Memorial Park Viaduct - Nutley, NJ

I just took a whole bunch of photos for this bridge as part of an upcoming project im working on for abandoned and less used railways in the Bergen/Passaic/Hudson/Essex area and would appreciate any kinds of information, large or small about this bridge.

It looks like it was built to be ready for a second track. I guess the erie thought ahead incase the Newark Branch became really busy. Ill post pictures soon.

Thanks for any kind of information you can give me. If i use any of it on a website im going to design, you will be credited!

EDIT 4/19

Heres the images I wanted to post...

1. Looks like the Erie was ready for a future second track?
2. It's a preety rare sight in this area to see a bridge like this over mostly dry ground.
3. Not exactly Moodna, but it's a nice one...
4. Rusty frame work, but it still looks sturdy. I would love to watch something roll over it.
5. Pretty good condition for a lesser used rail line. But I guess location goes with condition. Nutley isn't so bad.
6. Just more shots of the supports and the small streams that pass uder it.
7. Just a closer shot of the frame work on top of one of the supports.
8. More showing how it looks like the Erie was thinking ahead.
9. If only a NS GP-38 with a few tanks rolled by while I was taking this shot...

Thanks for looking and for any information you could provide.

Very nice shots. Yes, that line barely sees anything. In fact, the tracks are not in good shape in many places. I would really like to see a light rail run there. The area has the market for it. Maybe, run a diesel light rail. As you know, this line does not interchange with the city subway, but it could end around Jersey city and HOB. It could go as far as clifton.

njt/mnrrbuff wrote:Very nice shots. Yes, that line barely sees anything. In fact, the tracks are not in good shape in many places. I would really like to see a light rail run there. The area has the market for it. Maybe, run a diesel light rail. As you know, this line does not interchange with the city subway, but it could end around Jersey city and HOB. It could go as far as clifton.

No, but it does pass right under a line that COULD interchange with the city subway (Lower Boonton/Orange Branch -- the latter of which is already used for the NCS at the west end).

Great shots! I especially liked the panoramic shot

It would be nice somehow to connect the lower part of the line in Belleville to the M&E in Newark using an Aldene or Hunter-like ramp built @ RT21 and the Passaic River.

BlockLine_4111 wrote:It would be nice somehow to connect the lower part of the line in Belleville to the M&E in Newark using an Aldene or Hunter-like ramp built @ RT21 and the Passaic River.

LOL, In your dreams!!!

A Pipe-dream: http://www.deviantart.com/view/17393519/

5 minutes in Photoshop. Nothing to great impressive, but something I would love to see.

Not what I expected.

Your photo looks like a 4300 on a worktrain in Nutley.

I expected a futuristic composition of the new connector going up to the M&E at McCarter Hwy / 21 in Newark.

BlockLine_4111 wrote:Not what I expected.

Your photo looks like a 4300 on a worktrain in Nutley.

I expected a futuristic composition of the new connector going up to the M&E at McCarter Hwy / 21 in Newark.

I I get other photos, Ill try to make other manips like that. This one was NJT 4200 parked in the yard at Port Jervis, so I just did some chopping in photoshop and threw it into place.

I'd like to see a C1 cab leading at same location.

The bridge you are interested in is known as bridge number 13.02
(old #2) , pre 1900's . I'll list some data below about the bridge and I hope it is useful to you:

- Three spans of deck Warren riveted truss
- built in 1901 by the American Bridge Co. (Elmira plant)
- single track structure , the substructure( piers) were built for two tracks planning to expand in future which never took place.
- both end spans are 96'-10 1/2" to end of steel with 10 panels each of 9'-5 1/4" center to center
- middle span is 102'-1" to end of steel with 10 panels of 9'-11 1/2" ctr to ctr
- all trusses are 10'-6"deep and 8'-0" wide (center to center)
- designed to ERIE specs of 1900 with a live load using two Erie 2-8-0 and tenders with additional 4000 lbs per lin ft
-the three piers and two abutments are made of concrete
- the west pier is 28 feet from ground to top of pier , 29 feet long , 7 feet wide at top , 12'-11 3/4" wide at bottom, 34'-11 3/4" long at bottom
- the East pier is 23 feet from ground to top of pier , 29 feet long at top , 7 feet wide at top , 12'-4 1/4" wide at bottom, 34'-4 1/4" long at bottom
- all pier batters are 3/4" to 12"
- the foundations are 14 feet deep in ground
-original bridge consisted of three deck trusses of the quadrangular design separated by deck girders supported on trestle towers with cut stone masonry for abutments and piers.
- due to the fact that the original span had to maintain traffic as the new bridge was being erected , the end support columns of the (original) end deck girders were encased in the concrete of the new (existing) abutments and then cut at the bearing seat of the abutment when it was time to remove them so , part of the original span remains in the abutments.

Thank you so much for all that information. Do you mind if I ask where you got it?

sullivan1985 wrote:A Pipe-dream: http://www.deviantart.com/view/17393519/

5 minutes in Photoshop. Nothing to great impressive, but something I would love to see.

They do happen to run service between Hoboken and Paterson. http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/r0020.pdf

ryanov wrote:They do happen to run service between Hoboken and Paterson. http://www.njtransit.com/pdf/rail/r0020.pdf

HAHA, stupid me. How did I not catch that...

Ohhh ..one of my many heres and theres , I am pretty sure it was at an Allentown model railroad show many moons ago and there was a few old plans and inspection reports. I am amazed at the treasures available from time to time at these shows . The major finds are at the museums such as Hagely and Smithsonian , etc.