Architecture

(Interior waiting area, Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western Railroad passenger station. Steamtown National Historic Site, STEA 7469

Nicholson Bridge on the Lackawanna Trail

Steamtown NHS, STEA 2343

Bridges & Viaducts

The country became increasingly connected by rail as the 19^th century progressed. As railroads penetrated the nation’s interior, shorter routes were sought to reduce wear and tear on rails. To create the most direct routes possible, barriers such as mountains, rivers and canyons were bypassed, tunneled through, or spanned by bridges and viaducts. Reduction of curves led to faster routes.

Routes needed to be as flat as possible. At first, railroads followed the topography of the land, using pre-existing paths or valley floors. To avoid having to exert more power to go uphill, early train tracks sometimes wound through the terrain like a roller coaster. Tunnel clearances, weight limitations of bridges, and track curvature limited the size of locomotives. Improvements in earth-moving technology at the turn of the 20^th century made it easier to straighten and flatten routes for larger locomotives, while steel reinforced construction spanned valleys.

Railyard Buildings

Railroads required dedicated infrastructure. Stations were needed to load and unload passengers. Other structures were built to move and process finished goods and raw materials such as anthracite, milk, grain, and livestock. Locomotives and railroad rolling stock needed facilities for ongoing maintenance, fueling and watering.

Engineer on Canadian National 3254. National Park Service photograph

Lackawanna Station