The Bridgehunter's Chronicles

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The second bridge in Pittsburgh that saw Big Boy’s visit was this structure: The Ohio Connection…

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Big Boy in America: Port Perry Railroad Bridge in Pittsburgh

The next two posts look at the crossings Big Boy took while in Pittsburgh. Apart from the Steelers, Penguins, Pirates and the skyscrapers, Pittsburgh is home to thousands of the finest bridges spanning the Monongahela, Allegheny, and Ohio Rivers, plus other tributaries, railroads and the like. The Port Perry Railroad Bridge spanning the Monongahela is one of them. The bridge was built in 1903…

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WATCH: Demolition of Pittsburgh-area bridge by explosion

(WKBN) — The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation demolished a bridge via explosion just after 8 a.m. Thursday.The demolition of the Interstate 376 (Commercial Street) Bridge in Edgewood Borough and the City of Pittsburgh was previously set for Wednesday but was then delayed until Thursday morning.The bridge is between the Squirrel Hill Tunnel and the Edgewood/Swissvale (Exit 77)…

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Start of Arlington Bridge deconstruction marks ‘historic day,’ Winnipeg mayor says

The century-old bridge connecting north Winnipeg to the south is coming down after being closed in late 2023. The City of Winnipeg removed the first piece on Thursday. Start of Arlington Bridge deconstruction marks ‘historic day,’ Winnipeg mayor says Built in 1912, the multiple span through truss bridge had been closed down since November 2023 and was condemned because of structural…

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Big Boy in America: Penna Railroad Bridge in Kistler, PA

Matthew Semple presented this beauty of a shot using his drone of Big Boy in action. The super loc was seen crossing the Penna Railroad Bridge spanning the Juniata River between Mount Union and Kistler. It’s a six-span stone arch bridge that according to records, represents a late example of stone arch work. Pennsylvania Railroad built this structure in 1907 replacing an iron truss span and has…

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Big Boy in America: Sherman's Creek Bridge at Duncannon, PA

Our next bridge on the Big Boy tour is the Sherman’s Creek Bridge, as photographed by Mark Thompson. This stone arch bridge features five spans and dates back to 1886. Yet, as you can see in the link below, the bridge’s history goes further back and it has to do with a bridge design that had been discredited due to two disasters: one near here and one far away. Link:…

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Big Boy in America: Rock Point Natural Area in Wanpum, PA

Matt Snyder took this gorgeous shot from the river bank. Big Boy crosses the Rock Point Truss Bridge, a three-span riveted Pratt through truss bridge that spans Connoquenessing Creek at the confluence with Beaver River. It’s near Elwood City. The present-day structure was built in 1903-04 replacing a span that had existed 20 years earlier. More information on the bridge’s history can be found…

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Big Boy in America: The Cedar Rapids Railroad Bridge

Benjamin Root took this photo of Big Boy crossing the Cedar River Bridge located just east of Cedar Rapids in Iowa. Not much about the modern structure that has been in service for over three decades, but the natural background made up for the difference as the train went across the river.

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Big Boy in America: The Reading Bridges

Steve Barry deserves a lot of credit for getting as many bridges into this picture as possible – and add Big Boy to the picture. According to Mr. Barry, the train crossed two of the five Schuylkill River crossings: one before reaching the terminal to switch directions and the other to get the beast into Philadelphia. There are five bridges coming from different time periods from front to back: A…

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Big Boy in America: Factoryville Overpass in Pennsylvania

This isn’t a bridge on fire or artwork. It’s Big Boy crossing under an arch bridge spewing smoke from the coal chimney while on route. This photo was taken up close and personal by Marie Whitley. The open-spandrel concrete arch bridge dates back a century and is located not far from the Nicholson Viaduct in Factoryville, in Wyoming County.

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Big Boy in America: The Iron Curtain Viaduct in Cleveland, Ohio

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Big Boy in America: The Oswego Bridge in New York

Here’s a unique picture of Big Boy crossing a through truss bridge at Oswego in New York State. An adjacent trestle bridge is in the background. Photo courtesy of Harry Durgin.

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Big Boy in America: Cumru Viaduct in Bucks County, PA

Source: Nester Video Productions, used with permission We haven’t presented some historic plate girder bridges and therefore we have this one to present. Big Boy crossing a plate girder trestle bridge over the Schuykill River in Berks County, PA. The bridge is over a century old but what is unique is the A-frame steel supports built on top of the concrete piers. The structure appears to have…

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Big Boy in America: Rocky River Viaduct in Ohio

Enroute to Scranton, Brian Caswell photographed Big Boy crossing the Rocky River Viaduct. The bridge features two Pratt deck trusses dating back to between 1900 and 1920. No specific information was given on its history. His photo was taken from a drone and one can see the freeway bridge in the background but even more, Lake Erie in the far back. Those who traveled on Big Boy must have gotten a…

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Big Boy in America: Monkey Bridge in Chemung, New York

Continuing on in the series, we have this photo by Michael Wanczak of the Monkey Bridge and its greetings from Big Boy as she crossed it enroute to Scranton in Pennsylvania. The two-span Pratt through truss bridge with Town Lattice portal bracing crosses the Chemung River in the town bearing the river’s name in New York State, near the Erie Canal. The bridge dates back to 1890-1900 because of the…

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Big Boy in America: Clinton Swing Bridge

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Big Boy in America: The Tunkhannock Viaduct in Nicholson, Pennsylvania

Right in time for the Fourth of July celebrations, we have one of the best attractions on the journey: Big Boy crossing the Tunkhannock Viaduct. The bridge is one of the most popular crossings in the US and one with a unique history that is worth watching in a documentary. Some information on the bridge include the following: The Tunkhannock Viaduct (also known as the Nicholson Bridge) is a…

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