Saturday, October 18, 2025

1856 RBMN/Reading Peacock Lock Viaduct over Schuylkill River near Tuckerton, PA

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; HAER; Satellite)


HAER PA,6-READ.V,2--8 (CT)
8. ELEVATION VIEW, LOOKING EAST, WITH TRAIN ON BRIDGE. - Philadelphia & Reading Railroad, Peacock's Lock Viaduct, Spanning Schuykill River at Reading Railroad, Reading, Berks County, PA

HAER PA,6-READ.V,2--2
2. 3/4 VIEW OF EAST ELEVATION, LOOKING NW.

"Significance: The Peacock's Lock Viaduct, named after a nearby lock on the Schuylkill Division Canal, may be the only masonry arch bridge in the U.S. with pierced spandrels. The circular openings between arches lighten the structure in both weight and appearance." [HAER_data]

As with many railroad viaducts, it is hard to capture the size of the viaduct in a photo, especially in an area with a lot of trees.
"Nicolls' design for the Peacock's Lock Viaduct included nine semi-circular arch spans of rough-cut ashlar, each 64'-0" [19.5m] long, on rock-faced ashlar piers." [HAER_data]
Gavin VanSant, May 2023

Photo by Raymond Klein via BridgeHutner
BridgeHunter also has several detail photos by Raymond

Rich Taylor posted
RDC 9151 or 9152 comes east, probably from Pottsville, across Peacock Lock bridge over the Schuylkill River at Tuckerton; my photo 1/10/76.

A comment on ArchivedBridgeHunter mentioned a similar bridge over Washington Road and a creek. I don't know why HistoricBridges doesn't have an entry for the Schuylkill River Viaduct, but it does have an entry for the Washington Road Bridge.
Historic Bridges
"This is an extremely rare example of a stone arch bridge with pierced circular openings. The design is more often found in Europe and the United Kingdom, but is almost unheard of in America."

Street View, Apr 2025

1880+1902 MNNR/Milwaukee Short Line Bridges over Mississippi River in Minneapolis, MN

1880: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter)

MNNR = Minnesota Commercial Railway

1908 postcard via BridgeHunter_1902
[The Meeker Island Lock and Dam is on the to-do list.]

HistoricBridges
pin-connected Baltimore deck truss with stone piers

John Harker posted three images with the comment: "Bob Wilt photographed six Milw SD40-2s pulling WEPX empties across Short Line bridge over the Mississippi River into Minneapolis, Minnesota on February 1st, 1980.  Of course, the train was heading west to pick up more coal.  The empties were coming back from Wisconsin Electric Power (WEPX), the Columbia Power plant near Portage, Wisconsin.  In the background the train was curving around to the bridge near Signal Tower at MP 417.3.  A Milw Northern Division employee timetable for the Short Line and a USGS topo map are included for reference.  John Harker image editing, research and collection"
Fred Hyde: now a branch operated by Minnesota Commercial to get to the elevator district in South Minneapolis.
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The 1880 bridge did not use falsework under the main span.
Prior 1923 via BridgeHunter_1880

Friday, October 17, 2025

1930,1976+2009 PA-88 Point Marion Bridges over Monongahela at Piont Marion, PA

1930: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges)
2009: (Satellite)

HistoricBridges
This 810' (247m) long bridge had a main span of 464' (141m).
"This Historic Bridge Was Demolished By PennDOT 9:00 AM EST November 16, 2009. The Point Marion Bridge, which is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is the second oldest cantilever truss bridge in the entire Commonwealth of Pennsylvania....In regards to the new bridge PennDOT is building, particular emphasis was placed on, and money is to be spent, on including a sidewalk to accommodate rail-trail users. This is a foolish and wasteful decision since a rare and historic landmark is already in place and would be the perfect way to provide a scenic, historic, and functional crossing for non-motorized traffic. Instead, PennDOT's plan is to herd pedestrians onto a bland, mundane modern slab bridge alongside noisy trucks and cars. Clearly, PennDOT does not have the interests of non-motorized traffic in mind in its design. People who choose to walk instead of drive would appreciate the increased peace and scenery that a preserved Point Marion Bridge would provide."

The cantilevered bridge is to the right of the center of this photo. The two truss bridges in the foreground were the B&O and US-119 Bridges.
Chris Valentovich posted
Vintage Postcard of Point Marion, Pennsylvania. Point Marion is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, located at the confluence of the Monongahela and Cheat Rivers. The bridge for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Fairmont, Morgantown, and Pittsburgh branch (FM&P) crossing the Cheat River can be seen left of center. The FM&P subdivision ran approximately 67 miles from Greene Junction in Connellsville, PA to Fairmont, WV.

At first, I was surprised to see tie-rods on each side in a truss built in the 1930s. But HistoricBridges made me realize that we are looking at the suspended span and the tie-rods are holding that span from the cantilever arm.
Kaylinn Rosati, Jan 2004

The bridge was replaced in 2009.
Street View, Apr 2023

Terry Divelbliss provided six photos in the comments of ArchivedBridgeHunter with the comment: "I took these photos on October 24, 2009 which was three weeks before the bridge was imploded on November 16, 2009."
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1908,1950+1998 US-119 and B&O Bridges over Cheat River at Point Marion, PA

1908 US-119: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite, the bridge was perpendicular to Nilan Road. (See topo map below.))
1998 US-119: (Satellite)

The B&O Bridge is in the left foreground, and the US-119 Bridge is in the right foreground. The cantilevered bridge was the Point Marion Bridge.
Chris Valentovich posted
Vintage Postcard of Point Marion, Pennsylvania. Point Marion is a borough in Fayette County, Pennsylvania, located at the confluence of the Monongahela and Cheat Rivers. The bridge for the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad’s Fairmont, Morgantown, and Pittsburgh branch (FM&P) crossing the Cheat River can be seen left of center. The FM&P subdivision ran approximately 67 miles from Greene Junction in Connellsville, PA to Fairmont, WV.

The road bridge:
1997 photo by Todd Wilson via BridgeHunter_1908

It was pin connected.
BridgeHunter_1908


As expected, the replacement road bridge is a UCEB (Ugly Concrete Eyesore Bridge) using steel girders, and the B&O, as well as the bridge, is gone.
Street View, Apr 2023

Note the coal tipple in the lower-right corner that had a conveyor across Cheat River to access rail service.
1957/59 Morgantown North Quad @ 24,000

Thursday, October 16, 2025

1890+1916+1997 Bridges over Casco Bay at Portland, ME

1890: (Archived Bridge HunterBridge Hunter)  Fore River  Bridge
1917: (Archived Bridge HunterBridge Hunter) The Million Dollar Bridge
1997: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

Street View, Jul 2018

There is more of the bridge out-of-frame to the left.
Street View, Jun 2019

Evan Cassidy posted
Casco Bay Bridge Portland Maine with a 737 on approach to the jetport.

Four photos uploaded to BridgeHunter_1997 by Brian Bartlett:




1890 Fore River Bridge


MaineMemory via ArchivedBridgeHunter_1890

1916 Million Dollar Bridge


BridgeHunter_1916, postcard courtesy of Boston Public Library, Tichnor Brothers collection

Postcard via BridgeHunter_1916

Bridge #15 over Welland Canal in Welland, ON

(Satellite)

Street View, May 2025

Bau Chinh, Apr 2022

Mike Jolin posted
Pic I took of bridge 15 (3rd and 4th Welland) canal at Welland. (I used a photo enhancing program to make it sepia) Bridge 13 was a railway bridge that was on the 3rd canal, built not long before work  started on the 4th; since the railways paid for their own bridges, they weren't going to replace it, just a few years after completion. Strangely, originally, the channel only flowed on one side and the bridge was landlocked when open until the canal was widened, for the 4th , when the other side was dug and the bridge sat on an island when opened.
Rob Sterne: I may be misunderstanding you here, but this bridge does not cross the 4th canal. The 4th canal is about 2 1/2 km to the east.
Mike Jolin: Well, technically, I suppose that it no longer crosses the 4th canal, but, for us Wellanders, the canal downtown is still the TRUE 4th canal, besides, I never mentioned the bypass, I was giving it's history before 1973.

Barry Westhouse commented on Mike's post
I have this bridge in my photo collection (July/2018) taken from Canal Bank Rd. - Prince Charles Dr. on the west side of the old canal can be seen as the bridge on the far end of this through-truss swing bridge.

I was going to skip this photo until I noticed how much the gusset plate and the top flange has rusted away. That strikes me as a little scary.
Giviner Onetime, May 2023

Wednesday, October 15, 2025

Lock and Dam #15 on New York State Barge Canal and River Road Bridge near Fort Plain, NY

L&D #15: (Satellite)
Bridge: (Bridge Hunter; Historic BridgesSatellite)

I have yet to figure out how the gates work on the dams of the New York State Barge Canal.
Street View, Oct 2024

Street View, Aug 2024

John Kucko Digital posted a photo courtesy of Brian Tryzciak.
[That is the Seneca Chief replica in the lock.]
Kathy Hanna: The lock @ Canajoharie? Great picture!
Dennis DeBruler: Kathy Hanna Given that the dam is touching the lock, I think it is E15 at Fort Plain, https://maps.app.goo.gl/3ZpxHu6XWQVNNJyZA, instead of E14 at Canajoharie, https://maps.app.goo.gl/qaak6xmuuxyh2UgA6.

nycanalmap

The bridge from which I took the top street view is a truss bridge. I tried researching it, but I could not find any information on it. 
Street View, Sep 2014

I did find a unique 1910 cantilever bridge that is further upstream for River Road.
HistoricBridges
Bridge E-28
"The bridge was originally configured as a traditional simple span through truss with concrete piers, but the plate girder cantilever alteration was added when the canal was widened in 1948, which resulted in the removal of one of the concrete piers for the through truss."


Other bridges in Fort Plain that I found during the research.

A 1931 truss bridge over the Otsquago Creek.  (Satellite)
2021 photo by Geoff Hubbs via Bridge Hunter

Lost Erie Canal Bridges
Postcard via Bridge Hunter

The 1914 New York State Barge Canal channelized the Mohawk River in this area. The original canal was a traditional canal above the riverbank.  The buildings in the above image were along the east side of Canal Street, and the canal was effectively an alley for those buildings. It appears that today's Legion Street was built on the canal's right-of-way.  The bridge in the image is probably Main Street or River Street. I guessed Main Street: (Satellite)
1898/1954 Canajoharie Quad
The canal, railroad and road were squeezed tightly between the bluff and the river south of town.