Bridge Type Help

[BlackDiamond1964]

I'm about to make a model of this road bridge. The problem (like always) is that this is the only reference picture I have to go by of the bridge. I know that this is a rural type bridge that sees very little traffic. The road on the bridge is a gravel road and has metal fencing. I assume that it's on the narrow side. Base on that information and what can be seen here, what kind of bridge might this be? Can anybody point to a similar type of bridge with better pictures? I'm not interested in the abutments, just the bridge part. My aging eyes are not a good as they used to be.

[Railwoodman]

Are you sure it was gravel . PA had a lot of this type that would use a heavy metal mesh . Or 3x8 4x12 planking . You have posted aerial shots of the area . Is there any with this bridge in it . Would help to know the width also . But must likely a vary simple beam and cross beam construction .

Had one in Yorklin DE that looked to be of the same . It had flat stone abutment as it's foundation . Was metal mesh , then planked before replacement .

Matt

[BlackDiamond1964]

Are you sure it was gravel . PA had a lot of this type that would use a heavy metal mesh . Or 3x8 4x12 planking . You have posted aerial shots of the area . Is there any with this bridge in it . Would help to know the width also . But must likely a vary simple beam and cross beam construction .

Had one in Yorklin DE that looked to be of the same . It had flat stone abutment as it's foundation . Was metal mesh , then planked before replacement .

Matt

The Bridge is #1 on the map. The road on the bridge looks the same off the bridge. I assumed it was gravel because that is what it is today. The bridge is gone but the road is still there.

[Railwoodman]

Something that also could help , if you knew when it was built . !900 I be willing to bet planking as the road and walkway . Before that I haven't a clue , But if between the two wars . Many of the fast construction techniques were used at home as in war . The metal mesh being one . If originally built for horse and carriage , my bet would be planking . If for car's , all three depending on the time built .

Not sure they still have this up . But PennDot use to have a page dedicated to older bridges . And some would have plane to it's construction . When working above Williamsport , we had to always work around these older bridges . A lot of those were of the planked and metal decking . Still more were condemned , and no longer used .


You said it's no longer there . But is there anything left where it was to give clues ?

Matt

[BlackDiamond1964]

Something that also could help , if you knew when it was built . !900 I be willing to bet planking as the road and walkway . Before that I haven't a clue , But if between the two wars . Many of the fast construction techniques were used at home as in war . The metal mesh being one . If originally built for horse and carriage , my bet would be planking . If for car's , all three depending on the time built .

Not sure they still have this up . But PennDot use to have a page dedicated to older bridges . And some would have plane to it's construction . When working above Williamsport , we had to always work around these older bridges . A lot of those were of the planked and metal decking . Still more were condemned , and no longer used .


You said it's no longer there . But is there anything left where it was to give clues ?

Matt

Here is what is left of the bridge today...not much. I imagine the bridge was built around 1903 along wit the rest of the railroad.

[BlackDiamond1964]

A little update. I found a picture in the Laurel Line book of the first Moosic stop location in 1903 that shows the Powder Mill Rd bridge in it's background.. Apparently the bridge pictured above is not the original bridge. The bridge in the earlier photo shows it originally had wooden trusses. Unfortunately my scanner is no longer hooked up so I can't post a picture of it.

[Railwoodman]

That's interesting to say the leased . The wooden truss was probably horse and carriage . The ladder for heaver car and truck . If you assume it was one lane , and 5 ton max . My bet would still be for timber decking that was asphalted over . Not knowing what the other foundation are for the other crossing . It would be similar in construction .

Matt

PS what county is that in ?

http://bridgehunter.com/category/

[Railwoodman]

Matt

[BlackDiamond1964]

Ok, that gives me a better idea. However, assuming that dirt or gravel was placed over the wood, what keeps that dirt or gravel in place? What keeps it from washing away?

[Railwoodman]

There would be a end cap or curb . If it had a walkway , this would be razed . But this is a problem that is still with us today . LOL

Matt

[BlackDiamond1964]

This bridge is in (was in) Lackawanna County. I doubt there will be any information on it since it's so small and it's been long gone for ages. All Google searches turn up nothing.

[JCitron]

Based on the period and from what I've seen where I live, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this is probably a wood-decked bridge with a steel frame, if it even had a steel frame and most likely it could have been wood.

These bridges were quite common where roads crossed over the Boston and Maine. Andover Mass. had one on Harding Street. The bridge was all wood including the sides and quite steep since Harding is all hill from High Street to Main Street at the bottom. Sadly the bridge was replaced about 10 years ago, maybe more now, with a generic concrete contraption.

Modern Location

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6636608,-71.1423772,127a,35y,208.81h,45t/data=!3m1!1e3

Use these coordinates in the Viewer on Historic Aerials, and you can see the wooden bridge.

42.6636608,-71.1423772

[BlackDiamond1964]

Based on the period and from what I've seen where I live, I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this is probably a wood-decked bridge with a steel frame, if it even had a steel frame and most likely it could have been wood.

These bridges were quite common where roads crossed over the Boston and Maine. Andover Mass. had one on Harding Street. The bridge was all wood including the sides and quite steep since Harding is all hill from High Street to Main Street at the bottom. Sadly the bridge was replaced about 10 years ago, maybe more now, with a generic concrete contraption.

Modern Location

https://www.google.com/maps/@42.6636608,-71.1423772,127a,35y,208.81h,45t/data=!3m1!1e3

Use these coordinates in the Viewer on Historic Aerials, and you can see the wooden bridge.

42.6636608,-71.1423772

In the picture I posted above of the Powder Mill Rd Bridge there doesn't appear to be any concrete on the bridge span itself. It looks to be an all metal span with concrete abutments. I wish I could find another picture so I can see the spans details. I realize this is all real small details in the big picture. I'm always trying to get the right details to make a semi-accurate model. This bridge seems to be different from the other road bridges I've encountered so far.

[Railwoodman]

If you could find out what the design of the bridge was . { Beam bridge } You can find a lot of pic's on the link I posted . Not a exact match . But vary close to it .

Matt

[JCitron]

In the picture I posted above of the Powder Mill Rd Bridge there doesn't appear to be any concrete on the bridge span itself. It looks to be an all metal span with concrete abutments. I wish I could find another picture so I can see the spans details. I realize this is all real small details in the big picture. I'm always trying to get the right details to make a semi-accurate model. This bridge seems to be different from the other road bridges I've encountered so far.

I understand what you mean about the details.

I was showing the current bridge, which sadly has concrete and steel and is basically a boring modern structure with zero style. The old bridge did not have concrete at all and were wooden with metal truss supports.

We had some bridges just as you described. I need to look around. They may not be from your area, but they should work as an example that you can follow. The B&M, NH, and many of the other eastern railroads shared same structure designs with things such as this.