Tuesday, July 15, 2025

1900-36 East End and 1892-1931 Hamilton & Barton Inclines (Funiculars) on Niagara Excarpment in Hamilton, ON

East End: (Satellite)
H&B: (Satellite)

East End Incline


Historical Niagara posted four images with the comment:
Today we head outta Niagara to a interesting structure that once existed in Hamilton 
The WENTWORTH  Street Incline.
Built around 1895 it carried pedestrians up and down the Niagara Escarpment at Wentworth st in Hamilton...It had a few different owners over the years and  in 1906 the  powerhouse was changed from steam to electric after a fire destroyed the old steam equipment.  In 1914 a large storm caused a landslide that damaged the incline and it took several months to repair. The WENTWORTH st incline was in operation until 1936 when a new road cut opened not far (Sherman access rd) and the incline became non profitable..Locals fought to try to reopen it but in 1949 it was removed...Today a set of stairs is in its place and is located near the Bruce Trail....This incline was one of two that where in the Hamilton Area and i will cover the history of the other in a future post...have you walked the stairs at The Wentworth St Incline location ?
Anita Young: The Wentworth Stairs are popular for those looking for a good workout. They also provide a nice view. I have walked them many times. I love the picture of the incline!
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Julie Rossall commented on the above post
I’m a nut for reading and taking photos of historical and other signage! This at the top of the stairs.

I Phy, Apr 2017

Lutfu Yuksel, Dec 2021

Hamilton & Barton Incline


Ji Hwan YANG, Jul 2017

Both


The Niagara Escarpment is the green belt that cuts across the town.
Satellite


Monday, July 14, 2025

Two Inclines (Funiculars) in Niagara City, ON

Falls: (Satellite)
Cruises: (Satellite)

Falls Incline Railway


Rob Gauthier posted two photos with the comment:
1st photo: postcard showing the Horseshoe Falls Incline funicular railway built by Swiss company Von Roll in 1966. Each open-air car carried up to 40 people along a 30-degree slope. The cars ran during the tourism season. There was a stepped row of concrete seats at the top where people could sit and wait for the cars and take in the view from Portage Rd.
2nd photo: replacing the old system since August 2013, the new Falls Incline Railway continues to ferry travelers and locals alike, saving us from the grueling walk back up Murray street on hot summer days! The enclosed climate-controlled cars operate year-round. Beneath the new control booths you can still see the concrete steps from the old gallery.
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Randall Gamby commented on Rob's post
The oldest incline was at the Whirlpool where you could take an open car down to the bottom (circa 1870s)

Randall Gamby commented on his comment
The oldest incline on the Canadian side that is. There was one next to the American falls that was built about 1860.

Niagara City Cruises Funicular Boarding


I found this funicular before I found the Falls Incline.
Aileen Elsbury, Jun 2019

Paul Dunn, Jul 2017

Grant Maguire, Aug 2020

1910 CP Montrose Bridge over Welland River

(Satellite)

Street View, Jun 2023

R.S. Douglas posted five photos with the comment: "The Montrose swing bridge on the Welland River. It's the one that's visible from the QEW."
[ I got the above street view from the QEW.]
Peter Klevan: Four questions: Why the swing bridge at this location? Was there navigational traffic on the river at this point? I know the bridge is no longer operational but is the rail line still in use? Is the bridge similar in design to the one in nearby Welland?
Karen Limardi: Peter Klevan the first Welland Canal traversed this route from the Niagara River to Allanburg. I do not believe the rail line is still in use here. It's very similar to the swing bridge over the old Third Canal in back of GM in Thorold near the golf course.
Dougie Jay: Karen Limardi .. the rail line is still in use. The CP Montrose Yard (at the end of Drummond Road) is still active, the rail line goes to the Norton Plant in Chippawa. The former Michigan Central Line ends just south of Mount Carmel, that's where the trains go then switch onto the Chippawa line.
[Dougie provided several railfan photos of action on this line in the comments.]
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Cathy Conlon commented on Douglas' post, cropped
Just went under it yesterday!

Sunday, July 13, 2025

1938,1991 Mississippi Lock and Dam #3 near Red Wing, MN

(Satellite)

USACE
"Constructed and placed in operation July 1938. The site underwent major rehabilitation from 1988 through 1991. The dam is 365' [111m] long with four roller gates. More than 2,000 feet [610m] of earth embankment with a series of upstream spot dikes completes the structure to create Pool 3."

USACE, St. Paul District posted
In celebration of our 250th anniversary we #TBT to July 21, 1938, when construction was completed on Lock and Dam 3 in Welch, Minnesota.  
The dam is 365 feet long and includes four submersible roller gates. With 2009 federal and American Recovery and Reinvestment Act contributions, an 862-foot-long guide wall extension was completed in April 2011 and a closure dike to mitigate outdraft conditions near the guide wall was completed in October 2011.

RepublicanEagle, File photo

A view with the roller gates all of the way up.
2:14 video @ 0:41

Steve Nieckarz, Aug 2018

Steve Nieckarz, Aug 2018

USACE_report
I'm writing this on Jul 13, 2025, and the gates are all the way up for dams 3, 5a, 9 and 10.

The lock closes when the flow exceeds 125kcfs. [RepublicanEagle]

1907+1922 Black Street Bridge and Old Dam on Great Miami River

1907: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter)
Dam: (Satellite)

April 2025 Flood


This Apr 2025 post showed up in my feed in July. This is part of the reason the Ohio River got so high in Apr 2025.
Butler County Sheriff's Office posted 0:21 video

Same video

shrews48, Aug 2020

shrews48, Aug 2020

1907 Bridge


It is pin connected.
Postcard via BridgeHunter_1907
"Destroyed by flood 1913; replaced 1922"

1922 Bridge


A view comparable to the flooded view above. The bridge has seven spans.
Street View, Aug 2024

HistoricBridges
This 708' (216m) long bridge has spans of 93' (28m).
"This bridge is a long, multi-span concrete arch bridge noted for its architectural beauty and lack of alteration. Many such bridges that used to exist in Ohio in cities like Dayton and Columbus have been demolished, therefore this bridge has become fairly rare."

2009 photo by James Baughn via BridgeHunter_1922

Saturday, July 12, 2025

Los Angeles, CA: New 18' Outfall (Effluent) Tunnel Collapsed, All 31 Workers Escaped Unharmed

(Satellite)

lacsd, p1

The yellow cylinder to the left of the opening is the basket that the crane used to bring up eight workers at a time. The workers had to climb over a 12-15' pile of loose soil leaving just 3' at the top of the tunnel. Only minor injuries were reported among the 27 workers and 4 rescuers.
ABCnews

ABCnews @ 1:14

The old tunnels were built in 1937 and 1958. The tunnels dump treated wastewater into the ocean. [lacsd, p2] If I remember correctly, they were 8' and 12' in diameter. The new tunnel is 18'.
lacsd, p3

In this view, we can see in the lower-left corner a stockpile of the segments that the Tunnel Boring Machine (TBM) uses to line the tunnel. This news report said the workers had to walk 5 miles to the entrance. Other reports indicated that they had to walk about a mile to get to the shuttle that would take them the last 5 miles to the entrance. The tunnel's planned length is 7 miles.
ABCnews
"There was a location that squeezed the tunnel and forced it to partially collapse." [Robert Ferrante, Chief Engineer & General Manager, LA County Sanitation Districts @ 0:45]

Satellite

"The cave-in apparently happened between the tunnel boring machine, 5 miles in from the only entrance, and the construction crew working 6 miles in, said Michael Chee, spokesperson for the Los Angeles County Sanitation Districts, which is in charge of the nearly $700 million project. The workers were about 400 feet underground....Firefighters said workers had to climb over 12 to 15 feet of fallen dirt and debris to reach the tunnel boring machine and then were transported by vehicle back to the opening. Some people had to be pulled out....The workers were operating the boring machine when the collapse occurred said Robert Ferrante, chief engineer and general manager for the sanitation districts. 'A section that they have already built had squeezing ground and had a collapse, a partial collapse,' he told reporters." [Associated Press article by Damian Dovarganes and Julie Watson in the July 11, 2025, edition of Chicago Tribune]
The first sentence confused me when I read it because a TBM works at the end of the tunnel. Given Robert's comment, I think the TBM was six miles in, and the collapse happened around the 5-mile mark. It is scary to learn that the soil pressure could cave in the concrete segments that are installed to hold the ground up. Perhaps grouting hadn't reached its full strength.

lacsd, p5

This diagram makes me appreciate that the Deep Tunnels dug in Chicagoland were through competent rock.
lacsd, p7

The contract for the Clearwater Project was awarded for $630,500,000 in Jan 2019 with a "notice to proceed" in Apr 2019. The main shaft was dug Jan-Jul, 2020. The TBM was delivered in Oct 2020, and mining began in Jan 2022. As of July 24, 2024, 4.4 miles had been dug, and completion was expected to be in 2Q 2025. [lacsd, p4,5] (I'm writing this July 12, 2025, so that schedule has already slipped.)

"Today [I could not find a date on the webpage], the Sanitation Districts of Los Angeles County (Sanitation Districts) awarded a $630 million construction contract for the Clearwater Project to Dragados USA, Inc....Dragados brings extensive tunneling expertise to the Clearwater Project. The firm has completed more than 530 underground projects in 20 countries, totaling over 800 miles of tunnel. For a recent project in Seattle, Washington, Dragados utilized a 57‐foot diameter tunnel boring machine, which was the largest tunneling machine in the world at that time. “We look forward to working on this important infrastructure project,” said Tom Robertson, Vice President of Dragados. “Our vast experience in tunneling through a wide range of geological conditions will be an asset for the Clearwater Project.”" [cwea]
The Seattle tunnel project was a disaster. The TBM got stuck. They had to dig an access shaft, bring the TBM head up for repair, then lower the head back down to the machine. I had started detailed notes on the tunnel project while it was still in progress, but I got so depressed that I quit following the project. I would not be surprised if lawsuits are still in progress. They were very lucky that it got stuck below vacant land rather than under downtown buildings.
Dec 14, 2020: Mammoet posted
#MilestoneMonday: After a year of meticulous planning, #Mammoet liberated the 1,700t tunnel boring machine, "Big Bertha", in just 16 hours after it had stalled approximately 36m (120 ft.) underground in #Seattle.

1874,1958 Capon Lake Whipple Truss Bridge over Cacapon River near Wardensville, WV

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

John Cowgill posted
A  Whipple  Truss  Bridge  in  Capon  Bridge,  West  Virginia,  U.S.A.
Jason Burford: This is actually in Capon Lake abt 12 miles from Capon Bridge. 1 of 2 surviving Whipple's in WV.
Capon Bridge on the other hand has a very nice 1933 Parker through truss.

Digitally zoomed to Facebook resolution and then doubled

Street View, Oct 2023

Street View, Jul 2023