PRR - Ronks & Ardmore Haupt Bridges
Photos
PRR - Ronks Haupt Bridge
Bridge being loaded for movement in May 2002
RR Museum of Penna.
View this photo at rrmuseumpa.org
BH Photo #360050
Description
The bridge was designed by Pennsylvania Railroad assistant engineer Herman Haupt in 1851, built of cast and wrought iron in Altoona, and probably installed on the Philadelphia and Columbia branch sometime in the 1850s, where it carried trains over a creek or similar obstacle.It was removed from the Main line some time after the Civil War when the engines became too large and heavy for its 60 ton weight limit. It was installed sometime in the 1870's or 80's as a vehicular bridge connecting two halves of a farmer's field just west of Ronks, PA, where it remained in service until May 2002.
Amtrak removed the bridge and installed a new one May 5-7, 2002 and set the two main trusses in an adjacent farmer's field for donation to the Railroad Museum of Pennsylvania in nearby Strasburg. Each truss weighed in at just over 13 tons.
The bridge structure is one of the oldest surviving iron railroad bridges in the United States, and the only complete example of its design with the shoes, Pratt trusses and cast iron arch intact. There is reportedly only one other bridge surviving of this type, a 90 foot incomplete example in the Altoona Railroaders Memorial Museum in Altoona, Pa. A similar bridge, the Church Street Bridge in Ardmore, Pa. that was missing its arch was removed in 2007. (And is located here also.)
Facts
- Overview
- Haupt through truss bridge over Amtrak (former PRR) on Private farm road
- Location
- Ronks, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania
- Status
- In Storage
- History
- Built 1851, Reused as road bridge Ca. 1870; Placed in storage 2002
- Builder
- - Herman Haupt of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (Designer)
- Design
- Haupt through truss with arch
- Recognition
- Eligible for the National Register of Historic Places
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +40.02834, -76.17330 (decimal degrees)
40°01'42" N, 76°10'24" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 18/399887/4431562 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Leola
- Inventory number
- BH 73100 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- July 31, 2021: New photos from Grant DiDomizio
- June 18, 2021: Updated by Chester Gehman: Edited name since both truss pairs are located here.
- December 31, 2018: New photos from Jodi Christman
- July 25, 2018: Updated by John Marvig: Removed false damage report
- April 12, 2018: Updated by Amanda: Fix, not destroyed by fire but damaged
- August 9, 2016: New photo from Alexander D. Mitchell IV
- August 7, 2016: Added by Alexander D. Mitchell IV
Sources
- Alexander D. Mitchell IV
- Historicbridges.org - by Nathan Holth
- John Marvig - marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com
- Jodi Christman - masterofchaos [at] outlook [dot] com
- Chester Gehman - gehmanc2000 [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Grant DiDomizio - grantdidomizio [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
https://www.flickr.com/photos/117592822@N04/albums/721576567...
here are photos
The arson reports first surfaced on the American Society of Civil Engineers website, which is otherwise perfectly legitimate, so to me there was all the reason in the world to take the story as legitimate. If it were Wikipedia, Pinterest, Facebook, or other similar social media outlets, then there would be more reason for scrutiny, but given the circumstances I cannot fault Amanda for taking the story as truth. At least we all know what’s going on now!
So Amanda posts bogus information, is asked for proof, then apologizes and all of a sudden its great job Amanda for great news fake news.
These bridges can be repaired, they were saved for a reason
I guess I'm with Luke, check your facts before you post and maybe less hyperbole.
Too cool....love it
Being a bridge hunter means the best news of the day is a bridge isn't actually destroyed.... Thanks for uncovering the truth Amanda!
Workin' Bridges with the Bach gang has studied this bridge for reuse and it is awesome. I wondered how it could be destroyed when it is on the side of a parking lot in grass. There is some intention to restore both or utilize in display.
It would be awful if fire could destroy those cast iron trusses, can you provide a source? There are two bridges there, Ardmore and Ronks.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/pa/lancaster/prr-ronks-haupt/
Here are Ardmore pics from same location. Don't even know if there is an entry, didn't find it on a quick search.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/117592822@N04/albums/721576567...