Wabtec Test Track, NYC and US-20 Bridges over Sixmile Creek near Erie, PA

East Erie Commercial Railroad (Wabtec test track): (Satellite)

NYC: (Satellite)

NKP: (Satellite)

US-20: (Satellite)

US-20 Overview

The arch bridge carries the Wabtec/GE test track. On the other side of that bridge, we get a glimpse of the arch bridge of the CSX/NYC.

Street View, Apr 2024

Linda walked the Sixmile Creek from here to the South. So this is the creek view of the above scene.

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After she pointed out the little waterfall and some snakes, a test train appeared on the Wabtec test track. I was surprised that Wabtec still uses the GE logo. Also, we can see clear through the NYC arch bridge.

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The test train consisted of two blue and one BNSF locomotives.

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After seeing a snake swimming in the creek, we get a closeup of the NYC Bridge.

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Another view of the NYC arch because a NS/NKP train is on their bridge. It is gone in later views. The concrete girder bridge in the background is the US-20 Bridge.

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She turned around for this shot of the NYC Bridge. The road bridge behind the test track bridge is PA-955, which is on Iroquois Ave. As Linda explains, the NYC Bridge is a double arch and we can see the gap between the arches in these NYC views.

The NYC Bridge needs some TLC. I think the date is 1909.

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Linda called the NKP bridge the CSX bridge. I verified that she was wrong. When they split up Conrail, CSX got NYC. NS got NKP because of the N&W+NKP+Wabash merger.

arcgis

Linda also considers the US-20 bridge to be blah because she spent about 2 seconds on that bridge in her video.

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These fossils are underneath the US-20 bridge.

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1960/62 Harborcreek Quad @ 24,000

The East Erie Commercial label in the above map is still the name of the railroad that Wabtec uses to test locomotives. Linda had a few more scenes of the test train going over their bridge in her video.

A.J MIC, Apr 2023

"It takes about 25 days start to finish to build a brand new locomotive....We track test 100% of every locomotive we ship....They travel about 40 to 50 miles on the test track. We want high-speed runs and we want to do low speed run. Exercise that locomotive and all the conditions it may see out in its environment....Grand total, it varies on the model, but testing and painting takes anywhere from about 6 to 10 days." [2:14  video]

Lock and Dam #3 and T-Bridge on Muskingum River at Lowell, OH

Dam: (Satellite)

Lock: (Satellite)

Bridge: (no Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

Street View, Aug 2023

The dam is in the upper-left corner while the bridge and lock are in the lower-right corner.

Satellite

This shows water Street on the right joining McClain Street over the river.

Street View, Aug 2023

Looks like it uses steel girders.

Jody Parks posted

Another, Y Bridge on the Muskingum River.

Lowell, Ohio. A Bird’s Eye View.

[The famous Y-bridge is in Zanesville, OH.]

1870+1906 Trail/Northern Pacific Bridge over St. Louis River near Carlton, MN

1870: (no Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter)

1906: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Jen Deblieck, Sep 2025

BridgeHunter_1870

One of the abutments still uses cut stone. It appears that the other abutment was replaced with concrete, but they kept the stone wing walls.

2014 photo by John Marvig via BridgeHunter_1906

This bridge is another transition design between pin connected and riveted plates.

2015 photo by John Marvig via BridgeHunter_1906

Aaron De Baiso posted eight photos with the comment: "Absolutely pleasant weather graced Carlton County in Minnesota during the final weekend of May 2026.  This provided an opportune occasion to photograph the former Northern Pacific train bridge over the St. Louis River just below Thomson Dam.  This structure was constructed in 1906 by the American Bridge Company from New York.  It is located between Thomson Township and Carlton along the Willard Munger Trail.  Many hikers, runners, cyclists, and children were observed marveling at the bridge plus the opulent St. Louis River below.  The smell of rust added to the historical splendor of being in the company of this century old reminder of the Northern Pacific.  I am curious to know whether this bridge is along the Duluth Short Line Railroad Route.  Can somebody help me with this, please?  All photographs are from Saturday, May 30th, 2026."

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1953/64 Duluth Quad @ 250,000

I used the above map to try to sort out which BN was NP. Unfortunately, it is not accurate. But there is only one BN crossing the river, so that made it easy to find.

1969/71 Cloquet Quad @ 24,000

Low-Head Dam on White River in Batesville, AR

(Satellite)

The size of the hydraulic jump at this drowning machine caught my eye.

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In fact, it sometimes has a double hydraulic jump.

Ryan Ricklefs, May 2020

A more normal flow.

Street View, Jul 2013

1872+1887+1916 UP Bridges over Missouri River at Omaha, NE

1872: (no Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter)

1887: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter)

1916: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

1872:

BridgeHunter_1872

1887:

BridgeHunter_1887

1916:

Street View, Jun 2021

The UP Big Boy crossing the bridge in 2026 taught me that I had yet to write notes for this significant bridge.

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The two short trusses at the end indicate that this photo was taken from the Iowa side. This catches 3 of the 4 long spans.

2015 photo by John Marvig via BridgeHunter_1916

I wonder how often they have to remove debris from the top of the trail protector.

2015 photo by John Marvig via BridgeHunter_1916

John uploaded a lot of detailed shots on BridgeHunter_1916. I note these photos because they clearly show that the design is a transition between pin-connected and riveted gusset plates.

2015 photo by John Marvig via BridgeHunter_1916

2015 photo by John Marvig via BridgeHunter_1916

2015 photo by John Marvig via BridgeHunter_1916

1956/68 Omaha North and South Quads @ 24,000

After crossing the bridge, the Big Boy train soon turned North to take the former-C&NW route to Chicago.

UP_tracker

1898+2006 Quaker Bridges over Little Shenango River near Greenville, PA

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Street View, Aug 2024

"Bridge was saved from demolition almost single-handedly by Nathan Clark, Jr. Note the finials on the top at the four corners." [BridgeHunter]

HistoricBridges
This span is 124.0' (27.8m) long.

"A unique square-shaped design of decorative finials are mounted on the ends of the top chords. The portal bracing is a lattice design. V-lacing is present on the vertical members. The lacing and lattice, as well as the finials make this a very visually attractive bridge. The stone abutments, although seen frequently in Pennsylvania, are uncommon in other states like Michigan and offer an attractive seat for the bridge over other materials such as concrete. The overhead lateral bracing is tied directly into the pin on the connections via a plate with a hole in it. This is less common than the usual method of mounting the overhead lateral bracing above the top chord or in the sway bracing. The floor beams are the less common riveted girders that a fishbelly shape to them, although the floor beams do not come to a point like many fishbelly floor beams.

"The bridge was apparently locally known as the 'Friendly Bridge' because people would wave at people crossing the one-lane bridge while waiting to cross themselves."

2010 photo by Brian McKee via BridgeHunter

2010 photo by Jason Smith via BridgeHunter

This view shows the fishbelly girders that HistoricBridges described. Linda says that it was rated as 97.5 out of 100. As she observes, that is better than many bridges that we still drive over. Although that strikes me as a lot of rust for a high rating.

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