I having been thinking about expanding my model of the PRR Panhandle bridge (between Weirton, WV and Steubenville, OH) by including the minor and approach spans. To do that, I had to conduct some research and get additional photographs. Specifically, I needed information on the abutments (the end piers) - where the bridge meets the ground.
We were in Pittsburgh Friday for some other business, but that created the opportunity for a side trip. So...
Let's start on the Steubenville, OH side of the river, courtesy of Google Earth. Here's the area I was scouting (Red Arrow).
The next photo is the PRR Panhandle bridge. It's taken from the end of the playground of the Garfield Elementary School (sorry about the chain link fence). We are looking eastward; West Virginia is across the river in the background.
I was very interested in the western abutment and pier structure. Here's a side shot. Unfortunately, there's too much foliage to get a great view of the structure. So I knew I eventually had to get a shot from underneath the bridge (from Route 7 South).
Here's a photo of the next pier moving eastward (across the river). Here the deck plate portion of the bridge meets the truss portion of the bridge. The area under the deck plate is a point of interest.
Here's a photo of the next pier moving eastward (across the river). I've taken lots of shots of this one before because it is right in the middle of a sand and gravel yard and readily accessible, but this was a different view. I am especially interested in the "notch" or "pocket" in the middle. Note how the notch has bridge shoes that carry the large truss while the tall "forks" have bridge shoes that carry the middle span.
By driving south on Ohio Route 7 under the bridge, we managed to get this shot of the western abutment from underneath.
OK, so let's shift our attention to the eastern (Weirton, WV) side of the bridge. This was a major focus of the expedition and I took a large number of photographs. There was a lot of glare and often I couldn't see well, but I took many shots anyway hoping the camera would see better than I could. Here's another Google Earth photo showing you the location. I actually got to the point indicated by the Red arrow, although it was defended by underbrush and ferocious grasshoppers 
.
Here is part of the pathway to the bridge. Once you come down the hill, if you turn right (north) you are looking at the Veterans Memorial Bridge (highway across the Ohio River). If you turn left (south) as shown below, the path to the railroad bridge lies before you. There were several signs indicating I was on camera, but I never saw any cameras, there were no "No Trespassing" signs, and law enforcement never rolled up on the scene. As far as I could tell, visiting the area is completely legal.
This is taken from just north of the bridge (upriver) and is probably a dozen or so feet above the shoreline.
Here we are much closer to the bridge and to water level. On the left, we see another of the "pocket" piers where the deck truss portion of the bridge meets the main span. Again you can see both pairs of bridge shoes.
The next photo shows the deck truss span as we shoot west to east (right to left). This pier is on land.
In this photo we are getting close to our objective - seeing where the bridge meets the ground. That is obscured by the tree growth on the left. To the right and under the bridge, you can see the backwater pool of the Ohio River that was visible in the Google Earth view about 5 photos up in the thread.
The next photographs are of the eastern abutment. The vegetation in the foreground appeared to be grapevines; it had been cut down and cleared fairly recently. Good to see that someone, probably Norfolk Southern, is keeping an eye on the old lady. She is, after all, 90 years old and still in use!
This is the 3rd bridge on the spot and the Railway Age article stated (and illustrated) that parts of second bridge were utilized. In fact the present bridge was built around the existing structure, which was then dismantled and removed piece by piece. Traffic was interrupted for only 1 day!
Here we get our first good look at the eastern bridge abutment. To my surprise, it is a concrete platform with a stone arch bridge sitting on top. From other photos, I expected to see a pier sitting next to the stone arch bridge. I am thinking the stone arch bridge is part of the 2nd bridge on the site or maybe even part of the first. There may be a way to tell if I can find an image of the stock certificate issued in the 1860's when the first bridge and railway company were formed. Anyway, I was a bit surprised by that.
Here's a closer view at the deck truss bridge meeting the stone arch.
Here's a closer look at the arch. I wish I had been better prepared for the occasion (rough clothing). I would have gone through the brush and up under the arch. Maybe next time!
This should give me enough information to design the additional piers and land forms for the expansion in PRR Panhandle 2.0. Hope you all enjoyed the photo journey!
This thread is dedicated to the memory of my father, John Pandelios, who would have been 100 years old on October 6.
George
