# some pics of one of our local RR bridges



## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

took these while out for a ride yesterday. the Starruccu viaduct in Lanesboro, Pa. and Starrucca station and hotel in Susquehanna, Pa.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Beautiful! No other words to describe it......


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## Fire21 (Mar 9, 2014)

Today's designers just don't have an eye for beauty. Wow, those are great.


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

Unfortunately, I think today's designer's are constrained by how much it would cost to build, rather than how it looks.

I wonder how much those structures would cost to build today if they were built the exact same way, but with today's costs factored in.....


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

Old_Hobo said:


> Unfortunately, I think today's designer's are constrained by how much it would cost to build, rather than how it looks.
> 
> I wonder how much those structures would cost to build today if they were built the exact same way, but with today's costs factored in.....


here's an interesting link to the building of the bridge. and apparently cost was no object on this project.

http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/Starrucca.html


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## Old_Hobo (Feb 20, 2014)

> At 1040 feet in length, 25 feet wide at the deck level, and 90 to 100 feet high, the Starrucca Viaduct was the largest and most expensive stone arch bridge built in America at the time. In 1850, Kirkwood determined the total net cost of the bridge to be $316,770.


That price wouldn't even pay for the engineering and design work today.....hwell:

Thanks for the link to the bridge's story.....very informative! :thumbsup:


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

We have a stone bridge built across the Skippack creek around the corner from us. It is a fairly magnificent looking structure, but only a tiny fraction of the size of that monster. It cost $800,000 a few years ago. We'd have probably got wooden planks for $316,000!


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## tjcruiser (Jan 10, 2010)

cole226 said:


> here's an interesting link to the building of the bridge. and apparently cost was no object on this project.
> 
> http://pabook.libraries.psu.edu/palitmap/Starrucca.html


Wow ... great narrative on the bridge history.

I'm amazed that it's all stone. I was wondering if it might have had steel reinforcement (given how delicate it looks at the top), prior to reading the article.

Thanks for sharing. Oh ... gorgeous depot, too!

TJ


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## Magic (Jan 28, 2014)

$316,770.00 in today's money would be more than $8,000,000.00

Still couldn't get it done but it's a little closer. 

Magic


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## cole226 (Feb 8, 2013)

Magic said:


> $316,770.00 in today's money would be more than $8,000,000.00
> 
> Still couldn't get it done but it's a little closer.
> 
> Magic


you have to appreciate where the man said "I can build it if you don't care what it cost!"
they didn't care.


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