Rating:
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B&O - Monogahela River Fink Truss Bridge

Marion County, West Virginia

Photos 

Photocopied 1972 From The New World, Or The United States And Canada, London Publishing, Library Of Congress, C. 1858. View Of Fairmont Bridge

Photo taken by Historic American Engineering Record

View photos at Library of Congress

BH Photo #153882

Map 

Description 

The first all-metal bridge on the [Albert] Fink plan, its detailing infulenced the development of pin-connection in American bridges. Longest iron bridge in the United States in 1852.

Dennis N. Zembala for HAER

Facts 

Overview
Lost Fink through truss bridge over Monongahela River on the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
Location
Farimont, Marion County, West Virginia
Status
Replaced by a new bridge
History
Fink iron bridge built here 1852; Destroyed by the CSA 1863; Replaced by indentical structure 1865; Replaced 1887
Builders
- Albert Fink of Lauterbach, Hesse, Germany
- B&O Mount Clare Shops of Baltimore, Maryland
Railroad
- Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (B&O; BO)
Design
The first bridge was an Albert Fink designed iron bridge, the longest metal bridge in the US at the time it was built. It was destroyed by Confederate troops in 1863, rebuilt in 1865 but replaced in 1887 when it was obsoleted by heavier equipment. The current modified Warren Truss was built in 1912.
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 205.0 ft.
Total length: 615.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+39.46659, -80.14775   (decimal degrees)
39°27'60" N, 80°08'52" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
17/573311/4368903 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Fairmont West
Inventory number
BH 43993 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (7,194)
Albert Fink (6)
B&O Mount Clare Shops (19)
Baltimore & Ohio Railroad (424)
Built 1852 (26)
Built during 1850s (388)
Farimont, West Virginia (1)
Fink truss (16)
Lost (23,398)
Lost 1887 (6)
Lost during 1880s (67)
Marion County, West Virginia (53)
 Monongahela River (43)
Owned by railroad (11,799)
Pin-connected (3,815)
Railroad (14,939)
Replaced by new bridge (15,621)
Span length 175-250 feet (1,946)
Through truss (14,542)
Total length 500-1000 feet (2,761)
Truss (31,937)
West Virginia (1,474)
Wrought Iron (388)

Update Log 

  • February 26, 2020: New photo from Art Suckewer
  • February 7, 2014: Updated by Luke Harden: Added railroad
  • January 31, 2010: Added by J.R. Manning

Related Bridges 

Sources 

  • J.R. Manning - thekitchenguy [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
  • HAER WV-14 - Baltimore & Ohio Railroad, Fairmont Bridge, Spanning Monongahela River, Fairmont vicinity, Marion County, WV
  • Luke
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Comments 

B&O - Monogahela River Fink Truss Bridge
Posted March 23, 2020, by Mark Tennant (mtennant6wv [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Interested in finding any pictures of this bridge when it was replaced in May 1863 with an all timber bridge after Confederate cavalry blew bridge into river on April 29, 1863. Timber bridge used until 1865 and I believe one of three spans remained timber until 1868 when finally replaced with another iron bridge.