February 4, 1900 Setting Girders for a bridge at North Manchester Indiana Lawrence Baggerly Collection.
I agree, mechanical engineering was at its zenith during the late 19th Century, much like micro-electronics is today. That lift structure required more complex engineering than the bridge itself. Thanks for finding and sharing this photo Roger.
Great photo. In a DL&W book I have, the author calls wooden framework such as this "falsework" and I've always liked the term. I looked it up to find "temporary construction work on which a main work is wholly or partly built and supported until the main work is strong enough to support itself." Neat.
I know they do similar work today, but I would have loved to see it done back then, with the less sophisticated tools and equipment of their era.
You guys all beat me to the engineering comments. Build a structure to support building another structure. As an engineer, I wonder with all the controversy and hand-wringing about no longer exporting our plastic trash to China, why can't our brilliant scientists come up with a way to dispose, eliminate evil plastic? I know burning works, but that would set off an environmental outcry. Off my soap box now.
Here's a sample 1913 photo of the DL&W's falsework in building Martin's Creek Viaduct in Kingsley, PA. I also read that the DL&W's falsework timbers could still be found strewn lineside many decades later. These must have been massively heavy. The DL&W loved concrete and advanced its use with great success.
I believe that this was the page that LEW was talking about. http://madisonrails.railfan.net/lewman27_nmwaterstop.html
I agree with you Fitz, but I think the whole idea is profit motivated. The biodegradable "plastics" are probably more expensive to produce. Not only that but what is needed is to change the mindset of humanity into recycling plastics v. pitching them in the garbage or the water.. I remember my Army basic training days. We would have "police call" several mornings a week to pick up trash. Now this stuff was discarded by fellow GIs who knew darn well that someone else would have to pick it up. It's a mindset. My rant over. Charlie
