Wilmington NRHS, Transfer Table, June 2004, Vol 26, No 3.

THE TRANSFER TABLE
The Wilmington Chapter NRHS Official Newsletter
Internet Edition

The Chapter's monthly meeting was called to order by President Phil Snyder at 7 PM. The minutes were approved as read by Vice President Ron Cleaves as was the Treasurer's Report by Ralph Stevens. There was no National Director's report. Phil Snyder spoke about the August NJT River Line - which included much discussion about possible difficulties due to heightened security about photography along the NJT.

After a little more general discussion, the 18 of us adjourned for refreshments and then the 2004 National Railway Historical Society - Wilmington Chapter's Annual Doug Weaver Memorial Photo Contest. The winners in the 2004 Photo Contest are shown below.

CATEGORY	PRINTS	SLIDES
STEAM	Joe Reed #2317 at Steamtown	Alan Patterson #1522 in Missouri
DIESEL	Alan Patterson West Chester, PA	Dan Frederick Newark, DE
HEAVY ELECTRIC	Roger Cason Kings Cross, London, UK	Mike Burkhart Newark, DE
TRACTION	Roger Cason Paris, France	Mike Burkhart Sacramento, CA
GENERAL	Alan Patterson Clifton Aldon Station on R3 Best Print For 2004	Phil Snyder Radnor Woods, DE
VINTAGE 15 or more years ago	Ron Cleaves Claymont, DE	Phil Snyder Elkview Trestle
2004 SPECIAL CATEGORY "View From Above"	Ralph Stevens Lansdowne, PA	Mike Burkhart Wallingford, PA Best Slide For 2004

Chapter Member Richard Hall is looking for prints or slides of ANY Wilmington area bridges THAT OPEN. Please contact: Richard E. Hall 500 W. Summit Ave. Wilmington, DE 19804-1814. Phone: 302-994-3911

Car Number	Date Sent		Date Back	New Car Number
2750	2/25/02	1st	9/9/03	2320
2770	2/27/02	3rd	1/29/04	2322
2738	3/18/02	2nd	12/23/03	2321
2777	6/20/02	4th	3/11/04	2323
2798	7/15/02	5th	3/26/04	2324
2741	8/8/02	6th	4/13/04	2325
2197	8/28/02	7th	4/28/04	2326
2747	9/9/02	8th	5/14/04	2327
2726 ?	9/23/02	9th	5/2704	2328
2182	10/3/02
2730	10/17/02
2758	11/4/02
2196	11/18/02
2746	12/5/02
2753	12/19/02
2158	1/2/03
2790	1/23/03
2783	2/6/03
2170	2/27/03	Parts
2181	9/9/03	Parts
2175	1/29/04	Parts
2780	3/11/04	Parts
2163	12/23/03	Parts
2191	5/20/03	Parts

Two things of great interest to most NRHS members are railroads and photography. Many others feel that way too. This did not escape the notice of John Gruber either. He is President of The Center for Railway Photography and Art Museum. He went a step further. He points out in his museum's new traveling exhibition that both photography and railroads developed simultaneously. In this new show he demonstrates the history of both parts, industrial and art. The best news is that the juxtaposition works beautifully!

The exhibition is called "Railroads and Photography: 150 Years of Great Images." It opened the month and will be on view at The Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg throughout the summer, closing on September 27. The timing couldn't be better for NRHS families looking for meaningful things to do together during the summer.

Remember, it was only about a decade after railroads really began to make their presence known in this country that Louis Daguerre developed the first practical photographic process. Samuel F. B. Morse, best known to us for his telegraphic code, was also an artist and brought the daguerreotype to our shores in 1839. Gruber points out "A view of the 1848 locomotive 'Tioga' is among the earliest of American railroad photographs is in this exhibit." A copy is also in this issue. When you visit, spend an extra moment or two with this print. It is American history at its finest.

The Iron Horse was a favorite subject of early photographers, and for many it still is. You will see some of these artists from every time period in this show.

There is no question that railroads were change agents in this nation. With it industrial pioneers reshaped our continent and made our modern America possible. Photographers were there to record every step of the way. Actually, railroads pioneered the use of the new field called now industrial photography. They used it for many things including developing an interest in passenger cross-continent travel.

There are so many great examples of great art in this new exhibit that it is hard to single out one, but I bit the bullet and cast my vote for the one of the four with this story. It was taken by Lewis W. Hine and comes to this traveling exhibit from our National Archives. Mr. Hine called it "The Engineer, The Monarch of the Rail." To me it is the quintessential railroad photo. It is the kind of art work which fired the imagination of every boy along the railroad. It was their way out of farm and small town living and while it was passing them, they were the monarchs of the rail.

When commenting on the exhibit now at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania Gruber noted, "These exceptional images suggest how deeply railroading has affected our culture, our visual heritage and our daily lives." His statement is quite true, but there is more to the exhibit than that. This is a show than can be enjoyed by those interested in the history of the art of photography whether or not they are interested in the development of the American railroad.

It is easy to trace the development of the art and science of photography as one moves through the many images. There are some excellent "human interest" photos along with pictures of rolling stock and steaming locomotives. Look at Jim Bradley's "Last of a Breed," snow shovelers walking the tracks near Carlisle Junction in Pennsylvania. It is one of those exhibits with something for all ages and those interested in a wide range of things.

Of course there are some great locomotive photos too, enough to please any chapter member's heart. As an example, look at David Plowden's "Locomotive 2412" with this story. It shows the locomotive in its last day of operation in 1960.

Of no small importance these days of tight budgets is the fact that the exhibit is included with the regular admission price at the museum. There is no extra charge. Not only can you see these great photographs, you can actually see some of the historic equipment housed in the museum and maybe get some pictures for yourself.

The museum is open Monday through Saturday from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday from noon to 5 p.m. For more information you may call 717-687-8628 or visit their web site at www.rrmuseumpa.org.

This copyrighted article was written for the "Transfer Table", the newsletter of the Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society by Chapter Member Richard E. Hall © Richard E. Hall 2004

Thanks to our "Transfer Table" Editor, a copy of the January 2004 issue of "Amtrak Ink" found its way to me by the way of "snail mail". Fortunately, the timing for him to send the Amtrak newspaper when he did was perfect, it featured an article on the Amtrak re-decking of the Gunpowder River Bridge. I had just assembled some information on the Bush River and Gunpowder River bridges whose history and many similarities have linked them over the years.

The Baltimore & Port Deposite Rail Road was incorporated by an act of the Maryland Legislature, December Session, 1831, Chapter 288, and chartered on March 7, 1832. They revised the charter changing the northern terminal from Port Deposit and built their track from Baltimore to Havre de Grace by the shortest, most direct route possible with a minimum of grades and curves. Back then, Port Deposit was spelled Deposite with an "e" on the end and railroad was two words most of the time, but not always. Probably because it was just upriver from Havre de Grace, I once saw an old document relating to the B&PD where Port Deposit was spelled Port de Posite.

One may well question why the railroad was originally planned to go from Baltimore to what may seem to be an out of the way place like Port Deposit. Of course there was a bridge at Rock Run which the railroad planners had proposed to use to cross the river. That is only part of the answer. The Baltimore & Port Deposit Rail Road was one of the early lines, planned before many of the promoters had fully awakened to the problems of grades and curvature in building and operating a railroad. There was a tendency to project railroads along the general route of the more important roads or turnpikes which existed at the time. That is why there was a bridge at Rock Run and one reason why the railroad was chartered as the Baltimore & Port Deposit Rail Road.

The railroad promoters had expected to follow the general route of the Baltimore & Philadelphia Turnpike to reach the Susquehanna River. The route of the turnpike was the Belair Turnkike from Baltimore to Bel Air and continuing across Harford County as the Baltimore & Philadelphia Turnpike to the cross roads town of Churchville. Continuing on from there to the village of Level, across to Webster and followed Herring Run down to Lapidum on the west bank of the Susquehanna River. The descent in elevation is from just over 400 feet at Level to 17 feet at Lipadum in about four miles. It would have been a formidable challenge for the railroad to have maintained a maximum two percent grade in the last couple of miles of the Herring Run Valley. Although the B&PDRR probably would not have followed through on its right to build on the Cecil County side of the Susquehanna, it might be of interest to follow the Baltimore & Philadelphia Turnpike a bit farther.

It went up out of Port Deposit on what today is the Jacob Tome Memorial Highway, but I remember when only the first mile coming up out of Port Deposit was paved. The railroad would have required an inclined plain to leave the Susquehanna River Valley at Port Deposit. After leaving Port Deposit, the turnpike passed through Woodlawn and continued straight at Cathers Corner, passing a few feet from the junction of the two branches forming the Principio Creek and on to cross what is the present Joseph Biggs Memorial Highway, modern day Md. Rt. 274, at a point about midway between Farmington and Greenhurst, an area which has also been known Collage Green.

There is a short quarter mile segment of the old dirt road here which has now been abandoned. It had become impassable and was reopened in the 1930's, but was not maintained where it passed through a couple hundred feet of marshy area and although I remember being over it, but it had become impassable again by the end of World War II and was abandoned. Up until sometime in the 1930's, the telegraph line followed that stretch of the road with poles having four or five cross arms with multiple pins, insulators and wires on each arm.

The turnpike continued on through the cross roads community of Brick Meeting House, now known as Calvert. The later proposed original but un-built "Southern Route" for the later Philadelphia & Baltimore Central Railroad would have crossed the old Baltimore & Philadelphia Turnpike between the present Rt. 274 and the modern cross roads village of Calvert.

On leaving Brick Meeting House, the turnpike veered north-east and continued on, but there was known as the Philadelphia & Baltimore Turnpike as it followed the road to Lombard. In the 1930's, north of the cross roads in Calvert was paved to Oxford, but the old turnpike had followed it for only a few hundred feet. Just north of the Brick Meeting House cross roads, the turnpike had turned right in a north-easterly direction toward Lombard.

Going straight trough the tiny cross roads village of Lombard, which is located close to the Maryland-Pennsylvania State Line, the turnpike crossed into Pennsylvania and continued through New London, it skirted just below West Grove and continued on through Avondale to Philadelphia. Today it is difficult to believe that route over the old unpaved dirt roads was at one time used as a main road for both passengers and freight traveling overland between the cities of Philadelphia and Baltimore.

As a little extra, a very short distance above Woodlawn on the way to Cathers Corner, the modern Tome Highway, the present day Md. Rt, 276, swings off and goes up through West Nottingham, passing west of Rising Sun. Back in the era of the Baltimore & Philadelphia Turnpike, the road through West Nottingham continued on up into Pennsylvania. It served as a main road from Lancaster to reach tidewater at Port Deposit. Sections of that road were abandoned long ago. There were several sections of the turnpikes in Baltimore and Harford Counties which were not favorable to building a railroad. Had the B&PD followed the turnpike route and elected to build a branch in Cecil County, the terrain was no more favorable continuing into Pennsylvania, either through Calvert or West Nottingham.

he B&PD was one of the first railroads proposed to be built to Port Deposit, but the promoters soon learned following the Baltimore & Philadelphia Turnpike route was not a good idea. Several lines presented plans to reach Port Deposit from the east. None made it. Some, including the PW&B, had proposed using an inclined plain to reach the Susquehanna Valley.

In order to avoid having too many grades and a minimum of curvature, the Baltimore & Port Deposit Railroad was built on the lower land a little closer to the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay area which introduced a new problem. The engineers would have to contend with bridging the many creeks and rivers flowing into the Chesapeake Bay or add undesirable extra mileage and grades. The railroad line managed to skirt the wider portions of the smaller Back River and Middle River, but there was a problem. In order to reduce the mileage and grades, the line would have to cross the wide Gunpowder River and Bush River for the revised railroad line to Havre de Grace.

As originally planned, the B&PD was to build to the west bank of the Susquehanna River and be allowed to cross the river with tracks placed on the existing bridge at Rock Run, provided the Bridge Company invested a specified $100,000, sizable amount back then, in the railroad. The Rock Run bridge was located just above the north end of Port Deposit. It was not a continuous structure, two islands were crossed on the west side of the river and those open sections served as fire brakes. Horses were to pull the railroad cars across the bridge, the use of steam locomotives on the bridge was prohibited by the charter. The B&PD was also to be permitted to build branch lines in Cecil County, but they were prohibited from building a bridge across the Susquehanna River within five miles of Rock Run.

Although the B&PD built to Havre de Grace, they were still obligated by their charter to build a line to the west bank of the river across from Port Deposit. A special act was passed to revise the charter relieving the B&PD from the obligation to build to Port Deposit was passed on January 17, 1833. The original construction was poorly carried out and almost the entire railroad and many of the bridges soon had to be rebuilt after the line was opened.

The first bridge crossing the Gunpowder River was a single track 5,238 foot wooden trestle built in 1837, rebuilt in 1848, received extensive repairs in 1856 and was rebuilt again in 1888. There were additional repairs made in other years, some of them rather extensive. Most of the repairs involved replacing the stringers and bridge timbers or bridge ties as needed. The overall length of the trestle work was reduced 228 feet by filling in 1860, but details are not available. The law stated the draw span was to be opened promptly for river traffic, which caused a few problems.

The very early draw spans were manually operated and were generally a bit slow in opening despite the best efforts of the bridge tender, but that was not good enough for some of the captains wanting to pass through the draw. One Captain wrote to the President of the PW&B complaining he had been delayed a few minutes because the draw span did not open soon enough. It made no difference to the boat Captains if the draw couldn't be opened because there was a train on the bridge, they wanted it opened promptly!

The early draw bridges did not have smash boards, but they did have a rather primitive form of signaling and interlocking. The signal board or lantern for the draw span was located in a framework high above the span for visibility.

The "danger", or red stop signal, had to be displayed before the draw span could be unlocked and the signal could not be changed once the draw was open. The white "clear", or proceed, signal could only be displayed when the draw span was closed and latched. White was the old color for clear or proceed and was still listed as such in the 1910 PRR rule book. Green was the indication used for proceed with caution, not used on a draw bridge signal, and was not adopted as the color for proceed until after 1910.

It is difficult for us today to realize what a bridge keepers job must have been like in the late 1830 era when the PW&B first opened. Initially there was no shelter provided on the draw span for the bridge tender, the bridge tenders house or draw bridge house, was not provided until later in 1838. A bridge tenders wages on the PW&B initially was only about $20 per month which does not seem like much considering the working conditions and long hours, even for that long ago era.

The wooden truss draw span was one of three PW&B bridges destroyed by fire in April 1861 and it was rebuilt in 1862. The fire was set by Southern sympathizers under the direction of I.R. Trimble, the former Superintendent of the PW&B, who later became a Confederate Major General and was captured by Union Forces at Gettysburg. Mr. Trimble, with 160 southern sympathizers disguised as policemen and militia men burned a bridge on the Northern Central in Baltimore, then went to Canton and waited for the night mail train to arrive.

The PW&B mail train, pulled by the New Castle built locomotive "America", with engineer A.O. Denio, fireman Bowie Rollins and conductor Charles Howard, was seized at gun point at 3:14 AM. Trimble loaded his men in the three cars and started toward Havre de Grace with the intention of scuttling the steamer "Maryland" and burning the bridges. The train stopped only at Back River and Magnolia where the telegraph operators were taken captive, but when the train arrived at Back River, both the engineer and conductor told Trimble they could not proceed due to a freight train on the line.

Trimble's men set fire to timbers stored there for bridge repairs, then set fire to the 70 foot long Howe truss draw span and waited until it was destroyed, then backed the train to the Gunpowder River Bridge. The raiding rebels from Baltimore then burned the Gunpowder Bridge draw span which was the same type 70 foot Howe truss as at Bush River. They next attempted to destroy the smaller Back River bridge but were unable to completely destroy it. The timbers of that bridge had been whitewashed with a salt and alum fire retardant solution.

As a result of the damage from the raid, President Felton of the PW&B armed 200 men as bridge guards. While guarding the trestle, they were employed in painting the bridge timbers with a whitewash solution containing salt and alum to serve as a fire retardant. Baldwin turned out an armored car with a six inch cannon mounted in one end and small drop doors covering the end opening through which it could be fired, with six similar openings on both sides at that end. There were 18 rifle ports higher up on the side. Inside the car, there was a dual purpose bench placed down both sides of the car for the men to sit on while the car was moving. The other purpose for the bench was for the riflemen to stand on to fire out through the small rifle ports in the side of the car.

There was one small door for the men to enter and also to load the gunpowder and cannon balls. It was located in the opposite end of the car from the cannon. There was a very large opening in the top of the car for ventilation and for gunsmoke to escape, with a light roof to keep out the rain placed about six inches above the opening. The weak point of this car seems to have been the limited angle covered by the six inch gun through the end of the car. The bottom seven feet of the sides iron clad tapered outward, then the top three feet tapered inward, which seems preferable to the flat sides of the cars built for the US Military Railroads.

The USMR cars had two small cannon which could be fired out to the sides of the car, but not the end. One such USMR armored car in a train on the B&O met with the misfortune of having a well placed round from a Confederate cannon enter the car through an open cannon port. Damaged track had prevented the train from moving and the Southern troops piled ties around it and set it on fire. Like the PW&B car, the heavy planked sides of the USMR cars were also iron clad.

The PW&B armored car had unique trucks fabricated from iron plate and a short 3_ foot wheelbase. The armored car was to aid in protecting the line below Havre de Grace, but primarily to protect the bridges. Although the PW&B had gone to great lengths to aid the Federal Government in moving military material, troops and their equipment, the railroad received neither financial aid in replacing the bridges and only a little aid in protecting them.

The Gunpowder River Bridge was damaged by fire a second time during the Civil War. During Maryland Campaign of General Lee in 1864, Major Harry Gilmore was ordered by Jubal Early to circle around the north side of Baltimore with his rangers and burn bridges on the Northern Central and PW&B. They succeeded in burning the Northern Central bridge over the upper Gunpowder and proceeded to the PW&B bridge, arriving at Gunpowder Station which was north of the bridge, in time to capture and burn a passenger train at the station according to the Major's report.

Some of the statements later made by Major Gilmore are contradicted by information which was later obtained from other sources. For example, it was later found that only part of the locomotive cab and no cars were burned there. The following seems to be about what occurred at the Gunpowder River in 1864. After burning the locomotive cab on the train, Major Gilmore found the bridge protected by 200 infantry men and the gunboat "Juniata".

After capturing the train, Major Gilmore found a company of the Fourth New York Infantry was protecting the north end of the bridge. The Major said later he had ordered a Captain Bailey to drive the union forces from the bridge, but he never arrived there. The second train was set on fire, then started moving southward toward the bridge, but it was moving slowly and some of the Union soldiers were able to board the train, but it was a short distance on the bridge by the time they were able to stop it. It did set fire to and burn a section of the trestle under the burning train. Major Gilmore then made a hasty withdrawal from the area.

The June 1871 issue of "Regulations Governing Employees Upon The Main And Branch Lines of the Philadelphia, Wilmington And Baltimore Rail Road Company" page 57, rule 96, gives a speed restriction by clearly stating passenger trains were never to cross the Gunpowder River Bridge in less than five minutes and freight trains were not to cross in less than seven minutes. The same rule book also illustrated the white target, or panel, with a white light at night, to show the draw span was closed and locked, and the red target with a red light at night, to show the draw was unlocked or open.

When the Gunpowder River Bridge was changed from single track to double track, the original trestle was rebuilt and expanded so the bridge remained in the same location. The original bridge had two piles and two batter piles. Ice breakers were added later. The double track trestle retained the two piles under the original track and added six more piles, but the two under the new track were not spaced the same as under the original track. There were no batter piles as braces for the trestle, only two relatively short piles placed at an angle to serve as ice breakers. The original 12"x 12" stringers under each rail were replaced by two 10"x 16" stringers with ogee washers to separate them. The original nine foot single track bridge timber to support the rails and guard timbers was replaced by 7"x 10"x 21 foot bridge timbers to support the two sets of rails and the guard timbers.

The track structure was supported on seven foot high bents resting on top of the piles. The sills were carried on a 12"x 12" x 29 ± foot cap supported by six 12"x 12" x 5 foot timbers with a 10"x 12" batter at each end. They rested on a 12"x 14"x 24 ± sill timber resting on top of the pilings. The ends of the sill timber were at an angle for the ice breakers to rest against. The bents for the Gunpowder Trestle were placed on 12 foot centers, the Bush River bents were the same but were placed on 12'6" centers. The draw bridge locks and signals underwent a number of changes over the years as new and improved designs and methods became available.

There has not been anything found to indicate there was ever a problem with the Gunpowder draw as occurred at the Bush River Bridge in 1883. An otherwise unidentified heavy freight locomotive ran into the open draw and settled below the water in several feet of mud. The PW&B hired Mason & Co., marine wreckers of Baltimore, to undertake the task of raising the engine from the mud in the bottom of the river. It cost the PW&B $1,000 to have the engine raised from the mud and placed on a barge. In the same era, new stringers and bridge timbers, or ties, were placed in both the Gunpowder and Bush River trestles in 1884.

Additional work was done on the Gunpowder River Bridge in 1890, and while the available information does not tell us, apparently the width of the draw opening was increased. We do know the General Superintendent sent a letter on April 18, 1890, stating as follows "Subject. Draw bridges over Bush & Gunpowder Rivers to be replaced. Mr. William H. Brown, Chief Engineer. Dear Sir; The existing draw bridges over Bush and Gunpowder Rivers, will have to be renewed this year, and from the comments made by Mr. J.T. Richards, I infer that the present structures are not to be perpetuated, and should be replaced by draw spans of a more approved design. Will you kindly, at your convenience, furnish me with the necessary plans to renew these structures with draw spans conforming to any design, which in your judgment, would best meet our requirements at these points, and oblige; Respectfully Yours, H.F. Kenney General Superintendent." At least six companies are known to have submitted bids to supply the fabricated steel work with bids ranging from 3.3 to 4.8 cents per pound of finished work.

The PW&B contracted with A.& P. Roberts & Co. of Philadelphia on September 13, 1890 to provide complete, ready for erecting, a 91 foot long, double track, plate girder draw span and all related machinery for the Gunpowder River Bridge. The contract also covered a new span for the Bush River Bridge and both spans were to be delivered by December 12, 1890. There were PW&B drawings #750 and 751, dated 12/27/1889, listed in the PW&B ledger of drawing numbers. PW&B drawing #3833, dated 1892, was for both the Bush River and Gunpowder River draw spans. The PRR probably revised those numbers and I have not been able to find the available PRR bridge drawings. When the PW&B was in need of replacing the Christiana River draw bridge in 1891, a letter from the Superintendent to the Chief Engineer, William H. Brown, requested a single track draw span "similar to that furnished for the Bush and Gunpowder Rivers."

By the early 1900 era, the PB&W was looking for a way to replace the wooden trestle across the Gunpowder River with some other means in 1909 and prepared plans. It was no easy matter to replace the trestle, not something they could do without state and War Department authorization. The PRR Legal Department advised the PB&W of the following regarding a new crossing for the Gunpowder River. First, they could not lawfully reconstruct the bridges across the Bush and Gunpowder Rivers unless it was done strictly in accordance with the State of Maryland Act of April 2, 1836.

Second, the Act of April 2, 1836 was quite specific the bridge must be on piling and the minimum spacing between them. Neither plan mentioned any provision for a draw span as required by the law of 1836. Third, the proposed crossing, referred to by the lawyers as a stone and gravel embankment, would require a new Act of Legislation by the State of Maryland, they had to approve of what the railroad wanted to do and pass an Act of Legislation authorizing them to do it.

Fourth, the opinion was the railroad would not be able to overcome the objections to the plan. Fifth, the Army Engineers and the Secretary of War had to approve the plans of what they wanted to do, but they could give no authorization to do it. The plan was rejected by marine interests, the State of Maryland and the US Army Engineers.

A document headed "Drawbridge Statement, June 18, 1908", was divided into several types of service. Of course the Gunpowder draw bridge was listed under "Main Line Passenger", Maryland Division, and the speed limit was given as 30 MPH. Other headings were; "LIFT RAILS LOCKED, BUTT RAILS LOCKED, PROGRESS OF WORK UNDER AUTHORITY APPROACH LCK'G, EQUIPPED WITH STEEL GUARD RAILS, EQUIPPED WITH SMASH BOARDS and REMARKS". There was a "Yes" under the "Smash Boards" heading and under "Remarks" was "out of service; rails spiked", all of the other spaces were left blank for the Gunpowder Bridge draw span.

A drawing for the first proposed crossing of both the Gunpowder and Bush Rivers is dated July 22, 1909, was for a cement decked, plate girder bridge. It proposed seven piling driven through the mud and layers of sand below the river bed and into a firm layer of clay. The seven piling were to be grouped so a six foot diameter cylinder of half inch iron would fit down over them through the deep mud and half way through the first layer of sand. There was one cylinder under each track, placed on 13 foot centers, spaced on 40 foot centers for the girder spans. The iron cylinders were to be filled with cement, rounded on top along both sides of the six foot deep by two foot wide cement cap which supported the two girder spans for the two tracks. Both sides of each seven panel girder was to be covered with wire mesh and two inches of cement mortar.

Two 12 foot wide pre-cast reinforced deck sections with the joint mortared made the 24 foot wide deck for the ballast and track. Depending on the tide and river flow, there was only about seven or eight feet clearance under the five foot deep girders. No information is available as to what was proposed for the draw span with this bridge.

The second proposed crossing was a combination of stone fill with the required draw span and a few short spans to allow flow so the river was not completely obstructed. The fill was to have consisted of large stone filled to a total height of about 41 feet from the mud and sand in the bottom of the river.

There was to be 6.5 feet of stone above the surface of the river, 4.5 feet ± depth of water, about 30 feet of soft mud under which is a more firm layer of mud and sand into which about five feet of the stone penetrated. It was to have been 46 feet across the top of the large stone, at a depth of about 31 feet, it was to have been 82 feet wide near the bottom of the soft mud, then the bottom tapered in as it penetrated the mix of mud and sand. The 46 foot wide top of the large stone fill was to have a 36 foot wide, open "V" extending down 20 feet. The open "V" was to be filled with a much smaller stone extending two feet above the large stone, trimmed to 34.5 feet wide at the top with a 27 foot wide bed of stone ballast to support the two tracks.

A new alignment was surveyed in 1911 for locating a new bridge to cross the river a few yards downstream from the old wooden trestle, maintaining the two 25 foot wide channels through the draw span and raising the elevation of the rails in the new track about 5.5 feet above the rails on the old trestle. The new alignment was to diverge at a point some distance north of Gunpowder Station and rejoin the old alignment well below the Harewood Park Station.

The PRR engineering Department designed a double track viaduct to be supported on concrete piers resting on a foundation of 38 wooden piling, each 14" diameter, driven through the 50 foot deep soft mud on the bottom of the Gunpowder River. In addition, there were to be four batter piles on each side, with the tops one third of the way in from the edge, in line with the tracks. Two more batter piles were to be driven on each end, at right angle to the tracks. The batter piles were to be driven with 1:6 batter, tops even with the other 38 piling.

The foundation for the piers being a cement block 10 feet by 30'7" wide and 6 feet deep, cast in place and extending 2.5 feet below the tops of the piling. The top of the foundation was about level with the bottom of the river. The same set of drawings were to be used to cover building a new Bush River Bridge.

The ballasted track was to be carried on a pre-cast concrete deck. The PRR had drawings and specifications for several standard lengths of pre-cast concrete decks consisting of two sections. There are outside sections with an upward projection along one side to retain the ballast, and flat inside sections. Two outside sections made a single track decked bridge, placing two inside sections between two outside sections made a double track decked bridge.

There were holes in the cement slabs for steel dowels to keep the sections from creeping after they were in service. Drain holes were cast in the deck sections for water to drain out. The joint where the slabs butted together was normally covered with cement mortar n order to seal the joint to prevent water from seeping in. Water seeping into the joint and freezing could damage the bridge floor over a period of time.

The PRR submitted the drawings to Gustav Lindenthal and George B. Francis, Consulting Engineers of New York City, in October of 1911. They acted quite promptly and had submitted a report to Samuel Rea, First Vice-President, PRR, by the end of the month. Their report on the design as prepared by the PRR engineers was presented with very few suggestions for changes and provided some insight as to how some of the work was to be performed.

To cast the large cement foundations on top of the piling, a channel was to be dredged the width of the river where the bridge was to be located. The depth of the channel was sufficient to place the top of the foundation about level with the mud in the river bottom. Of course coffer dams were used when the piling were being driven and the cement foundation and pier were being poured. The War Department required all material dredged from the bottom of the river for the foundations must be placed behind bulkheads or be removed to a point where it could not find its way back into the Gunpowder or any other navigable river.

The Engineering Department was preparing for accepting bids for the new bridges when the Superintendent sent an interesting letter to the Chief Engineer, Mr. A.C. Shand, on February 10, 1912. "-Concerning draw in Gunpowder Bridge,- In discussing the work at Gunpowder Bridge with your contractors it should be definitely understood that they cannot open the draw on this bridge to get material through the same. This draw has not been opened for several years and is not signaled in any way, so they should be told it is impassable. Of course, we do not want to advertise this fact any more than necessary." After reading that, it is interesting to see the contract for the new bridge specified the draw mechanism must be capable of opening the draw within three minutes of receiving a signal.

On March 5, 1912, W.W. Atterbury, fourth Vice President, PRR, sent a letter to Mr. A.C. Shand, Chief Engineer, regarding the Bush and Gunpowder Bridge contract. "Referring to the attached bids for the construction of Bush and Gunpowder River bridges; you are authorized to place the contract for those bridges with Henry Steers, Inc., and Brann & Stuart Company on their revised bid, with the understanding -" That was followed by two conditions as listed below.

1st pertained to the contractors responsibility if he went ahead and ordered material before the War Dept. gave their approval. If the contractor ordered material and the permit was denied, the railroad was not responsible for any financial loss to the contractor.

2nd stated the work was to be completed prior to January 1, 1913. The last paragraph was interesting and may have cast a shadow on Mr. Shand's future with the PRR. "In connection with these bids I want to record my disapproval of the manner in which they were handled. I can only say that if it were not so important that the work be done promptly I would ask that you re-advertise for bids. However, in view of the necessity for the early completion of these bridges, I do not see that you can now do other than award to Henry Steers, Inc., and Brann & Stuart on their revised bid."

The contract was awarded to Henry Steers, Inc., and co-contractor Brann & Stuart Co., Inc., on March 6, 1913. The second line stated that it was agreed and distinctly understood the draw span in the existing bridges could not be opened more than once a day. On March 19, 1912, Robert Shaw Oliver, Asst. Secretary of War, signed his approval of the bridge work, with a list of seven conditions to which the approval were subject.

Of those, the 2nd was for the existing structure was to be removed from the river within six months after the new bridge was completed and placed in service. That included removing all of the piling from the old trestle and the draw pivot pier. The sixth was interesting considering the previously mentioned letter regarding the old draw span. "6th That the draw mechanism shall be capable of opening the draw span within a period of three minutes from the time of signal." The 4,962 foot long bridge was opened to traffic on September 17, 1913.

Southward there is a slight grade descending at 0.07 toward the Gunpowder Bridge for about a mile and a curve to the right. Northward, there is a grade of 0.04 through "Gunpow" interlocking to the bridge. At about the center of the Gunpowder River Bridge is the dividing line between Harford and Baltimore Counties.

In September and October of 2003, Amtrak rebuilt 73 feet of the bridge, a 30 foot thru girder and a 43 foot long deck girder where the draw opening had originally been. The Gunpowder ceased to be of any great commercial importance for navigation long ago. The depth near the north shore in the area of the railroad bridge was two feet when the present bridge was built in 1913, along the south shore by the bridge it is four feet. The depth in the area of the old draw span was generally about five feet. My Coast Guard chart for the upper Chesapeake Bay is dated June 1913, no doubt the modern day depths are much less than shown on the old chart.

The draw span was long ago made a fixed span and the open deck converted to a ballasted deck by placing timbers across the steel girders with side timbers to retain the ballast. As part of their Northeast Corridor upgrading, Amtrak installed concrete ties on the bridge in 1980 and 140 lb. welded rail on track 3 in 1970, to the south of Gunpowder had been done in 1966, but north of the bridge was not done until 1985. Track 2 on the bridge did not receive welded rail until 1983, with the track north of the bridge being done in 1984, just to the south had been done in 1980.

Back in 1992, Amtrak posted the speed limit for the Gunpowder Bridge as 125 MPH for passenger trains on both tracks in either direction. Freight trains were authorized to operate at 45 MPH, a far cry from the long past era when that had been the maximum speed allowed for passenger trains crossing the old draw bridge.

In 2003 Amtrak replaced the old girders and rotting timbers with new concrete encased steel girders and pre-cast concrete deck slabs replaced the rotting deck timbers. The work on track 2, the southbound track, was completed during September 2003, with the northbound track 3 completed by November 1, 2003. The Assistant Division Engineer, Bill Brenemam was quoted in "Amtrak Ink" as saying the work had required five weeks of preliminary work before the actual work on the bridge was undertaken.

It was necessary to plan in detail in order to coordinate the work between several work gangs. They were identified as the Bridge Rehab Gang R-901, Mid-Atlantic Division Track, Communications and Signals, Electric Traction and a System Track production gang. The Amtrak paper also said some of the materials needed were fabricated by Bridge Fabrication Gang H-109 here in Wilmington.

As described in "Amtrak Ink", the work involved removing the rail and ties panel by panel, removing the ballast and dismantling the old timber decking. New concrete beams were installed and concrete deck slabs to support the track, much like the slabs the PRR had used on the fixed spans of the bridge. Once the slabs were ready the track panels were replaced, the track was then ballasted. The "Amtrak Ink" article said the surfacing and aligning was done with their high speed Continuous Action Tamper" and then welded.

That is far removed from the old time way of doing track work which I remember. Can you imagine an Amtrak gang using the old pry bars and tamping picks on their track? Of course the track level should not be a stranger to them, but I wonder how many of their track supervisors can use a spot board? One thing is sure, reminiscing about "the good old days" is OK up to a point, but it would take a darn good eye to match the accuracy of the infra-red beam and other modern technology to line and surface track. A power tamper is sure a whole lot faster, more uniform results and much easier on the muscles.

It would have been interesting to have watched the work if it had not been out in the river. One photo in "Amtrak Ink" showed a very interesting high- ail truck crane, but unfortunately no details about it were given.. You know a crane is going to catch my eye, of course my way of doing it would have used a locomotive crane. Of course it would have been slower and tied up a track more than their truck crane. Another point of interest, Amtrak people did the bridge work, not a contractor.

This article for the "Transfer Table" is dedicated to our Wilmington Chapter member Ed Thornton, with the sincere wish he may have a rapid and full recovery from the stroke which he suffered. It was Ed's copy of the "Amtrak Ink"monthly newspaper which found its way to me and contained the article which served as the inspiration to do this work for our NRHS Chapter newsletter.

Notices, announcements, schedules, etc. are provided here as a service to the members. The Chapter has no affiliation with any commercial operation, museum, or tourist line.

Now 'til whenever - America on the Move at Smithsonian Nat. Museum of American History largest-ever exhibition, has a companion Web site with material from the exhibition, plus behind-the-scenes accounts of the making of the exhibition and more stories from curators about our objects and their place in American history-focused looks at topics ranging from maritime history to motorcycles, from racing to radiator emblems, and an examination of broader issues such as migration, gender, globalization, and technology. A powerful search tool will provide access to hundreds of objects in the transportation collections. http://americanhistory.si.edu/onthemove

Now through Monday, September 27, regular RR Museum of PA hours. RAILROADS & PHOTOGRAPHY: 150 YEARS OF GREAT IMAGES: The locomotive and the camera grew up together and the iron horse soon became a favorite subject of photographers. This exhibit features outstanding photographs of railroads from across the United States, compiled by the Center for Railway Photography & Art of Madison, Wisconsin, and suggests how deeply railroading has affected our culture, visual heritage and daily lives. During regular hours at the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in Strasburg throughout the summer.

NOW - through December 31, 2004, Mail in Motion: The Railway Mail Service - Steamtown. A special exhibit, entitled Mail in Motion: The Railway Mail Service is currently available for public viewing in the Changing Exhibits Gallery at Steamtown National Historic Site. This collection of photographs, documents and artifacts focuses on the significant role that American railroads played in the delivery of the mail in the 19th and 20th centuries.

June 19-20, 2004 Great Scale Model Train Show - Timonium 9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD. www.gsmts.com

Thursday, July 1, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday, July 2, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, July 3, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday, July 4, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. READING RAILROAD DAYS @ RR Museum of PA : Remarkable Reading Railroad trains of eastern Pennsylvania history, tours of Reading Company equipment; huge, operating model RR & special presentations.

July 30 - August 1 - TrainFestival 2004
Dennison Railroad Museum and the Ohio Central Railroad to have America's Largest Celebration of Railroading in 2004. Many different steam locomotives, diesel locomotives, track cars, model trains, art exhibits will be on display at this three-day event. Excursions will operate at the event and to the event from Columbus and Pittsburgh. For more information and to purchase tickets visit www.TrainFest2004.com

JULY 30 - AUGUST 2, SPECIAL PASSENGER TRAIN TO LEAVE PHILADELPHIA, PA WITH STOPS IN HARRISBURG AND PITTSBURGH ARRIVING IN DENNISON FOR TRAIN FESTIVAL 2004 If you are interested in purchasing tickets for this exciting adventure, contact Bennett Levin at juniataboss@att.net, or 215.504.2760 [see http://www.trainfestival2004.com/prrpress.html]

Saturday, July 24, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. RAILROAD KIDS DAY @ RR Museum of PA : Sing along with popular railroad songs, hear traditional and fanciful railroad stories and learn important railroad safety tips during this weekend of activities designed especially for young railroaders and their families.

Thursday, August 19, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Friday, August 20, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; Saturday, August 21, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.; and Sunday, August 22, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. RAILROAD CIRCUS DAYS @ RR Museum of PA : It'r the fun of the big top in colorful and exact miniature. See scale model replicas of circus trains, equipment and performances, displayed by the David Deacon Blanchfield Ring of the Circus Model Builders International. Included in the regular Museum admission.

Saturday, September 18, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. RAILROAD KIDS DAY @ RR Museum of PA : Sing along with popular railroad songs, hear traditional and fanciful railroad stories and learn important railroad safety tips during this weekend of activities designed especially for young railroaders and their families. Included in the regular Museum admission.

Saturday, October 2, 2004 through Sunday, April 10 (2005), regular Museum hours. FAMOUS EASTERN PASSENGER TRAINS OF THE 20TH CENTURY @ RR Museum of PA : & The purpose of travel is not merely to reach the goal, but to find enjoyment en route, stated literature from the Pennsylvania Railroad. This exhibit recalls the days of elite passenger train travel through historic photographs and artifacts, where you glimpse life on board famous trains like the Pennsylvania Limited, Broadway Limited, Crusader, Royal Blue and the Twentieth Century Limited. Included in the regular Museum admission.

October 9-10, 2004 Great Scale Model Train Show - Timonium 9-4 Saturday, 10-4 Sunday, Maryland State Fairgrounds, Timonium, MD. www.gsmts.com

Friday, October 22 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. and Saturday, October 23 from 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. HALLOWEEN HAUNTING @ RR Museum of PA : A ghostly evening as you visit the haunted, cavernous Railroad Museum. Kids and adults: come in costume! Jack O-Lantern Station for young children and the faint of heart features seasonal crafts and other activities. Halloween tickets may be purchased in advance in person at the Whistle Stop Shop museum store ages 3 to 12: $4.00 per person and ages 13 and over: $6.00 per person. Halloween tickets will be available beginning February 3, 2004.

October 23 & 24, 2004 Fall at Auburn Heights, 1 - 4:30? PM, ride 1/8 scale Auburn Valley Live Steam RR, see Stanley Steamers & Antique Std. Gauge trainsAdmission $10, Children $7, for info http://www.auburnheights.org or 302-239-6379

Saturday, November 6, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Sunday, November 7, 12:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. TRAINS & TROOPS @ RR Museum of PA : Guys and gals in uniform, experience many splendid railroad and military archival exhibits and displays, enjoy patriotic music and learn the significant role railroads played time and again in the defense of our nation.

Saturday, November 6, 7:00 p.m. to 10:00 p.m. TAKING THE SWING TRAIN 40S DANCE @ RR Museum of PA : Jump, jive and swing to the popular Sound of Roses live band among the trains in the Railroad Museum's awe inspiring Rolling Stock Hall. Come in uniform or &lsquo40s clothing! Dance tickets should be purchased in advance by phone at (717)687-8628, ext 3008, in person at the Whistle Stop Shop museum store or on line at www.rrmuseumpa.org, using a printable ticket request form. Special savings combination ticket per person for the dance and for both days of Trains & Troops: $30.00; General public dance ticket per person: $20.00. Dance tickets will be available beginning February 3, 2004.

November 7, 2004 Railroad, Steamship, Transportation Artifacts Show 9 AM - 4 PM Montgomery County Fairgrounds, Gaithersburg, MD www.gserr.com

Saturday, December 11, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Saturday, December 18, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. HOME FOR THE HOLIDAYS @ RR Museum of PA : Nostalgic glimpse at holiday rail travel. Meet costumed engineers, conductors, ticket agents and passengers representing the past century; enjoy seasonal music and festive decorations and the Jack Frost Station for young children.

December 27 & 28, 2004 Holidays at Auburn Heights, 1 - 4:30? PM, ride 1/8 scale Auburn Valley Live Steam RR, see Stanley Steamers & Antique Std. Gauge trains. Admission $10, Children $7, for info http://www.auburnheights.org or 302-239-6379

Thursday June 17, 2004 7 PM Chapter Meeting program by Bill Folger program entitled: The Red Arrow

Thursday Aug. 19, 2004 ? PM Chapter Trip Circle Trip to "Yet-To-Be-Determined" (Marcus Hook to new New Jersey Transit from Camden-Trenton? ) instead of the normal monthly meeting

Sunday Dec. 5? or 12?, 2004 5 PM Holiday Dinner program by ? Instead of the normal monthly meeting

The Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society (NRHS) meets at 7:00 PM on the third Thursday of each month [except August & December] in the Darley Room at the Claymont Community Center on Green Street in Claymont, Delaware. Visitors are always welcome. Admission to regular meetings is free. Check out our Website, thanks to Russ Fox at: http://www.WilmingtonNRHS.com

The Transfer Table
The Transfer Table is published six to ten times per year as the newsletter of the Wilmington Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society. Items in this publication do not represent the official position of either Officers or Members of the Wilmington Chapter or the Editor of this publication.

Permission to reprint articles and news items appearing herein is granted to NRHS Chapters and other newsletters provided appropriate credit is given. Contributions are always welcome and should be sent to the editor at SD40GMA@aol.com or send to: P.O. Box 1136, Hockessin, DE 19707-5136. Deadline for entries is the 25th of the month.

    Chapter Officers
    President:   Phil Snyder
    Vice President & Historian: Ron Cleaves
    Treasurer:   Ralph Stevens, Jr.
    Secretary:   Dan Frederick
    National Director:   Tom Posatko
    Editor: Greg Ajamian
    Education Fund:   Ed Thornton
    Public Relations:    Frank Ferguson, Jr.
    Trip Director & Event Photographer: Bruce Barry
    Web Master:   Russ Fox