October 2016 Issue

[Deggesty]

I was glad to see the map of St. Louis as it is now--but I was a bit disturbed when I saw that the Eads Bridge was opened in 1974. I rode on several trains that used the bridge between 1968 and 1971. 

I hope it was just a slip of a finger when the opening date was entered on the map.

[wanswheel]

https://archive.org/details/jamesbeads00howlrich

https://www.nps.gov/jeff/learn/historyculture/upload/eads.pdf

[Uncle Jake]

Thanks for sharing that, Wanswheel.

[Electroliner 1935]

Thanks Wanswheel

Crossed the bridge on B&O's National Limited without doing my homework and was suprised to enter a rock and brick lined tunnel with a sharp curve after crossing the river. This was in 1971 just before Amtrak began. Have crossed it on MetroLink trains since and think how fortunately we as a country to have had the benefit of men like Eads and the other great engineers that gave us infrastructure that we take for granted today. Such as the New York Penn Station and its tunnels that are now in jepardy. All of the NYC subway system that the city depends upon. And how now, politicians hem and haw about maintaining it and delaying taking action. We have been blessed by our forefathers visions and courage and I for one appreciate what we have inherited.

I have one question resulting from the map and hope someone can answer it. There is only one manned tower shown and many control points. I am wondering where they are controled from? UP's I would assume are Council Bluffs and BNSF's Ft Worth but where does NS, CSX, AS, & TRRA control theirs from?

 

[Deggesty]

When I came into St. Louis from Nashville in the summer of 1968, I was standing at the rear as we crossed the river. Just before we left the bridge, the flagman came out and took the markers down--because of close clearances in the tunnel. I do not remember, but he may have left one sitting on the vestibule floor. 

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

The building of the Eads Bridge was also where engineers and labor learned the hard way about caisson disease.  Don't praise the engineers without remembering the workingmen who paid the price to build these edifices.