Philadelphia
Chapter WORLD'S GREATEST RAILROAD LIFT BRIDGE
Together with one of the countries finest railroad passenger stations, the City of Newark now also has in its midst what is perhaps the most outstanding railroad lift bridge in the entire world.
Although there are several two-track lift bridge of greater length, the one just completed by the Pennsylvania Railroad in Newark is the longest three-track railway lift span to be built up to the present time while the moving weight of 2,100 tons for the span and 2,100 tons for the two counterweights is exceeded only by three highway (not railway) bridges one located in Albany, N. Y, another in Troy, N, Y, and the third in Newport, England. The lift span, 230 feet between end bearings, the towers on each end 67 feet long, together with an approach span on the east end, 68 feet long, and a similar span on the west end, 96 feet long, make a total of 528 feet for the river bridge. There are approximately 5000 tons of steel in the superstructure Tracks are 17 feet center to center.
New Lift Bridge With Lift Span in Place For Pasing of Trains.
The mammoth new bridge in Newark is of the vertical lift type which raises and lowers like an elevator. The dead weight of the movable span is supported by a total of 64 wire ropes, each 2-3/8 inches in diameter, which pass over eight large sheave wheels 15 feet in diameter, at the top of the steel towers at each end of the span, and thence down to a steel enclosed concrete counterweight in each tower These together equal the weight of the span.
The tops of the towers at the center of the large sheave wheels are 210 feet above mean high water level. The tracks of the lift span are supported by an unprecedented method of hanging the continuous floor-beams from overhead cross trusses, 54 feet long, at each panel point. The transverse cross trusses which carry the weight of trains and steel into the main trusses, are 21 feet above the rail and the catenary wire is 18 feet above the rail,
When the span is seated, it will clear tops of tugboats 24 feet above mean high water and can be raised 111 feet in 85 seconds to give 135 feet vertical navigation clearance. After being accelerated to full speed the bridge has a rate of travel of two feet per second.
Officials of the City of Newark and the Pennsylvania Railroad Management join in expressing their hearty congratulations to the people of Newark upon the acquisition of this great transportation facility.
