The swing span is all the way on the left.
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| Tim Hoeflich posted If you are familiar with Marietta Ohio then you will instantly recognize the beloved former B&O rail bridge in more recent years walking bridge between Marietta and Harmar Village Ohio. Last year the bridge was judged unsafe for walking traffic and was closed to the public, but there is a fundraising effort under way to raise the money needed to repair it. The bridge is also unique in that the second segment can rotate on a giant turnstyle. This was a design feature intended to rotate and allow a clear channel for Steam boats to travel up the Muskingum River. I took this photo just after sunrise on 10 Oct 2021 to emphasize all that beautiful orange oxidation. Harrison Coal & Reclamation Historical Park shared Jeff Wright: All but the turn span is slated to be replaced with a concrete deck bridge. True story |
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| Dennis Norris commented on Tim's post This round pier is where it turns to open, on the Marietta end. |
Rob Hilburn posted two photos with the comment: "Harmar Railroad Bridge with the swing span in the open position. Photographed from the deck of the Major, a local stern wheeler. This bridge is located in Marietta OH spanning the Muskingum river at its confluence with the Ohio river"
Randall Hampton I was there last summer, the last time it was closed. I hope they get the money to fix it up soon. I was surprised to learn that it's manually operated; no electric motor. It was built to serve the passenger station, which is right across the river from the main line.
Rob Hilburn Randall Hampton I am part of the crew that open and close it. Its a unique part of my life. The photos were taken right after we climbed down onto the pilot house from the bridge deck.
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| Rob commented on his post I had to search for this one. This is Grady and I leaning on the "key" that inserts onto a square shaft for turning the bridge. Thing is heavy! We take it out there in pieces and put it together in position. |
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| Rob Hilburn posted https://youtu.be/5sktuA5UgR0 Here is a link to watch this swing span being manually opened by a group of 8 individuals in Marietta OH Bridge is geared at 84 to 1. This particular bridge was built right around 1900. It survived the 1913 flood but the adjoining spans did not. Randall Hampton Rob Hilburn I find it fascinating that the piers were recycled from an old covered road bridge. That's why they're so wide. At first glance, somebody might guess the line used to be double track, but no. Rob Hilburn Sal M Castro there are pictures of it in the aftermath of the flood that can be viewed on the Harmar Village FB page. Absolutely great bunch of photos there. Pacific Locomotive This is awesome. What was the purpose for it’s restoration and opening though? Just because? Rob Hilburn Pacific Locomotive it was opened on two consecutive days each year durring the Bridge Festival. We solicited donations to help maintain the bridge. We allowed about 150 people to ride the span while turning it. Randall Hampton Under federal regulations, the bridge has to either be open or be able to open as needed for river traffic. Even though the river is not currently being used that way, ship owners have the right to resume doing so, and property owners upstream have the right to be served, and not cut off from access to the Ohio River. Arvid A. Lakeberg We had one of the last King swing bridges in the country across the Genesee River in Rochester NY. They torched and scrapped it a few years ago after they deemed it a "hazard to navigation" |
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| Rod Hilburn commented on his post |
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| Rod Hilburn commented on his post |
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| Rod Hilburn commented on his post |
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| Rod Hilburn commented on his post Randall Hampton Working on a replacement gear? Rob Hilburn Randall Hampton that's not a replacement. That's an original part that was removed, built up with weld and then turned back to size. You cant see it in the picture but I have the saddle sitting next to the lathe for size. The gear is solid brass. |
Rob Hilburn posted three photos of the span opened up.
(new window) This video show Major going through the opening at 2:13.
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I wonder how many sternwheelers the town has. I found this one:
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I wonder how many sternwheelers the town has. I found this one:
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| W.P. Snyder Jr |
And a Valley Gem, but I did not find the Major that he rode.
Another video of the bridge being opened WTAP report of the opening "One of the first iron bridges during the Civil War and is the oldest swinging railroad bridge in the US." It is not clear if "still operational" needs to be added to the claim of "oldest."
Just west of the bridge is a historic village.
Another video of the bridge being opened WTAP report of the opening "One of the first iron bridges during the Civil War and is the oldest swinging railroad bridge in the US." It is not clear if "still operational" needs to be added to the claim of "oldest."
Just west of the bridge is a historic village.
Dennis DeBruler posted two photos with the comment: "You don't normally see more cabooses than locomotives in a static display. Marietta, OH, is obviously proud of their B&O heritage."
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| 1 https://goo.gl/maps/n53zWtkdLLEqJtnP9 |
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| 2 https://www.google.com/.../data=!3m1!1e3!4m12!1m6!3m5... |
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| Harmar Village - Marietta, Ohio added Historic Harmar Railroad Bridge Muskingum River Help #SaveHarmarBridge by making a donation to the Save Harmar Bridge Fund at the Marietta Community Foundation: Photo  courtesy of Bruce Wunderlich |
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| Historic Harmar Bridge Company posted On March 1, 2020 at 11:00am the Historic Harmar Bridge Company turned the Harmar Bridge before closing all traffic for safety while we worked towards building the funds to repaire and restore the bridge. But tomorrow, on January 12, 2024 at 9:00am, our Board Members and a few volunteers will be out there again to turn the bridge. Under the supervision of architects, engineers and the Marietta Fire Department, we will be turning the Harmar Bridge at the request of JJ Sands, owner of The Valley Gem, in order for them to be able to bring equipment in to the docks. Due to the high water levels we are currently experiencing in the Valley, there is not enough clearance for them to safely pass under the Harmar Bridge. This turning is a normal part of our operations and another reason why it is so vital to save the turn span as part of our rehabilitation projects. We encourage you to come out and wave to our team and witness what an amazing engineering project the bridge truly is. We would love to talk with you more about our ongoing efforts and how you may be able to help. [The comments contain a video of the turning.] |
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| Historic Harmar Bridge Company posted The Historic Harmar Bridge that connects greater Marietta, Ohio to the West Side of the city dates back to 1856 when it was originally constructed as a covered wagon bridge to cross the Muskingum River at the mouth of the Ohio. The manpowered swingspan was originally built on the West Side of the bridge, but was moved to the East Side where it sits today. The bridge has withstood wars and floods. It has had at least 5 owners, most of which were railroad companies. But since 1913, after three spans were replaced due to a flood, she has never again undergone any significant updates or major repairs. In 2020, when the board at HHBC voted to close the bridge to all traffic due to safety concerns, it was not a decision taken lightly. We knew the impact it would have on our community but we also knew the sad truth that due to years of improper maintenance, the bridge was a danger. These concerns were validated in 2022 when a 360° underwater and superstructure inspection were performed. Our board is made up of dedicated community members who volunteer countless hours to work towards our goal of rehabilitating the bridge as a pedestrian only artery. The turning of the bridge last week required 12 individuals to turn the crank to allow a neighbor to safely pass through due to high waters. It also served as a reminder that this community loves this old bridge! It’s has reminded us all of her importance and reinvigorated our passion to bring it back to our community. Please visit our website and learn more about what we have done so far and what our future plans. You can also donate to our cause and learn more about our primary fundraiser, the Harmar Days Festival: Michael Numbers: So is there a plan to complete any repairs. Going to take some man power at least. Historic Harmar Bridge Company: Michael Numbers for sure! Our engineering team is from Indianapolis and we are in frequent communications about designs, necessary inspections and next steps. We have applied for several state and federal grants and are working towards gathering the funds necessary to finish the design phase and begin construction |
Apr 5, 2024:
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| Marietta College posted Photo by Nathan Reich, Marietta College. Ron Bishop shared |
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| Another capture from the above posted 360-degree view |
There is a contour line between the buildings of Marietta College and the rivers. But that is not true for the buildings in the downtown area. The college used the floodplain for their soccer field, softball field and stadium.
I couldn't find Pike Street on Google Maps. At least when they rebuild, they first put a mound of dirt under the building.
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| 1960 Marietta Quad @ 24,000 |
I couldn't find Pike Street on Google Maps. At least when they rebuild, they first put a mound of dirt under the building.
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| Harmar Village - Marietta, Ohio added Aerial photo showing the ten inch Skelp mill white roof . The 14 inch rolling mill t-shaped building . J&L Aliquippa PA The mill across the Ohio River in Ambridge is the A.M. Byers company . Barbara Buskirk: MOV Drone Workz is the photographer. It was nice of them to put their drone up so people can see just how high the water reached. Jessica Merritts: Gotta find humor in the insurance company's property is dry as a bone! Ron Bishop shared |
Apr 20, 2024:
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| Brian Stover Drone Photography posted A great spectacle to see the Historic Harmar bridge in action today! Due to high river levels, the bridge was spun in order to allow the Valley Gem Sternwheeler to pass through to the Ohio River. History Of The Harmar Bridge Initially built as a covered bridge in 1856, the Harmar Bridge was converted to a railroad bridge in the 1860s, making it one of the first iron bridges during the Civil War, the oldest swinging railroad bridge in the country, and the only one of its kind still in operation today. The Harmar Bridge is owned by the Historic Harmar Bridge Company There are efforts under way to raise funds to restore the bridge for future generations. Please visit the Bridge Company’s page to learn how you can support their cause! Brian Stover Drone Photography shared The turning of Harmar Bridge in Marietta, OH The oldest swinging railroad bridge in the country, and the only one still operational today. [I presume it is the only hand cranked swing bridge that is still operational.] |
Randall Hampton posted three photos with the comment:
The B&O built this bridge to serve the passenger station in Marietta, Ohio, on top of wider piers that had been previously used for a covered road bridge. Long out of service with rails removed, it has been used to support an attached pedestrian bridge joining Harmar Village to downtown. Now it looks like they've run out of funds for maintaining that once popular walkway.[pics - R. Hampton / 6-21-24]
Randall Racine: I do believe one of the main spans is beyond repair and it will take astronomical amount of funds to fix it. https://drive.google.com/.../1AJwJxfLkeo79KsuCP0L.../view...
Randall Hampton: That's very sad. It was a wonderful asset to the community. I was absolutely amazed to find it a few years ago, entirely by chance. It's also a significant piece of railroad history, with Marietta being the oldest English speaking settlement in the state of Ohio.
Randall Racine: The main reason why I know about all of this is I was the signal maintainer on the Marietta sub for CSX till the line got leased to Belpre Industrial. That was my retirement job but it wasn't meant to be when the AEP Beverly power plant got shut down.
Randall Hampton: Randall Racine Even sadder still, it hasn't been that many years since a good bit of money had to be raised to repair the bridge rotating gears, after having it stuck in the open position for months. That story was covered in detail in this group. That expense ended up not buying them much time.
Melissa Wyatt: I live in Marietta and there are at least 2 organizations that are raising money to save the Harmar Train Bridge. They are still able rotate the bridge but the walkway is in need of major repairs causing them to close it until repairs are made.
Randall Hampton shared with the comment: "This could be the end of the line for the bridge that once served the passenger station in Marietta, the oldest English speaking settlement in the state of Ohio. Essential repairs even for pedestrian use seem to exceed all available funds."
Jeff Wright: Supposedly they are going to save the turn section and build a concrete deck bridge on top of the piers from the Harmar side. I wish they had the funds to repair the existing structure. Anything is fixable with enough $s.
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| Randall Hampton posted Happier times in Marietta, five years ago, when the old B&O bridge was still a pedestrian link between downtown and Harmar Village. The line was built as a short dead end spur to the Marietta passenger station, Debbie Newsom Hampton: I'm happy the Valley Gem Sternwheeler is still operating. |
Thank you so much for sharing this information. Thrilling and inspiring. Visiting Marietta today (May 11 2023) and this posting greatly enhanced the experience of seeing the bridge and Harmar village.
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