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Kinzua Viaduct Bridge Mt. Jewet Pa : Centerpiece of a State Park: Like many other railways, the automobile era cut heavily into rail traffic. Gradually into the mid-20th century, use of the viaduct by the Erie Railroad -- the successor to the New York, Lake Erie & Western -- declined. Regular passenger service ended in 1949, and the last train to cross the bridge was on June 21, 1959. The Erie abandoned the line and sold the bridge to Nick Kovalchick for $76,000. (2) Mr. Kovalchick's original intention was to tear down the bridge and use it for scrap, but he changed his mind. He eventually sold the abandoned viaduct to the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, who in 1963 announced the creation of Kinzua Bridge State Park. The aging viaduct would become the centerpiece of the new park. The park opened in 1970; and in addition to the bridge, the park offered hiking and picnicking. In 1977, the viaduct was added to the National Register of Historic Civil Engineering Landmarks. A decade later, and after nearly 30 years of silence, trains once again crossed over the Kinzua Valley on the now historic viaduct. The Knox and Kane Railroad, formed in 1986, began a passenger excursion route with the viaduct as the main attraction. Their first train crossed the viaduct in August 1987. With the addition of the excursion train, the park became highly successful attracting nearly 140,000 visitors a year. (2) A Tragic End: In just over one year, the park and the viaduct suffered two strong blows. The first was a temporary setback that was to preserve the viaduct's longevity; the second would greatly alter the bridge's history. In February 2002, the Pennsylvania Department of Conservation and Natural Resources -- who oversee the park -- deemed that the Kinzua Viaduct needed to undergo a full inspection. As the inspection progressed, engineers learned that some parts of the bridge had rusted through. It was determined that the high winds that routinely occurred in the valley could cause enough lateral pressure that the viaduct could collapse to the ground below. (3) As a result that June, the bridge was closed to train traffic. Two months later in August, pedestrian traffic was prohibited on the viaduct. (4) The question then arose on what to do with the bridge. Various individuals and local groups voiced their opinion in preserving the bridge. In February 2003, crews began a $10 million project to rehabilitate, stabilize, and strengthen the viaduct. Unfortunately, the work to refurbish the Kinzua Viaduct was never finished. The second misfortune to the Kinzua Viaduct occurred on the stormy afternoon of July 21, 2003. Around 3:15 p.m. that Monday, the bridge was partially destroyed by a tornado that rolled through the valley. The tornado destroyed eleven of the towers that stood in the center of the span. The entire center of the viaduct collapsed to the valley floor below. In 2004, the DCNR decided not to rebuild the damaged viaduct as they considered it too costly. The following February the Knox and Kane filed suit against the DCNR for compensation for the loss of the use of railroad facilities, specifically the rail lined owned by the K&K north of the viaduct, as a result of the tornado. The law suit which was originally for $106,000 and eventually settled for $12,500. (5) That April, the K&K announced it would no longer offer excursion trains to Kinzua Bridge State Park, as interest in the route decreased. Finally in 2006, the Knox and Kane railroad would cease operations. Currently, there are no excursion trains to the site of the damaged viaduct.

Kinzua Viaduct Bridge Mt. Jewet Pa

Centerpiece of a State Park: Like many other railways, the automobile era cut heavily into rail traffic. Gradually into the mid-20th century, use of the viaduct by the Erie Railroad -- the successor to the New York, Lake Erie & Western -- declined. Regular passenger service ended in 1949, and the last train to cross the bridge was on ...

Updated: Oct 17, 2008 2:45pm PST

Zippo Case Museum, Bradford, Pa. : Zippo

Zippo Case Museum, Bradford, Pa.

Zippo

Updated: Feb 19, 2007 2:47pm PST

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