The Smell of Molten Projects in the Morning

Ed Nisley's Blog: Shop notes, electronics, firmware, machinery, 3D printing, laser cuttery, and curiosities. Contents: 100% human thinking, 0% AI slop.

The New Hotness

  • Rochester NY Railroad Station: The Merits of Overbuilding

    Back when the New York Central Railroad built the overpass at North Clinton Avenue, likely around the late 1800s, they had no idea the I-beams under the tracks would eventually look like this:

    Rusted I beam - Rochester RR station
    Rusted I beam – Rochester RR station

    The longitudinal I beams have more iron and haven’t corroded through:

    Rusted beams - Rochester RR station
    Rusted beams – Rochester RR station

    But the footing under that beam doesn’t look very good at all:

    Rusted beam base - Rochester RR station
    Rusted beam base – Rochester RR station

    I think that Lego brick is a nice touch …

    We drove the van along I-90 to Rochester and passed many bridge repair operations. The NY Thruway isn’t all that old and the rebar has been corroding out of the concrete pylons for years.

    Nowadays, we use exactly enough material to carry the anticipated loads and not one gram more; fast forward a century and our structures won’t be around.

    Those pictures were taken from the platform just west of the covered section.