# Have you heard of or seen "The Sciotoville Bridge"?



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

Hello All,

I have a new project. I’m building “The Sciotoville Bridge” Here is a bit of information about this bridge



The


----------



## Bills (Feb 20, 2008)

*RE: Have you heard of or seen "The Sciotoville Bridge"?*

Wow, good luck! what material are you going to use?


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

We were talking about this project on chat a week ago. This thing is BIG...BIG BIG BIG. You really don't get a feel for how large it is until you see a train on it. Here's the best photo I can find of a train on the bridge.

http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=86924&nseq=12305 

Somewhere, there's a photo taken from river level of the whole bridge...with a train on it...but I can't find it.


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

*RE: Have you heard of or seen "The Sciotoville Bridge"?*

Thanks Mike, that pic really gives some perspective of HUGE!! 

John


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Have you heard of or seen "The Sciotoville Bridge"?*

That's a BIG bridge!


----------



## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Have you heard of or seen "The Sciotoville Bridge"?*

Why so large and stout I wonder? The long length between the supports?


----------



## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: Have you heard of or seen "The Sciotoville Bridge"?*

And all those trusses within trusses. I wondered about that too. Somebody was very worried about strength.


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dwight Ennis on 06/20/2009 1:22 PM
Why so large and stout I wonder? The long length between the supports?

Main line...long coal trains...186,000 lbs per car...one support in the middle...750' span...BIG motive power...250 ton diesels...four of them...now...2-6-6-4s... before...heavy...HEAVY

On...and the steel/iron ain't light either


----------



## rivets (Jun 17, 2009)

Gustav Lindenthal designed the Sciotoville Bridge for the C&O as well as the **** Gate Bridge in New York City for the New Haven. He was involved in many large, heavy bridges in his career. I thought an N-scale model would have been cool but for G will be incredible. What a project!

Here is a website with more info and photos: http://www.historicbridges.org/ohio/sciotoville/index.htm. It is long due to government requirements for a navigable river. Gov requires 750' clearance between obstacles. In that spot the Ohio channel shifts from one bank to the other depending on water level. Hence 750' clearance on both sides of the single center pier.

Also, it is remarkable not only because if the size of the members but because it was once the longest continuous truss, a risky design that, while saving some metal weight, requires all three piers to be dimensionally stable. That spot on the Ohio is bedrock all the way across so it worked. It is also a riveted rigid truss as opposed to a more primitive pin connected bridge that is easier to design but less rigid. Lindenthal is kind of a hero I guess for this bridge fanatic (hence "rivets").

John


----------



## Richard Weatherby (Jan 3, 2008)

*RE: Have you heard of or seen "The Sciotoville Bridge"?*

I wish someone would make metal lattice like that. Similar to the stuff Central Valley made in plastic in HO. With lattice pieces we could make all kinds of bridges. Steve from GMM started a truss support but the set up charges where incrediable. Maybe Iron Dan could consider some lattice pieces.


----------



## rivets (Jun 17, 2009)

I made an HO truss bridge kit all of etched brass including the lacing/lattice. It looked great, sold pretty well but was very expensive to have produced. In a large scale, laser cutting would be a good choice if someone in this hobby already owns the business, otherwise I imagine the length of the cut would cause the price to be high. The other odd thing is that even though it all looks the same on many bridges the beams and lacing vary considerably. Perhaps a small range of sizes that fit some small C-channel could be workable.

John


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

*RE: Have you heard of or seen "The Sciotoville Bridge"?*

I know a fairly easy way of making the lattice; it will still be alot work to do for the hole bridge. I will only use it at key points to give the bridge a close as possible look to the real thing.


----------



## MasonsDad (Feb 7, 2008)

Hiya Dan that looks pretty similar to the Bridge I built last year and yes there is a way to make EASY lattice work I found out completely by accident. I can say mine didnt span 40 feet though, good luck and cant wait to see it


----------



## Allegheny (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By MasonsDad on 06/23/2009 7:03 PM
Hiya Dan that looks pretty similar to the Bridge I built last year and yes there is a way to make EASY lattice work I found out completely by accident. I can say mine didnt span 40 feet though, good luck and cant wait to see it 

OK, how long are you going to keep us all in suspense?

Brian


----------



## KYYADA (Mar 24, 2008)

*RE: Have you heard of or seen "The Sciotoville Bridge"?*

You must have a really big creek in your yard! I can't think of the name of the drawbridge in Louisville but I like it too. I will have to do a search at work..... 

Johnny


----------



## MasonsDad (Feb 7, 2008)

Posted By Allegheny on 06/24/2009 4:50 AM
Posted By MasonsDad on 06/23/2009 7:03 PM
Hiya Dan that looks pretty similar to the Bridge I built last year and yes there is a way to make EASY lattice work I found out completely by accident. I can say mine didnt span 40 feet though, good luck and cant wait to see it 

OK, how long are you going to keep us all in suspense?

Brian 




AAAHHH my Dear Brian thats an Ancient Chinese Secret LOL I will post how I do mine when I get a collection of pics its kinda hard to explain without pictures, please bare with me


----------



## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes, I am familiar with that bridge. I drove under it twice in the last 14 days, once on June 13th on our way to my wife's family home in Dublin, Indiana. We use Ohio Route 52 for part of our trip. We drove under it the second time on June 20th on our way home to Roanoke.
It is a very impressive bridge. Another, smaller railroad bridge also passed beneath it, carrying NS tracks over a small creek. The smaller bridge would look at home on most garden railroads, if scaled down to one of the LS scales. It is also of steel or iron beam construction.

Yours,
David Meashey


----------



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

*RE: Have you heard of or seen "The Sciotoville Bridge"?*

Holy guacamole!!! That's a monster of a bridge! I'm looking forward to seeing how you construct it.


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

Hello Guys

I’m sorry for keeping you in suspense…I started working on the bridge last week and this is what I have so far, is not much but at least I got the ball rolling. I decided that I will build the bridge in 2 sections that will bolt together. Here are a few pictures. 

Here I'am laying down parts and measuring things.





















Now to the fun part...welding










And after a little while...the first side of the first half of the bridge










By the way that is Johnny helping me with this 20 feet long section










Wow I just realize I have a lot left to do









I will keep you guys posted


----------



## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

YOW! What "scale" is this going to be?


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

One big bridge you are building there. Just looked this bridge up in my bridge manual really cool. Later RJD


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

The bridge will be double track wide and will be used for G scale trains it will span a total of 40 feet. The materials I’m using are: 2” x ½” x 1/8” channel for the main frame, ½” square tubing for the main verticals and 3/8” square bar for the diagonals.


----------



## Idraw4u (Aug 19, 2008)

That is going to be AWESOME!!! 40 feet??? 
Oh to have the time, tools, know-how, $, and space for a project like this ) 
Best of Luck I can't wait to see trains crossing it!


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

OK...for you mainline GRR folks...THIS is the effect that this bridge is supposed to effect. 










NOTE...there is a train on this bridge.


----------



## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

I think it is a great project, but what are you going to do with it? That thing is bigger that your whole house!


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Yo...Dan. Got any more photos of the bridge being built???


----------



## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW[/b]

Now that's a bridge!! Must subscribe to this thread.... !!!

Thanks for sharing Dan!!!


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

Hello Everyone, [/b]
[/b]
Sorry to keep you waiting but I wanted to build up some suspense to keep you guys on the edge of your seats. [/b]
[/b]
I’m just kidding...I attended the National Convention in Denver to showcase some of my new products. That was a nice show I got to see some nice layouts and met a lot of great people. I will have to get this bridge done soon because I need to have it done before going to the Heart of America Railroad Show in Kansas. Anyone going? [/b]
[/b]
A lot of you guys have been asking where is this bridge going. Well unfortunately it is not going on my layout, even if I wanted to, I don’t have a big enough property for this bridge. I’m building the bridge for my friend Charlie in Chillicothe, Ohio. The bridge will span over a pond and it will be the center piece of his layout. I don't know if I mentioned this before but I'm also building 2 - 3 ft. long deck trusses on each end just like the real one has. 

[/b]
[/b]
Any way I won’t keep you waiting any longer, here are some pictures of the progress so far.[/b]









[/b]
* 










*




















[/b]









[/b]









[/b]









[/b]









[/b]









[/b]



















[/b]









[/b]









[/b]









[/b]









[/b]









[/b]









[/b]



















[/b]



[/b][/b]



[/b][/b]


----------



## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Wow Dan looking great, Bridge that is, you are still an old FART, That will surely be a masterpiece when you are finished, alot of planning, and I am sure a couple of OH $#$% I did not see that or figure on that. Been there many times myself. Be sure and bring some pictures to KC. I will be there, I am bringing my Mashville Station for the contest, Say are you coming up I-44 through OK city and Tulsa to 71 north to KC? Let me know, if so your 25 miles from my shop,
That is a great job
Dennis


----------



## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

WOW!


----------



## tom h (Jan 2, 2008)

That is amazing, that is going to be a big WOW factor!! You have to show pics when its in, I want to see this guys layout!!

Tom H


----------



## up9018 (Jan 4, 2008)

Holy C-Rap that is ONE BIG BRIDGE!!!!! Looking Good Dan, keep us posted!


----------



## silverstatespecialties (Jan 2, 2008)

WOW, I love it!!! Thanks Dan, keep those photos coming!!


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Fantastic.....just freakin' fantastic.


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

It's a beautiful work of art! 

Johnny sure has aged during fabrication! 

John


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

[/b] WAIT[/b].... after further review, I'm only seeing HALF of the bridge. Where's the other half...or isn't it built yet? 

I've determined that a wreck on this bridge might be a problem to unsnarl...


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

*Hi Guys thanks for the great input, I'm glad you're enjoying it. We have some more pictures and videos of us building it and we'll have it up for you soon. Here a link to one of the videos.*



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBbsF8hyj8M

[/b]
Hey Dennis e mail me your address and phone number and well se if we can make it. I would really like that. 
[/b]


----------



## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Are you going to deliver it yourself, Dan..... Freight must be a buck or 2.... 

WOW!!!!!! That is a great project.


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

I’m Back,[/b]
[/b]
Mike you’re right that was only half of the bridge… but…this is really exiting… the bridge is done and ready to go to get powder coated! [/b]
[/b]
It was hard to get a good shot of the whole length of the bridge. I hope you guys can see it well enough. [/b]
[/b]
It’s going to be a little tricky to get it shipped out. That was one of the reasons that it is made out in four sections. [/b]
[/b]
Here it is the G scale version of the Sciotoville Bridge. Manufactured at Eaglewings Iron Craft enjoy…






































































By the way this is bridge is gaining some popularity... Our friends Tony and Nancy stoped by, they wanted to see the bridge after we told them about it. 











Also Robert, Rose and Rob stopped by to see it.






















[/b]


----------



## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Dan 
That is really impressive, when that gets installed that will be a real attraction, that will be the talk around that area in the model railroad arena, not just G scale, for a long time. I hope you get some photos outside before it leaves, set a couple pieces of track and a couple engines for size comparison. The owner may have to install a red beacon light on the very top, for airplanes.








Dennis


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Like I said....fantastic. Dan, you REALLY did this one nice. I'm looking forward to more of those videos too. Great stuff.


----------



## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Dan........ Yes, that IS most impressive. Fabulous job. Will be awaiting images of installed on the layout.


----------



## rpc7271 (Jan 2, 2008)

So how are you doing with this bridge. I want to see a video of a train crossing that bridge!


----------



## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Dan that thing is AWSOME. great work... Now lets see what i can sell to pay for one of these bad boys, i have just the spot......







as always your work is 2nd to none.


----------



## MasonsDad (Feb 7, 2008)

Now that looks Awesome !! you guys did a BEYOND fantastic Job !!


----------



## stardust39 (Mar 25, 2009)

I would like to add my thanks, Dan, for the excellent posts and construction pictures of the scale model of the "Limeville Bridge" (as us native Kentuckians prefer to call it ; ^ ). During the years that I lived in Ashland, Kentucky and for all the years since that I have traveled back home to visit my late sister and my brother, the Limeville Bridge was, and still is, a high point of train watching along US 23 (the "C&O side" of the Ohio River).

You brought back many fond memories, I am looking forward to seeing the installation.

Thanks again,


----------



## Ray Dunakin (Jan 6, 2008)

Holy cow! That is too cool!


----------



## Mike O (Jan 2, 2008)

Dan, 

That is incredible. Thanks for showing the construction pictures - a real labor of love. 

if anyone wants to see more pictures of the prototype go to the C&O Historical Society web site www.cohs.org . Search Sciotoville and set the results per page to 50. Scroll over the entries that have thumbnails to enlarge them. 

Mike


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

I can't seem to close my mouth or stop the drooling.


----------



## Daniel Peck (Mar 31, 2009)

What would the cost be for something this BIG!!!!!! and how many man hours do you have in it!


----------



## dltrains (Jan 2, 2008)

Beautiful build Dan. like the quick lattice work, although something tells me it's not all that quick.I can see the two halves, but you said 4 pieces for shipment mind a rough idea of where the breaks are?


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I sent Dan a number of e-mails wonder if he recieved them??? 
Marty 
[email protected]


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

Thank you everybody for all the positive comments. It was a lot of fun building the bridge. Hopefully we'll get pictures of the installation soon. I'll be nice seeing it with a couple of trains running on it. 

DLTrains - The breaks are every 10 ft. We tried to make those as unnoticeable as possible 

Thanks everyone, 

Dan.


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

Dave 

Good memories...This is one of the manyh things I love the most about this hobby. That is also how I started; I always wanted to have a layout because of my childhood memories of an HO set that my brother and I shared when we were growing up.

Dan


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

Childhood Memories of the Sciotoville Bridge...

I “Google” Sciotoville Bridge from time to time, and I was comparing Google to Bing and found your blog/article about the construction of the bridge at Sciotoville. 

I grew up visiting my grandparents in Sciotoville, Ohio and I have many memories and family “lore” stories of the Sciotoville Bridge (for example, my “nutty” uncle purportedly walked across the TOP of that bridge in his mis-spent youth…and rumor has it that he rode a bicycle across the top…but few believe that one. Those upper members are as wide as a sidewalk…they are huge. 

He DID get some buckshot in his rear-end one time due to playing around on that bridge. He and some buddies were climbing down to the pier, and the fellow below him had a small gauge shotgun slung over his shoulder. Somehow it went off, and my uncle got it “in the rear”. 

So the story goes…his Mom (my “Grandma Doc”) found out when she went to the basement to do laundry and found his buddy digging the shot out of Uncle Owen’s behind with a pocket knife. 
My Grandparents were Dr. and Mrs. S.E. Moorhead. He was the town dentist and they lived on Gallia St. They had four children: Owen, Doris, Frances (my mother) and Ruth. Owen was the wild one that got into all sorts of trouble in the late 20’s and 30’s, in his teens I suppose. So, most of the wild stories concern my now-deceased Uncle Owen Moorhead, of Sciotoville, Ohio. He was a dentist in his adult life there, too. And now his son Tom Moorhead (maybe retired) is, or was, a dentist in Sciotoville. Three generations of dentists in Sciotoville…all Moorheads (S.E., Owen and Tom). By the way, S.E. stood for Simeon Erastus…quite a treat for us kids to talk about. I understand why he used “S.E.”! 

My grandparent’s house was among about 10 or 12 that were torn down for the widening of that highway leading east out of Portsmouth (through Sciotoville) in about the mid-60’s, I think. Gallia (Galia?) was a two lane highway at the time, and my grandparent’s house was on the south side of the street, backing up to two sets of tracks and the Ohio River. 

Children 1 and 2, Doris and Owen stayed in the area and raised their children (my cousins) and we would visit from Tennessee at least a couple times each year (a looooong drive through the curvy roads of Kentucky back then…and I got carsick every time). 

In the late 50’s we kids played on the Ohio side of the entrance to that bridge so many times…cowboys and Indians, outlaws, etc. This was “back in the day” when we kids would run out of the house after breakfast and not be seen until dinner time…or darkness.

I can remember so clearly being up there and us kids watching trains go in and out of that bridge. Sometimes we would walk out onto the bridge, but most of us were terrified that we’d be caught when or if two trains came at the same time. I don’t think there was a LOT of room for a person on there with two trains at the same time. 

There were steep hills to climb to get up to the bridge. My cousins were absolutely clear that “Uncle Owen” had at least walked across the top of that bridge…all the way to Kentucky. I really think he probably did. 

And, as I said, rumor had it that he rode a bicycle across the top…and knowing Owen I would not doubt that he at least TRIED it. Probably chickened out. But like I say, in person those girders (or whatever you call them) are VERY wide…I’ll bet about as wide as a sidewalk. At least from my memory they are. Heck, you probably know how wide they are. 

There are also a couple sets of tracks that run perpendicular and well below the tracks on that bridge, down along the Ohio River. Those tracks were right behind (and I mean maybe 100 feet from) my grandparents house on Gallia. Whenever a train came along I would run down to those tracks and stand maybe 6 or 10 feet from the trains as they would whiz by, feeling the rumbling, feeling the wind, feeling the coal dust blow off their coal-car loads. Oh, we kids had so much fun then. My cousin Doug (the third of Doris’ kids) supposedly got “caught” on the other side of one set of tracks when a train was coming the other way, and laid down between the two trains passing in opposite directions until he was clear. Probably cried for a week after that. 

One conductor (engineer?) (or someone) called my grandpa one time because one of the cousins was throwing fruit (or rocks?) at the trains as they went by. Perhaps my grandpa made it up and was just trying to scare us…probably. 

But back to the bridge…when in Sciotoville that bridge dominates every scene and view…it is such a part of that little town of course. 

I would appreciate it if you would send my contact information to the fellow in Chillicothe and he can contact me if it’s O.K. if, IF I am ever in that area again…to drop by and see the bridge you built, installed in his yard. 

I hope so. Because, that, sir, is a MAGNIFICENT accomplishment! Congratulations! 

*
Marty Haynes* [/b]


----------



## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Posted By Nicholas Savatgy on 19 Aug 2009 05:37 PM 
Dan that thing is AWSOME. great work... Now lets see what i can sell to pay for one of these bad boys, i have just the spot......







as always your work is 2nd to none

Dang Nick, you better get TWO in case ONE breaks HAH LOL The Regal


----------



## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Posted By blueregal on 13 Oct 2009 08:00 PM 
Posted By Nicholas Savatgy on 19 Aug 2009 05:37 PM 
Dan that thing is AWSOME. great work... Now lets see what i can sell to pay for one of these bad boys, i have just the spot......







as always your work is 2nd to none

Dang Nick, you better get TWO in case ONE breaks HAH LOL The Regal 



Id have to sell you another triplex Jerry.........







Dont hate the player hate the game??????????


----------



## smcgill (Jan 2, 2008)

I did have the opportunity to meet Dan @ the Fall East Coast show in York. Super nice Guy. I voiced my awe of his bridge. He said when he does get the pics he'll try to post them! I can't wait!!


----------



## ZachsPappaw (Jan 3, 2008)

I hate to tell you, but this bridge is not far from my house, and I get to see it about once a month, and we do catch a train on it sometimes.


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

The neat thing about this bridge is that there is more than one like it. later RJD


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

OK, back to the top, any installed photos of this bridge?????? I was looking for this thread for awhile.


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Go here Marty and eat your heart out. http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chillicharlie/. One heck of a bridge guys. Later RJD


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

http://1stclass.mylargescale.com/chillicharlie/


----------



## stardust39 (Mar 25, 2009)

Some great pix - from the "s bridge xx" series in the site mentioned above: 

Sept 16 - 










Oct 26 -


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

thanks for the link, ol Char has been busy. woooow


----------



## SE18 (Feb 21, 2008)

amazing pictures. 

Every child deserves a bridge to play on


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

Wow that looks nice! ... I don't remeber shipping those kids with the bridge!? Maybe they are the installers. 

Thank you Jerry, RJD and David for the links and pictures. I can't wait to see more pictures.


----------



## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Dan
Great looking, keep the pictures coming as you get them. You can sure be proud of that bridge, alot of work is involved in the planning and designing such a project.
Most people can not appreciate the massive time and efforts in planning such a project.
Keep up the good work. Dennis


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

For Dan ,its just another day at the office...


----------



## irondan (Jan 7, 2008)

Hey guys I got a couple of new Pictures




































It is looking pretty nice; I can’t wait to see trains running thru the bridge.


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes sir very nice indeed. Later RJD


----------



## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)




----------



## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

All that work to get over the top of your Septic tank? Looks great.


----------



## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

I' m waiting to see how he makes the full width river flow over the retaining wall????


----------



## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

i guess Marty you will do the same. figured you would already have done this. Later RJD


----------



## MasonsDad (Feb 7, 2008)

Sure is Purty


----------



## Mike Reilley (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By NTCGRR on 18 Nov 2009 05:23 PM 
I' m waiting to see how he makes the full width river flow over the retaining wall???? 
I heard from a reliable source...that he has a fire department pumper to use to move the water.


----------



## fsfazekas (Feb 19, 2008)

It's been another couple of months....any further updates? I hope to see the finished installation with train(s) on the bridge


----------

