Tunkhannock Viaduct, Nicholson Pa. (Video)

How far is that viaduct from York?

Neat video. How long ago was it taken?

Stunning!

Great vid!  Couple of thoughts:

 - How the heck did the builders form the concrete arches with wet cement? I know if I was doing it, there would be huge blobs of congealed cement on the ground!

 - This majestic bridge, proudly proclaiming "Lackawana RR", is from the time when railroads were an empire unto themselves! Oh, to teleport back!

That is really beautiful work.  thank you, Jerry.

Tunkhannock Viaduct is about 25 miles north of Scranton on US11 in the town of Nicholson.

Scranton is about 150 miles north of York, thus making the Viaduct a distance of about 175 miles.
It took me less than 5 minutes to plot this, using a Pennsylvania road atlas...

From Wikipedia: Construction on the bridge began in May 1912 by excavating all 11 bridge piers to bedrock, which was up to 138 feet below ground. In total, excavation for the viaduct removed 13,318,000 cubic yards of material, more than half of that rock. Almost half of the bulk of the bridge is underground.

Here is a picture of the bridge under construction:

Jack L - Ineresting picture. There appears to be scaffolding and forms for the arch under construction. Also, there is a tower with a guy wire which presumably is for moving buckets of wet concrete for pouring into the forms. But how the heck did they do the arches? Prefab? The arches are already in place, with the remainder of the bridge yet to be built. Kind of an Egyptian pyramids mystery!

http://enjoymazars.com/nicholson-bridge-history/

THis is alink explaining how the arches were made. It's a magnificent bridge; my wife and three young sons were on one of the first excursions from Steamtown to Kingsley across the viaduct.

I was looking at some history on google, as I thought John Wroebling's (Broolyn Bridge), son Washington was involved with this bridge.

Don

Spectacular!

Peter

rail/Don - Please forgive a hideous lurch from the primary topic: John Roebling of Brooklyn Bridge fame, designed a similar suspension bridge connecting Cincinnati and Covington, KY. It is in essence, a predecessor in miniature of the Brooklyn Bridge. It is a maginificent and beautiful bridge! https://upload.wikimedia.org/w...JARoeblingBridge.jpg

Now, back to the absolutely spectacular Lackawanna Tunkhannock Viaduct!  I think I almost get how they constructed the arches. Thank you for the illuminating article and pictures. The narrative indicates it is even more spectacular then what is visible - almost an equivalent structure exists underground. Wow!!

We took a trip there over father's day this year. Here are some photos from our visit.

It's an amazing site if you ask me.

Also, here is a link for more info on the bridge

http://www.nicholsonheritage.org

Very nice! Thank you. Appreciated the mix of dramatic background music mixed with the real train sounds. 

I know the moderators normally discourage this type of obviously illegal trespassing videos, but if this guy wants to put his life at risk climbing around the inside of the viaduct, I must admit it is interesting.  I guess it doesn't look like I thought it would; also, some of the concrete work is looking a bit rough... I don't think I would trust a rusty metal ladder hanging on the outside of it.  Let's see if my link works...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W9sV5lJYxpI

FJ

Illegal though it may be, that video gives a fascinating closeup look at the construction.  Thanks.

The Nicholson Bridge is an amazing work of engineering.  My wife and I used to pass under it on our way to Vermont, and we first came upon it on a foggy morning.  There we we were, innocently driving along the two-lane highway, when suddenly this enormous concrete pillar loomed up out of the mist, towering overhead as far as the eye could see.  It was an astonishing sight.

On subsequent visits, we were there in better weather, and it's even more amazing when you can see all of it.  It helps to see it with a train passing over, to get a real sense of its huge scale.

http://www.northeastpennsylvan...NicholsonViaduct.htm

http://enjoymazars.com/nicholson-bridge-history/

WOW! That was some extreme adventure. I kept waiting for things to come to a sudden halt, many feet below. And the track above, was 3-rail. Sure the center rail was off center a wee bit.  LOL

Dan Weinhold 

Lancaster, PA.

Sorry for my ignorance, but is this a dual gauge setup?

Hope I'm in that good a shape at 100!

Don

No. The viaduct was originally double, standard gauge, tracks. The second main track has been removed for many, many years, and that "3rd rail" inside the gauge is actually a guard rail, incase of a derailment, it could keep a car/cars from "going over the side".

>> I don't think I would trust a rusty metal ladder hanging on the outside of it

A 100 YEAR OLD rusty ladder!?

So, why hasn't this idiot (and friend) been arrested?  Lets not glorify this dangerous behavior here.

Earl

I don't think anyone is glorifying the guy, just commenting on the construction of the bridge. Yes he's a daredevil who is trespassing, but the video is out there, and he was fortunate no to get caught. Two weeks ago, a friend took her daughter and niece for a walk across the bridge and back, not even realizing they were trespassing. It is a magnificent structure, and considering it was completed in 1915, with the most rudimentary equipment, makes it all the more fascinating. If I had the opportunity, and knew I wouldn't get caught, I'd do the same. I don't think anyone doing a routine inspection would post footage like this.

Don

I only live 20 minutes from this great railroad structure. I am highly considering attending the 100th anniversary in September. Funny thing is that this was posted on the forum today. One of the photography companies here in the Scranton area who specializes in aerial video posted this video for the 100th anniversary

Chris

awesome,,,bet they wouldn't build it today,,,

You're probably right, we don't solve problems anymore, and we don't build structures to last anymore.

Don

I regret that remark being a structural engineer. Lol 

No chopper shots but here are my own humble efforts:

Great post about the old tunnel, hotel  and the interurban in Nicholson. The Northern Electric had the name Binghamton in its formal title, but never went further north than Montrose Pa. and to Lake Winola on a branch. Like many interurbans, it ran out of money quickly and struggled to stay afloat through most of its life. 

Earl