Nemo & Lancing

[butch]

I talked Dan Thompson into meeting me at Nemo last Friday to get a shot of the Emory River Bridge/Tunnel 22 from the ridge above CNO&TP Tunnel 23.  It was a gloomy overcast day which works well at CW Tower so we decided to make that trek first.  After we took the usual pictures, we were in the cut past the signals when Dan says something like-think we could get up there?  I said something like-I don't know, let's find out.  A few minutes later we were hanging off the side of the ridge looking down the cut at the signals and tunnel.  Then NS provided a train to make the effort worthwhile.



Unfortunately, by the time we got back, Dan was running short on time which left me on my own for the ridge hike.  An hour later and bleeding from multiple briar bites, I made it to a spot on the ridge with a great view of the bridge-the tunnel not so much because of the trees across the river.  Also, I was not the first person to make it that far; there were several branches and small trees with weathered, but clean cuts where they had been trimmed back at some point.  NS blessed me with these two SB trains [special thanks to EMB Photoshop Consulting for clean up].





Then on Saturday, I met up with Aaron and Alex above Lancing to check out the abandoned CNO&TP Tunnels 19 & 20.  Below is the shot I was after, a SB passing the portal of Tunnel 19.

[NSyorktown]

Butch, I have a challenge for you or some of the other veteran railfans on the forum:

In the second and third pics above, the third column (golden-shaded post) from the north end of the bridge abutment has a concrete pad right under the horizontal steel panels.

Anyone know about the reconstruction work on the top of that post?

For background, it isn't there in 1995:
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1955508
http://www.rrpicturearchives.net/showPicture.aspx?id=1955501

Nor in this 2004 photo:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=74851&nseq=8

By October 2005, the pad appears to be new, but already weathered a bit:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=123512&nseq=5

And, this close-up view from 2002 shows the top of the third column full of cracks:
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=25280&nseq=12

So, anyone know more about the repair work on the bridge column?

TIA

[NSMoWandS]

It is from a repair. A casting is attached around the sides... and concrete is poured into it. Once dried, the casting is taken off. Dan

[E.M. Bell]

You can see the same sort of repair on the New River Bridge.  NS has fought some fairly bad concrete issues on that bridge for several years, mostly due to spalling.  I had never noticed the repair on the bridge at Nemo before, but it makes you wonder if it was a contractor or concrete quality problem that caused both..

Every time I have been back into New River in the past 5 or 6 years, they have been working on the concrete, and still where last month!

[NSMoWandS]

Just some clarification... Most of the time... a repair like this is because the top of the concrete is cracking and the re-bar is showing. Don't want re-bar rusting! So, a "cap" is put in place to... 1) protect the re-bar. 2) to keep the rest of the concrete from cracking. This is not a major issue. The structural integrity is still okay. If it wasn't... the whole pier would be encased... or replaced. Dan

[Ponce de Leon]

I just now saw these shots. The CW Tower view is a killer!

[Badhorse79]

I agree Ron! ! That it is!  Of course the SD60M rounding the curve is also Pretty Sweet

[Ponce de Leon]

I agree Ron! ! That it is!  Of course the SD60M rounding the curve is also Pretty Sweet

Well...as Butch knows, that particular picture might be destined for greater exposure than JREB.

[butch]

Thanks guys.

And Tunnel 22 has been cleaned up and this time of year walking the old grade's fine.  Of course wading the river was over our knees.