Creation of the Lyman Viaduct
In 1912, in order to support the increased weight of more modern trains, the Lyman and Rapallo trestle bridges were filled to create the viaducts that still stand today. Culverts were constructed beneath the bridges to carry the river's waters, and then hopper car after hopper car full of fine sand were pulled on to the structures and their contents dumped. Over 20 months, two massive ridges of sand were built up from the floor of the valleys until the iron bridges disappeared under the fill. When the iron work was covered, another foot of cinders was laid and compacted on to the surface of the fill to hold it in place. New tracks were then placed over the final layer. The iron work was covered on both viaducts until the early 1980s when a sewer line was laid along the route, exposing it for the first time in 70 years.
Pat Daly Banning and Tom Rowe provided me with scanned photographs from the collection of the late Martin J. Daly of the construction and creation of the Lyman Viaduct.
August 14, 1912 - on the bridge, multiple hopper cars dump sand on to a growing ridge
August 14, 1912 - a passenger train makes its way over the trestle.
August 14, 1912 - another hopper dumps the load of sand. Notice how the flow has been separated by the track ties.
August 14, 1912 - construction of the tunnel beneath the trestle. The bridge supports needed to be cut and shortened directly above the tunnel, and temporary supports were installed.
October 1, 1912 - the filled ridge is growing. Large metal plates have been installed on each side of the tracks to spread the sand away from the iron bridge.
October 1, 1912 - the completed tunnel beneath the soon to be covered iron works.
November 1, 1912 - a long rivulet of sand falls from the highest point of the bridge, just above the tunnel. Notice how the fill is beginning to cover the center of the culvert, and that the temporary supports shown in a previous image are still in place.
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Page Last Updated: December 31, 2003