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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.

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.

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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