~ Andy
So it was an interesting evening of research for the layout and we caught The Pennsylvanian as a bonus. Until next time, may you run on good signals!
We have been struggling with how to model a small section of Swissvale to include the Parkway East (Interstate 376), Union Switch & Signal, Kopp Glass and of course, the Triangle Bar & Grill! US&S is pretty well set as a building flat with a rail siding, and we had planned to model the underpass where the highway passes beneath the railroad right before the layout passes into the new room. Charlie came up with a better idea however, by pushing the underpass closer to Wilkinsburg, thus giving us a bit more room going around the bend to mimic the local topography. With daylight stretching well into the evening, it was a great opportunity for a site visit to Swissvale! ~ Andy Although the bridge has been repaired and painted a teal green color, the distinctive oval openings are still there. Vertical bars have been added as I'm sure it was a great temptation for kids to lean through the openings...right into the side view mirror of a passing car. We believe that these openings exist for the sole reason of allowing vehicles coming up either side of Palmer Street to see if vehicles were coming across the bridge so they knew if they could pull out onto Washington Avenue. The east side of the bridge has not fared so well. It appears the original sidewalk was removed at some point after the bridge was painted since the teal color only extends 3/4 of the way down the plate girder. The extra width on the abutment confirms that a sidewalk was part of the original bridge. Looking back through pictures I've taken, I found that this sidewalk was still present in November 2013. In addition to our photos, we got some measurements of the bridge to assist in modeling it. The builder's plate from the Pennsylvania Steel Company, Steelton, Pa. shows 1907 as the year of construction. Although it is NOT served by rail, we can't pass up the opportunity to model the interesting wedge shaped building that is home of Triangle Bar and Grill and their famous Battleship and Destroyer sandwiches!
So it was an interesting evening of research for the layout and we caught The Pennsylvanian as a bonus. Until next time, may you run on good signals!
1 Comment
Robert Braeuner
8/12/2017 07:34:20 pm
Great article guys! The pictures are super informative and show a lot of features
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