Thomas Viaduct facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Thomas Viaduct |
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| Coordinates | 39°13′18″N 76°42′48″W / 39.22167°N 76.71333°W |
| Carries | Railroad |
| Crosses | Patapsco River |
| Locale | Elkridge, Maryland |
| Owner | CSX Transportation |
| Heritage status | NRHP 66000388 |
| Characteristics | |
| Design | Arch bridge |
| Material | Patapsco granite |
| Total length | 612 feet (187 m) |
| Width | 26 feet 4 inches (8 m) |
| Height | 59 feet (18 m) |
| Longest span | 58 feet (18 m) |
| Number of spans | 8 |
| History | |
| Designer | Benjamin Henry Latrobe, II |
| Constructed by | John McCartney |
| Construction begin | 1833 |
| Opened | July 4, 1835 |
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Thomas Viaduct, Baltimore & Ohio Railroad
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| Area | 0.5 acres (0.20 ha) |
| NRHP reference No. | 66000388 |
| Added to NRHP | October 15, 1966 |
The Thomas Viaduct is a very old and important railroad bridge. It crosses the Patapsco River and Patapsco Valley in Maryland, USA. The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad (B&O) ordered it to be built. Construction started on July 4, 1833, and finished exactly two years later on July 4, 1835.
The bridge was named after Philip E. Thomas, who was the first president of the B&O company. When it was finished, the Thomas Viaduct was the largest railroad bridge in the United States. It was also the first multi-span stone railroad bridge built on a curve. Today, it is still the world's oldest stone railroad bridge with many arches.
The Thomas Viaduct is still used by trains today. This makes it one of the oldest railroad bridges still working. It is now owned and operated by CSX Transportation. In 1964, it was named a National Historic Landmark. This means it is a very special place in American history.
Contents
How the Thomas Viaduct Was Designed
This bridge is a type called a Roman-arch stone bridge. It has eight main sections, called spans. Benjamin Henry Latrobe, II designed the bridge. He was an assistant engineer for the B&O and later became their chief engineer.
Building a Curved Bridge
One big challenge was building such a large bridge on a curve. To solve this, the designers made the piers (the supports between the arches) wider on one side. This made them shaped like wedges. This clever design helped the bridge fit perfectly on its 4-degree curve.
John McCartney from Ohio built the viaduct. He had also built the Patterson Viaduct. Caspar Wever, who was in charge of construction for the railroad, watched over the work.
Size and Materials
The entire viaduct is 612 feet (187 m) long. Each arch is about 58 feet (18 m) wide. The bridge stands 59 feet (18 m) high from the water to the bottom of the rail tracks. The top of the bridge is 26 feet 4 inches (8 m) wide.
The bridge was built using strong Maryland granite. This stone came from quarries near the Patapsco River. It is known as Woodstock granite.
A special walkway was built on the bridge for people to use. It is 4 feet (1 m) wide and has a wooden floor. This walkway is supported by metal brackets and has decorative metal railings. The bridge used a huge amount of stone, about 24,476 cubic yards (18,713 m3). It cost $142,236.51 to build back then.
History of the Thomas Viaduct
The Baltimore and Ohio Railroad was one of the first railroads in the United States. It started building tracks on July 4, 1828. The first route went along the Patapsco River to Ellicott's Mills (now Ellicott City).
The Washington Branch and Relay
In 1835, the B&O built a new line called the Washington Branch. The Thomas Viaduct was a key part of this new line. This new line branched off at a place called Relay. Relay used to be a stop where people changed horses for stagecoaches.
A hotel called the Relay House was built there in the 1830s. Later, a bigger hotel and train station, the Viaduct Hotel, was built in 1872. This building was used until 1938.
A Monument to the Builders
When the Thomas Viaduct was finished, a 15-foot (5 m) tall stone monument was put up. It stands at the east end of the bridge in Relay. This monument lists the names of the builder, the railroad directors, and the engineer. One side of the monument says: The Thomas Viaduct, Commenced July 4, 1833 Finished, July 4, 1835.
The builder, John McCartney, even celebrated by having his workers kneel on the bridge. He pretended to "baptize" them with a drink to mark the completion!
The Civil War and Beyond
Before the American Civil War, the B&O was the only railroad that went to Washington, D.C.. This made the Thomas Viaduct very important during the war. It was used to bring supplies to the capital of the Union. To keep it safe from attacks, Union soldiers guarded the bridge very closely.
Over the years, the bridge has had some repairs to keep it strong. Workers added new mortar (a type of cement) to the stone in 1929 and 1937. More work was done in 1938 to help with drainage and fix loose stones. These repairs helped the bridge stay in great shape.
Famous Trains and Modern Use
From the 1880s to the 1950s, the Thomas Viaduct carried the B&O's famous Royal Blue Line passenger trains. These trains traveled between New York and Washington. Until the late 1960s, other B&O passenger trains also crossed the bridge. These included the Capital Limited to Chicago.
In 1971, Amtrak took over most passenger train services. The B&O stopped its long-distance passenger trains. In 1986, CSX bought the B&O and its tracks, including the Thomas Viaduct. Today, MARC commuter trains still use the bridge every day.
A Bridge That Lasts
When it was being designed and built, some people called the Thomas Viaduct "Latrobe's Folly." They thought it was a crazy idea and wouldn't even hold its own weight! But they were wrong.
The Thomas Viaduct has survived many challenges. It stood strong during the huge flood of 1868. It also survived Hurricane Agnes in 1972. These floods destroyed almost everything else in the Patapsco Valley. Even today, the bridge continues to carry heavy diesel locomotives and freight trains. It is a true testament to its amazing design and construction.
The bridge was officially named a National Historic Landmark in 1964. It was also added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1966. In 2010, the American Society of Civil Engineers named it a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark.
In 2014 and 2015, a group called Preservation Howard County listed the Viaduct as one of the top 10 endangered historic places in the county. However, another group, Patapsco Heritage Greenway, announced plans to add handrails to the bridge in 2015.
Images for kids
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Aerial view of the Thomas Viaduct, around 1977.
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The Thomas Viaduct in 1987.
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The Viaduct Hotel, pictured in 1910.
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B&O's Columbian train crossing the viaduct in 1949.
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A diesel locomotive crosses the Thomas Viaduct, c. 1976
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The Thomas Viaduct as seen in 2011.
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Another view of the Thomas Viaduct.
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This drawing from 1835 shows the viaduct when it first opened.
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