Schuylkill Arsenal Railroad Bridge

Schuylkill Arsenal Railroad Bridge

Schuylkill Arsenal Railroad Bridge, looking east from upstream
Coordinates 39°56′36″N 75°11′30″W / 39.94333°N 75.19167°W / 39.94333; -75.19167
Carries CSX Harrisburg Subdivision
Crosses CSX tracks, Schuylkill River, Schuylkill Expressway
Locale Grays Ferry neighborhood, eastern approach, University City neighborhood (western approach) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Other name(s) Arsenal Railroad Bridge, Arsenal Bridge
Owner CSX Transportation
Preceded by 1862 single track
Characteristics
Design deck truss spans
Material wrought iron
Total length 832 feet
Longest span 192 feet
No. of spans 9
Piers in water 3
Statistics
Daily traffic open

Schuylkill Arsenal Railroad Bridge is a wrought iron, two-track, deck truss swing bridge across the Schuylkill River in the University City neighborhood in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.[1] It was built in 1885–86 by the Pennsylvania Railroad. Today, its swing span has been fixed shut, and the electrical catenary de-energized.

The bridge is named for the Schuylkill Arsenal, which operated from 1799 to 1926 near the bridge's eastern approaches.[2] Its western approach runs past the University of Pennsylvania's Meiklejohn Stadium.[3]

In January 2014, a CSX train carrying crude oil derailed on the bridge.[4]

Original bridge

The 1886 bridge replaced the original Arsenal Bridge, which was built by the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1861 and put in operation on January 27, 1862[5] as part of the Delaware Extension. It carried a single track over three wrought-iron spans on stone piers and a central center-pivot swing span.[6]

See also

References

  1. Messer, David W. (2000). Triumph III: Philadelphia Terminal, 1838–2000. Barnard, Roberts and Co. pp. 293–294. ISBN 978-0-934118-25-5.
  2. historical lewis and clark vasco at l3-lewisandclark.com
  3. "Meiklejohn Stadium". University of Pennsylvania. 2004-07-01. Retrieved 2009-06-11.
  4. Bunch, Will (January 21, 2014). "Crude-oil tankers go off the rails above Schuylkill". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved January 21, 2014.
  5. Triumph III: Philadelphia Terminal, 1838–2000. p. 286.
  6. Triumph III: Philadelphia Terminal, 1838–2000. p. 293.
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