First impressions are important. A dictionary is simple to use. I think that this gentleman's eBay ad would have appeared to be more legitimate had he simply done his homework. With relatively simple mistakes like this, one might question other facts within the ad.

Don C.

Me neither Bob, but I have run across wrought iron now and again in practical application. It has a lower tensile strength than steel, but in my experience it doesn't seem to rust away as badly as steel or as fast. Cast iron is brittle, wrought iron seems pretty tenacious and resilient. If it wasn't, it wouldn't make good horseshoes. I don't know if it crystallizes or fatigues over time or stress cycles to any more appreciable extent than mild steel.

I did run into difficulty with a riveted wrought iron bridge once - the inspector was a young man with a recent degree in civil engineering, and had never seen or calculated riveted wrought iron before. His answer was to condemn it since he didn't know how to prove it safe. My offer of a loan of 1890 era engineering texts from my library wouldn't sway him either. He just didn't want to learn anything new about anything old.

I'd surely consult with a real expert before investing in this (or any) old bridge for a practical purpose.

dave

Dave _

There is an absolutely beautiful old wrought iron trestle in Kentucky; not quite as high (but almost) nor quite as long (but almost) as the famous Kinzua Viaduct that was lost a few years ago to a tornado. It is known as Young's High Bridge and sits at the end of Bluegrass Railway Museum trackage (but is not owned by the musuem.) Norfolk Southern stopped freight service over the bridge some years ago. They were apparently worried about its safety. At the end, NS would run their trains over it without a crew aboard. They would get off and be driven across a parallel highway bridge while the train moved slowly across it, then board again on the other side. I had thought that the integrity of wrought iron could not be measured but if it could be, then perhaps there is hope for this fantastic 1880's era bridge.

Perhaps someone from BGRM can elaborate on its current status.

Les

Wilmington & Western uses a similar bridge at Ashland De. It was actually a replacement structure for an earlier wooden bridge that was prone to washing out...so the B&O, in 1907, placed a second hand, 104 foot long, 18 foot wide Pratt Truss Bridge from the Wheeling Division. It is believed to date from the 1870-80 era.

It has been in use ever since and the only issues with it is that one of the piers had to be rebuilt because it was sinking and it still needs a paint job.

This was the only bridge other than the two new ones nearer to Greenbank that DIDN'T wash away during t.s. Henri...the road bed on either side of it was scoured beyond use, but the bridge withstood the torrent of the Creek.