MONON BOARD

Monon Property => Buildings and Bridges => Topic started by: Tom Kepshire on February 12, 2012, 06:51:21 pm

Title: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Tom Kepshire on February 12, 2012, 06:51:21 pm
Sugar Creek Trestle, North of Crawfordsville, Indiana. MRHTS Archives.
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Victor Sauerheber on February 15, 2012, 09:26:12 am
Thanks for posting Tom. Just where is this location? Vic
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Tom Kepshire on February 15, 2012, 10:05:21 am
North of the Power Plant on the northside of Crawfordsville. Very hard to get to by vehicle I am told.
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: James W Smith on February 24, 2012, 12:47:14 pm
C'ville trestle-ophiles:
Take a road trip with Steve Long -- he will get you to this trestle.  BTW, it no longer looks like those shots; it now looks like the shot attached (assuming it attached correctly).  Question for the group:  When did it change configuration?
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: James W Smith on February 24, 2012, 12:48:45 pm
I forgot to add -- Ron has a really terrific photo of C420s sitting on the trestle -- in the "newer" configuration.
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Tom Kepshire on February 24, 2012, 01:00:12 pm
You mean this one Jim?
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: James W Smith on February 24, 2012, 01:13:19 pm
Ron sent me a slightly different shot -- down the embankment looking along the side of the trestle.  But I like this one, too!   
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Joe Land on February 24, 2012, 01:21:34 pm
C'ville trestle-ophiles:
Take a road trip with Steve Long -- he will get you to this trestle.  BTW, it no longer looks like those shots; it now looks like the shot attached (assuming it attached correctly).  Question for the group:  When did it change configuration?
Date of Photo +- year ?
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Tom Kepshire on February 24, 2012, 01:35:31 pm
Ron sent me a slightly different shot -- down the embankment looking along the side of the trestle.  But I like this one, too!

Ah like this one??
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Geof Burns on February 24, 2012, 03:34:45 pm
Can Jim Smith or anyone else post a larger copy of the Photo posted by Jim earlier in this thread?
Geof
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: James W Smith on February 24, 2012, 03:43:46 pm
That trestle shot was scanned for me by George L.  I have 50+ other Ektachromes to choose from so may be able to get one of them scanned at higher resolution.  However, these shots show the rebuild -- Cookie's shot is looking north, and the north end had that underslung truss.  In Ron's photo and in mine, all spans are supported by girders.  So, while I search for more trestle shots to scan, perhaps the group can figure out when that truss was replaced by girders.  At low water on Sugar Creek, you can spot an unused pier near the north end of the trestle.  Now I know why it is there.
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Pete Pedigo on February 24, 2012, 03:47:00 pm
Ron,

Nice shot with the crewman along side on the bridge......Hmmmmm, no wonder your our photo archivist.  Looks like a stage stop to me !  LOL
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Tom Kepshire on February 24, 2012, 04:34:54 pm
Can Jim Smith or anyone else post a larger copy of the Photo posted by Jim earlier in this thread?
Geof

This better Geof?
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: James W Smith on February 24, 2012, 06:32:53 pm
That shot of 518 atop Sugar Creek trestle -- no bell on short hood so time frame is late 1967 to sometime in1969.
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Ron Marquardt on February 24, 2012, 10:38:55 pm
Actually it (they) was (were) shot in April 1968, and it was posed but not intentionally.  We had picked up some high-cube box cars at Linden, and as we came down past the brickyard an air hose came uncoupled six cars deep and we went in emergency.  We stopped where the pictures show.  Unfortunately, even though we could hear the air blowing, we couldn't get back across the bridge because no walkways on the bridge or head cars. Our flagman, Johnny Underwood, had to walk 130 carlengths to couple an air hose six cars behind the engine.  I needed something to do, so I took a few pictures while we waited.  / Ron   
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Mark Johnson on February 25, 2012, 09:46:36 am
Ron:

Did you always carry a camera when you were working? It seems like you got a lot of great "opportunistic" shots in the latter days of the Monon...

Mark J
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Ron Marquardt on February 25, 2012, 11:08:53 am
Yes, I usually did Mark.  / Ron
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Victor Sauerheber on February 27, 2012, 11:30:06 am
Well I hope you bought johnny a steak dinner or something for that one. Vic
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Victor Sauerheber on February 27, 2012, 01:10:12 pm
Also , What would you have done if it was a couple cars out on the bridge ? Vic
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Geof Burns on March 01, 2012, 08:37:53 pm
Can Jim Smith or anyone else post a larger copy of the Photo posted by Jim earlier in this thread?
Geof

This better Geof?

Yes - a much better version!
Thanks,
Geof
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: Ron Marquardt on March 01, 2012, 09:14:19 pm
Also , What would you have done if it was a couple cars out on the bridge ? Vic

I expect we'd have made a cut at the other end of the bridge, and dragged them off with the brakes set until we got the defective car to the south end.   We'd have only had ahold of five or six of them, and would have slid some wheels, but shouldn't have hurt anything.  As each car came off the bridge, we'd have turned the angle cock behind it to release the brakes.  Eventually we'd have gotten to it.  / Ron

PS, for a lot of years the Monon had the philosophy that if you didn't put walkways on a bridge, it would keep the people off.  It didn't, of course, and all it did was trap bridge walkers, and make it difficult for the trainmen to get across when they had to.
Title: Re: Sugar Creek Bridge
Post by: James W Smith on March 02, 2012, 05:42:32 pm
Ron,
That was my Dad on the trestle.  We waited until the nearest train had passed, and then headed for the trestle.  Traffic density on the Monon being what it was, we figured that was safe.  Besides at that location you could hear the whistle for several miles.
Jim

I can look for a better scan -- the original is Kodachrome (I miss Kodachrome already).