Empty hoppers from the Keystone Power Plant in Schelocta are headed for Shire Oaks yard located on the Mon River. This bridge is the third bridge constructed at this location to cross the Allegheny River. The original bridge was a single track wood truss structure built in 1866. The second bridge was located just upstream slightly(foreground). It was single track also and became a bottleneck as rail traffic increased. This double track bridge, of which one track has been removed, was built in 1915 in about 9 months, including the piers. The construction of the lock and dam system on the Allegheny River required an elevation change of the main line. To see a better view of the bridge structure, click HERE. After crossing the Allegheny, the Conemaugh Line skirts along the Kiskimentas and Conemaugh Rivers before joining the mainline further east near New Florence, PA. Imagine trying to build a bridge like this today in less than a year.
