic, NJ in its heyday. The sections are less than one mile apart as evidenced by the circles on the maps. In both images, the railroad was fit into an existing built up area.
The top image shows a balloon loop around the Botany Worsted Mill. The track comes in from the left running along both sides of the canal. The exact track layout changed through the years. The second image shows the main passenger line running right down Main St. to a station in the center of the city. None of track shown still exists.
Given that these two sections were less than a mile apart in real life and are taken from the same map, I am struck by how sharply the track curves around the mill and includes a myriad of switches and "S" curves compared to the gentle curve and smooth running through the downtown station. I am also reassured that the common model railroading cliche of a tight dogbone using all available space with some scenery inside of it has some semblance to reality (at least in the age of steam).
Link to the full map: https://mapmaker.rutgers.edu/P...NTY/Passaic_1908.gif
