What's New on the PRR Panhandle 2.0?

[J. S. Bach]

Ahh, progress; your most important product. It is looking great. I looked for that bridge when I crossed the Ohio but Galliopolis turned out to be many miles down-river, darn it!

[G3750]

Ahh, progress; your most important product. It is looking great. I looked for that bridge when I crossed the Ohio but Galliopolis turned out to be many miles down-river, darn it!

Gallipolis?

This bridge crosses the Ohio River between Steubenville, OH and Weirton, WV. It's miles upstream from Gallipolis, OH.

George

[rogruth]

There is also a railroad bridge just north of Gallipolis across the Ohio. It is not as awesome as the Steubenville bridge.
Awesome. Did I say that? Egads.
There is another bridge on the south side of Steubenville that may still be in use. It was owned by the steel company.

[G3750]

There is also a railroad bridge just north of Gallipolis across the Ohio. It is not as awesome as the Steubenville bridge.
Awesome. Did I say that? Egads.
There is another bridge on the south side of Steubenville that may still be in use. It was owned by the steel company.

You're right, Roger. The bridge south of Steubenville is the Labelle Bridge (named for the iron works that built it). It's still there.

I agree that the Steubenville bridge is the most awesome. Imagine that!

George

[G3750]

Updated 12/12/2018:

It's been awhile (a month ) since I posted some progress. In that time I have acquired a part-time job. Anyhow, I managed to get some time this morning to attach the bridge to its western (Steubenville) abutment.

The first step was to cut and place wedges at the correct angle between the abutment and the wall attached to the bridge.
This is the southern end of the western abutment (nearest the viewer). It shows the wedge from the top.

BenchWork_200_.JPG (126.53 KiB) Viewed 3774 times

Here is the view from underneath (actually within) the abutment. I used a 3" screw to drill through the benchwork, the wedges, and the wall holding the bridge.

BenchWork_201_.JPG (137.16 KiB) Viewed 3774 times

This photo shows a top view of the wedges at the northern end of the western abutment (farthest away from the viewer).

BenchWork_202_.JPG (124.44 KiB) Viewed 3774 times

I used a piece of tape as the depth indicator when deciding how far I should drill. I didn't want to penetrate the wall holding the bridge.

BenchWork_203_.JPG (141.93 KiB) Viewed 3774 times

Underneath the abutment we are looking at screw that holds together the benchwork, wedges, and wall attached to the bridge.

BenchWork_204_.JPG (131.34 KiB) Viewed 3774 times

And finally, here's the "L" reinforcement holding the wall to the river bed piece of benchwork.

BenchWork_205_.JPG (149 KiB) Viewed 3774 times

George

[J. S. Bach]

Ahh, progress; your most important product. It is looking great. I looked for that bridge when I crossed the Ohio but Galliopolis turned out to be many miles down-river, darn it!

Gallipolis?
This bridge crosses the Ohio River between Steubenville, OH and Weirton, WV. It's miles upstream from Gallipolis, OH.
George

I just re-read my post and realized my error! Now I know what your post meant; which I could not figure out at that time!!

[G3750]

Ahh, progress; your most important product. It is looking great. I looked for that bridge when I crossed the Ohio but Galliopolis turned out to be many miles down-river, darn it!

Gallipolis?
This bridge crosses the Ohio River between Steubenville, OH and Weirton, WV. It's miles upstream from Gallipolis, OH.
George

I just re-read my post and realized my error! Now I know what your post meant; which I could not figure out at that time!!

No biggie!

George

[Rufus T. Firefly]

In that time I have acquired a part-time job.

You got the possum wrangler job, right?

[G3750]

In that time I have acquired a part-time job.

You got the possum wrangler job, right?

No, honey-dipper!

[G3750]

Updated 12/17/2018:

Over the past few days I have re-thought my plan of attack for installing the bridge. Specifically, I have decided to construct the C&P River Route tunnel portal and surrounding scenery below the western end of the bridge, as well as the terrain on the WV side BEFORE putting the bridge in place permanently. These areas will be difficult to reach and work with if the bridge is there.

Photos of the western area:

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Benchwork_226_.JPG (133.54 KiB) Viewed 3729 times

Photos of the eastern area:

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Benchwork_231_.JPG (152.24 KiB) Viewed 3729 times

Benchwork_232_.JPG (135.31 KiB) Viewed 3729 times

I want the area east of the stone arch to have a cross-section that looks like this:

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All of the above means that while we have the bridge and piers in place temporarily, we must mark those locations, remove the bridge, delineate the river boundaries, perform the western portal and track work, do the eastern landscaping (rough), and then put the bridge in place permanently. That's the rough order of things, near as I can figure it. I'm sure there will be some adjustments.

I was originally going to plant some cat-tails along the banks of the river, but it is moving water (pretty good clip 2-4 mph?). Looking at some photos of the riverbank, it seems that trees grow right up to the bank and overhang it, so that's what we're going to do as well. There will be a dead tree near the base of Pier 1 (the shorty) as well as some junk.

George

[chuck]

You can probably get away with some stands of cat tails on the east bank. Not necessarily on the bank per se, but in ay low areas form the bank to the stone arch. While they are an indicative species of a "wetland" we used to say the tended to grow in any land that was wet. You can see them popping up in any low part of a freeway median if there is enough rain and the soil's drainage is poor.

Looking at the site from Google Earth it looks like their is a "pond" there between the RR bridge and the bluffs that turn into the river valley just downstream of the bridge.

[G3750]

You can probably get away with some stands of cat tails on the east bank. Not necessarily on the bank per se, but in ay low areas form the bank to the stone arch. While they are an indicative species of a "wetland" we used to say the tended to grow in any land that was wet. You can see them popping up in any low part of a freeway median if there is enough rain and the soil's drainage is poor.

Looking at the site from Google Earth it looks like their is a "pond" there between the RR bridge and the bluffs that turn into the river valley just downstream of the bridge.

Chuck, that "pond" or backwater has been there for a long time (well over 100 years). This is from construction of the 2nd bridge (1880). It's pretty big as well. I've stood on that spot with the smoking building.

Backwater_001_.JPG (215.11 KiB) Viewed 3722 times

Here are a couple of more modern photos of the area. Plenty of opportunities for junk and cat-tails here!

Backwater_011_.JPG (265.27 KiB) Viewed 3722 times

StoneArch_001_.JPG (43.74 KiB) Viewed 3722 times

George

[rogruth]

George,
Is that on the West Virginia side?
I'm still amazed at how different the water is now from when I left the area.

[G3750]

George,
Is that on the West Virginia side?
I'm still amazed at how different the water is now from when I left the area.

Yes, that is the WV side. The water should look much cleaner to you. Does it?

Of course, the last 2 photos show the "pond" in the dead of winter. That's ice.

George

[chuck]

There ya go, you could even put some ducks in the pond!