Spent the day, yesterday, with my grandsons and wife enjoying some of the attractions around our area. I had purchased a crystal ball a few months ago and decided it was time to try it out at Kinzua Bridge State Park.

The Kinzua Bridge construction started in 1881 and when completed in 1882 was the highest railroad viaduct in the world at 301 feet high and 2,053 feet long. It weighed 3,105,000 pounds. Originally constructed of Phoenix Iron, stronger and lighter weight than cast iron, it was re-built in 1900 using steel to support the larger and heavier trains of the day. The new structure required 40 to 150 men working ten-hour shifts to rebuild the bridge in 105 days. The bridge then had the same dimensions but weighed 6,706,000 pounds. The bridge carried cargo until 1959 and thereafter carried passengers through the Allegany Nation Forest for sight seeing excursions.

On Monday, July 21, 2003, an F1 tornado hit the bridge and toppled eleven of the central towers of the bridge. Six of the towers were restored and now support an observation platform 255 feet above the Kinzua Creek Valley. An interesting attraction which our grandsons ask to visit each time they come to stay with us.

[SelrahCharleS]

Nice shot! Interesting story about the subject as well.

[Michail_P]

The story compliments the photo very nicely. I like the color.

[Photos-by-Chas]

Nice shot! Interesting story about the subject as well.

Thank you for stopping in and your comments. Much more information is available at the site or online.

The story compliments the photo very nicely. I like the color.

Thank you for your comments. I did have to tweak it a bit in PSE. The park is very colorful in the fall, too.

[ProfessorBuzz]

Thanks for a clever shot and the history lesson. Sounds like a unique place to visit.

[reh321]

Spent the day, yesterday, with my grandsons and wife enjoying some of the attractions around our area. I had purchased a crystal ball a few months ago and decided it was time to try it out at Kinzua Bridge State Park.

The Kinzua Bridge construction started in 1881 and when completed in 1882 was the highest railroad viaduct in the world at 301 feet high and 2,053 feet long. It weighed 3,105,000 pounds. Originally constructed of Phoenix Iron, stronger and lighter weight than cast iron, it was re-built in 1900 using steel to support the larger and heavier trains of the day. The new structure required 40 to 150 men working ten-hour shifts to rebuild the bridge in 105 days. The bridge then had the same dimensions but weighed 6,706,000 pounds. The bridge carried cargo until 1959 and thereafter carried passengers through the Allegany Nation Forest for sight seeing excursions.

On Monday, July 21, 2003, an F1 tornado hit the bridge and toppled eleven of the central towers of the bridge. Six of the towers were restored and now support an observation platform 255 feet above the Kinzua Creek Valley. An interesting attraction which our grandsons ask to visit each time they come to stay with us.

In 1994 I walked clear across the gorge with our older daughter.
It was quite a sight then - but may p[resent better photographic possibilities with the observation platform being a clear point of interest in the middle of the photo.
Looking back on my photos from then, I don't have one of the complete bridge - just one of our daughter with the bridge tailing off into the distance, and one of the train surrounded by bridge.

[MikeNArk]

That is a wonderful capture of the bridge and valley within the crystal ball. Thank you for providing the interesting back story of the bridge history. Hard to see how a F1 tornado could bring it down. Thanks for sharing the photo and story.

[reh321]

Hard to see how a F1 tornado could bring it down. Thanks for sharing the photo and story.

My recollection is that engineers had identified a problem with the bolts that connected the vertical steel supports to their foundations - but the state had higher priorities than a 'mere tourist attraction'.

[Photos-by-Chas]

In 1994 I walked clear across the gorge with our older daughter.
It was quite a sight then - but may p[resent better photographic possibilities with the observation platform being a clear point of interest in the middle of the photo.
Looking back on my photos from then, I don't have one of the complete bridge - just one of our daughter with the bridge tailing off into the distance, and one of the train surrounded by bridge.

i may be able to find a photo(film) from back when the bridge was still intact, but it would take some time. I do not have any with the train in them. I do have a couple of the observation platform, but my intent was t use the crystal ball to focus on the remaining bridge and platform. Thank you for your comment.

[Photos-by-Chas]

My recollection is that engineers had identified a problem with the bolts that connected the vertical steel supports to their foundations - but the state had higher priorities than a 'mere tourist attraction'.

That was part of the problem, when they replaced the original towers with steel ones, the bolts were not long enough to allow steel nuts to be placed on them and the expense and time to replace all the bolts was determined to be unnecessary back in 1900, so cap nuts were used. The tornadic winds reached about 112 mph. That plus the twisting action of the wind worked together to destroy the larger towers.

As for the state having other priorities than a "mere tourist attraction" the Commonwealth was in the process of restoring the bridge, beginning in February 2003,less than six months before the tornado brought it down. Yes it can be classified as a tourist attraction, but is also is a significant structure and symbol of the ingenuity of the American people.

[kanyck]

Great shot (and a story)!

[Photos-by-Chas]

Great shot (and a story)!

Thank you for stopping and looking.

[ToddK]

Terrific shot! Thanks for sharing it and the story.

[Photos-by-Chas]

Terrific shot! Thanks for sharing it and the story.

Glad you like it, thanks for commenting.

[archaeodude]

Thanks for sharing that historical vignette alongside your visual vignette! Great image!