In reading my latest issue of Invention & Technology magazine (published quarterly by Forbes), I was fascinated to find out that the Kinzua Viaduct was saved from the scrappers torch in 1959. According to the article, "it remained a working viaduct until 1959 when the Erie Railroad shut down the line. Nick Kovalchick, a scrap and salvage dealer, got the contract to demolish the viaduct, but could not bring himself to destroy such a beautiful structure, and he persuaded the state to build a park around it". (This story was written by Katie Jaeger and appears on page 10 of volume 19)

I'd never heard this before. Is there more to the story?

The article goes on to say re-building it seems to be a popular idea among the 2000 or so daily visitors to the site.



Invention & Technology homepage
SJHussar@aol.com

Yeah, it's true, and the state will tell you so. Or at least I've heard it repeated enough times that I believe it. (For the cynics among you, no, I wasn't present and didn't personally grill Nick K. about his feelings, so as far as that goes, I'm just rumor-mongering.)

LNER4472-NOSPAM-@bcpl.net

I was there in 1988 when Sloan Cornell extended his Knox & Kane railroad the roughly three miles on the old grade back to the bridge. As I sat across from Joe Kovalchick, (Nick's son), he told the story of his father buying the bridge from the Erie Railroad. If I remember correctly Kovalchick bought to entire line to scrap and the bridge was part of the project.

Joe rode with pride seeing that his father's vision was resulting in an operating train over the bridge once again. The Kovalchick family has saved several rail properties and has made more available to trail groups to preserve.

An old lady on that special first run worried if the bridge would hold the train. Byron West who worked for Sloan assured her that, "just last week I brought 20 loads of ballast across to finish the track on the north side. If it held that load it will definitely hold us today.”


Stone Consulting & Design
garylandrio@stoneconsulting.com

> I was there in 1988 when Sloan Cornell
> extended his Knox & Kane railroad the
> roughly three miles on the old grade back to
> the bridge. As I sat across from Joe
> Kovalchick, (Nick's son), he told the story
> of his father buying the bridge from the
> Erie Railroad. If I remember correctly
> Kovalchick bought to entire line to scrap
> and the bridge was part of the project.

> Joe rode with pride seeing that his father's
> vision was resulting in an operating train
> over the bridge once again. The Kovalchick
> family has saved several rail properties and
> has made more available to trail groups to
> preserve.

> An old lady on that special first run
> worried if the bridge would hold the train.
> Byron West who worked for Sloan assured her
> that, "just last week I brought 20
> loads of ballast across to finish the track
> on the north side. If it held that load it
> will definitely hold us today.”
Wasn't Nick the one who also bought and saved-for a long time, anyway-the Lima Loco Wks. site? Could any of you give just a capsule account of the Loco site story, and why it was ultimately lost? BTW, long-delayed plans are supposedly coming together to construct an electric-generating complex on the Loco site, with one of the three remaining small bldgs housing some sort of homage to the Loco. Presumably, the State of Ohio historical marker honoring the LLW would also be moved from Lincoln Park, next to NKP 779, over to S. Main St. Stay tuned. Film at 11, or whenever.......

justighe@bright.net