At 2:20 Monday afternoon, NS train 36T is the first movement across the new Portageville arch bridge.
Story in Progressive Railroading.
The old bridge could not support modern car weight of 286,000lb - perhaps unsurprisingly for a structure built over 140 years ago (more than a decade older than the Poughkeepsie Bridge) that took less than two months to construct.
Here is the American Bridge Web page on the project.
And here is the engineering firm's report on the structure.
Some of you might enjoy this view of the construction:
Good looking bridge!
If I remember reading correctly, the old 1875 bridge was offered to the state of New York as part of a hiking trail, but the state demurred, so it's coming down.
Too bad, having lasted 142 years the old bridge was a real monument to the men who built it.
Firelock76Good looking bridge! If I remember reading correctly, the old 1875 bridge was offered to the state of New York as part of a hiking trail, but the state demurred, so it's coming down. Too bad, having lasted 142 years the old bridge was a real monument to the men who built it.
Also a monument to our legitous society with the State of New York not wanting it.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Firelock76If I remember reading correctly, the old 1875 bridge was offered to the state of New York as part of a hiking trail, but the state demurred, so it's coming down.
The state is too busy trying to tear up perfectly good tracks to build a trail. They don't have time to use something being offered to them sans rails already...
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Judging from the video, what the existing bridge lacks in weight carrying capacity it seems to make up for in train speed.
Thanks to Chris / CopCarSS for my avatar.
Why is the re-bar green? I've never seen that. Is there a coating on the steel?
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"A stranger's just a friend you ain't met yet." --- Dave Gardner
The bridge is in Letchworth State Park over the Genesee River Gorge, the "Grand Canyon of the East". I doubt they want an extra unsightly old bridge to mar the scenery.
Paul of Covington Why is the re-bar green? I've never seen that. Is there a coating on the steel?
Very common around here. It is coated with epoxy, and intended for environments where corrosives (such as road salt) will be expected.
Mentioned is that is going to be a 286,000# capacity. What happened to the 315,000# often mentioned in other threads ?
blue streak 1Mentioned is that is going to be a 286,000# capacity. What happened to the 315,000# often mentioned in other threads ?
286K is the current Standard. 315K is something that the industry is working toward making a stadard. At this point in time it is not a certainty that 315K will become the future standard.
I suspect, but don't know, that the bridge probably has been designed to support loading far in excess of 315K, they just are not making the claim.
https://archive.org/stream/erierailwaytouri00erie#page/26/mode/2up/
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