Is it?

[+v-hunter]

I can't find any referance to a bolt in this location, but this may have been something the railroad did when building the bridge. See log and attached photos.

KR0618

R374 is plainly visible at end of bridge and I spotted both while working across the bridge. Mostly was just curious if the bolt pre-dated the disc.

[Bill93]

I am not familiar with the practices of that railroad, but your speculation about it being set by the RR when the bridge was built sounds very likely. C&GS probably did not have any data on the bolt and may not have even known it was there when they set the disk.

[Bill93]

Oops-double post due to error message.

Edited June 17, 2007 by Bill93

[mloser]

From the picture it appears that the bolt is in a new square of concrete, which means it might have been added after the bridge was built.

 

Bolts and rivets are quite common along railroads. I have spent a lot of time along the old PRR in my area looking for their bolt BMs and along the old Reading RR looking for rivets. The PRRs bolts are about an inch in diameter and seem to be made of brass or bronze. The rivets I have seen are about 3/4 inch, possibly a bit smaller, and are made of monel metal, a steel alloy that does not rust. These rivets are often shiny after 70+ years of exposure. All of the rivets that I have seen in concrete bridges and culverts appears to have been set during construction.

[AZcachemeister]

From the picture it appears that the bolt is in a new square of concrete, which means it might have been added after the bridge was built.

 

Bolts and rivets are quite common along railroads. I have spent a lot of time along the old PRR in my area looking for their bolt BMs and along the old Reading RR looking for rivets. The PRRs bolts are about an inch in diameter and seem to be made of brass or bronze. The rivets I have seen are about 3/4 inch, possibly a bit smaller, and are made of monel metal, a steel alloy that does not rust. These rivets are often shiny after 70+ years of exposure. All of the rivets that I have seen in concrete bridges and culverts appears to have been set during construction.

 

Monel is mostly nickel and copper...very little iron.

Yes, it never corrodes.

[mloser]

That was just a test to see if anyone was reading! Everyone knows monel metal is mostly nickel and copper! If anyone needs to know more they can also go to the manufacturer's site at Special Metals Corporation. I don't see "rivets" listed there but assume that either the railroads made them out of bar stock, or that they had them custom made. I have yet to see one out of its native setting, so I have no idea what it looks like under rounded head.

 

And, um, stay out of Pennsylvania! With your hunting rates you will find every benchmark in the state in a year. Leave some for us. The name is AZcachemeister, so let's keep it that way.

 

[Papa-Bear-NYC]

That was just a test to see if anyone was reading! Everyone knows monel metal is mostly nickel and copper! If anyone needs to know more they can also go to the manufacturer's site at Special Metals Corporation. I don't see "rivets" listed there but assume that either the railroads made them out of bar stock, or that they had them custom made. I have yet to see one out of its native setting, so I have no idea what it looks like under rounded head.

 

And, um, stay out of Pennsylvania! With your hunting rates you will find every benchmark in the state in a year. Leave some for us. The name is AZcachemeister, so let's keep it that way.

 

Here's one on the old NY Central West Side Line that got smashed by some piece of machinary:

 

KU0890 "RV 26"

 

 

It must have been pretty tough to stay intact and not get ripped out or demolished entirely.

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

And, um, stay out of Pennsylvania! With your hunting rates you will find every benchmark in the state in a year. Leave some for us. The name is AZcachemeister, so let's keep it that way.

 

 

Matt,

Whatever do you mean? AZcachemeister logged ONLY 50 bemchmarks in PA. He did 20 more than that in one day for the contest! He is just trying to catch up to the ones that have earned the right to be in the *Hall of Fame*.

 

Shirley~

[mloser]

Shirley,

 

That is EXACTLY what I meant! We don't need his type here, hogging up all our benchmarks. I have placed his picture on all truckstop walls in the state and he is to be stopped at all costs. Even if that means taking away his GPSr.

 

 

Matt

[+v-hunter]

Thanks for the replies. I will see if I can get more info from the railroad. I'm a fourth generation railroader, Southern Pacific before the U.P. merger. Would like to talk with the surveyors but they usually go through well before we do our work marking the curves for the surface and lining gang that follows the tie gang.

[+Harry Dolphin]

Hey! I'e probably found 50 benchmarks in Pennsylvania! Of course, it's taken me almost three years, and I'm usually in Pike County.

 

To v-hunter, I've found at least one rivet on a railroad bridge that was not in the database. I'm still trying to convince people that the chiseled cross here is actually a cast iron rivet! KV0665. Nobody believes me. Oh, well. The other rivet on this bridge is a monel rivet. KV0666

[2oldfarts (the rockhounders)]

Hey! I'e probably found 50 benchmarks in Pennsylvania! Of course, it's taken me almost three years, and I'm usually in Pike County.

 

To v-hunter, I've found at least one rivet on a railroad bridge that was not in the database. I'm still trying to convince people that the chiseled cross here is actually a cast iron rivet! KV0665. Nobody believes me. Oh, well. The other rivet on this bridge is a monel rivet. KV0666

 

Harry,

 

AZcachemeister logged some DNFs in PA for you to go get in the next contest..IF they are still there.....

 

v-hunter,

 

We do not get to find many rivets in our area. But, we did find a great bolt along a old torn-out rail bed.

 

U 2 is close to a great cache, The Odessey by Me & Bucky that he placed so others could enjoy this neat bolt also. But, so far there has been only 2 that have logged the bolt even though there has been many finders of the cache.

 

We really enjoyed finding that mark!

 

Shirley~

[+v-hunter]

Wouldn't might seeing U2 , maybe the next time I work in AZ I'll make a side trip. Really like the recovery note for USGS in '76.

[+v-hunter]

EDIT dbl post

Edited June 18, 2007 by v-hunter

[AZcachemeister]

And, um, stay out of Pennsylvania! With your hunting rates you will find every benchmark in the state in a year. Leave some for us. The name is AZcachemeister, so let's keep it that way.

 

 

Matt,

Whatever do you mean? AZcachemeister logged ONLY 50 bemchmarks in PA. He did 20 more than that in one day for the contest! He is just trying to catch up to the ones that have earned the right to be in the *Hall of Fame*.

 

Shirley~

 

OOPS! I nabbed 13 more yesterday, mostly around around Meadville. Haven't logged them yet, though.

Just in case you are getting the idea that I'm only going after the easy ones, MB0011, was indeed buried under about 6 inches of overspilled ballast and other debris. All I had to get it out from under there was an old tire iron (probe device) and a small garden trowel borrowed from my mother-in-law. And just to add to the fun, a light rain was falling, with plenty of ominous thunder about!

 

Today I'm moving into Ohio, for a run down from Orwell, to Warren, and back up to Orwell.

[mloser]

Good riddance!

 

Just kidding. If you get down to the Harrisburg/Hershey area there are a couple of us who would gladly take you around to show you some marks. Most of them have been found around here though.

 

Matt