Attached is a pix of Copper Creek Bridge as seen from just above US-23 (4-lane in foreground) with the NS track at the correct height and orientation relative to the CC&O. The highway is also placed as best as can be determined from the topo. maps.Some critical elevations have to be observed in this vicinity. The "land area" under the CC&O and NS bridges is at approximately 372 Meters above sea level (ASL), while the bottom of the creek, and the nearby river is at approx. 366M, these values being taken off of the CC&O bridge sketch from 1906 which was referred to in constructing the bridge. Note the "ditch" under the bridge. The bottom of this "ditch" is at 366M, and the sides need to be sculpted a bit as the creek falls entirely between the two towers it currently is under, but the foundations are only slightly above ground.A few miles to the right, two other critical elevations must be observed, which will probably require considerable adjusting of the NS track. First the NS must pass UNDER the CC&O at Speers Ferry with a vertical seperation of at least 34 feet, to allow for a 10ft. Girder (the CC&O bridge is a DPG span), and 24 feet of vertical clearance. As I remembered it, the end span of the CC&O bridge was shorter and had less depth than the spans over the adjacent highway. This bridge is fairly new, dating from about 1974 or so, when the new 4-lane was built. It involved lowering the NS line slightly at this point. On my recent bus trip through here, though, I noticed that all the spans in this bridge are the same height.In addition, about 1/2 mile north of this CC&O/NS bridge, NS crosses over the highway also, and this bridge has 10' girders over the highway, but shorter and thinner girders on the ends. The proximity to the railroad & highway here is so close, that a retaining wall is required along with a very short abutment on the west side of the highway. This will be another custom job. Clearance here needs to be about 28' between the track and highway, since 18-wheelers do pass this way. NS and the highway are very close for the entire 1/2 mile or so, after which NS deviates to the east and continues to drop down a 1.7% grade all the way to Copper Creek.J. H. Sullivan
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RE: Clinchfield - More Copper Creek, yellowdog, Oct-30-02, 11:25 AM, (1) RE: Clinchfield - More Copper Creek, Claude350, Oct-30-02, 01:13 PM, (2) RE: Clinchfield - More Copper Creek, Jonatan, Oct-30-02, 02:44 PM, (3) RE: Clinchfield - More Copper Creek, csxt602, Oct-31-02, 00:26 AM, (4) RE: Clinchfield - More Copper Creek, Hack, Oct-31-02, 10:31 AM, (5) RE: Clinchfield - More Copper Creek, yellowdog, Oct-31-02, 05:28 PM, (6)
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