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3 unusual facts about Wendel Bollman


Wendel Bollman

Only one of his patented "Bollman truss" bridges survives, the Bollman Truss Railroad Bridge in Savage, Maryland.

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The Old Rakaia Gorge Bridge in New Zealand's South Island from 1882 utilized the Bollman truss design and is registered as a Category I heritage item with the New Zealand Historic Places Trust.

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The Wells Creek Bollman Bridge near Meyersdale, Pennsylvania is also standing, although that bridge features a "Warren truss" system.


Capital Subdivision

Notable structural features on the original line include the Thomas Viaduct, the first multi-span masonry railroad bridge in the United States, and the largest bridge in the country when it was completed in 1835; and the earliest example of an iron truss bridge designed by Wendel Bollman and installed at Savage.


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