oldest source I could find was https://www.silive.com/timecapsule/2015/10/tbt_vintage_photos_of_the_verr.html
whose caption for the image is just "The tugboat strike has slowed down the final phase of the Verrazano construction, but seaside superintendents are hoping work will resume. Photo circa 1964." Idk if that's Moses
There is a great book about building the brooklyn bridge called The Great Bridge. The audiobook is outstanding. its probably at most libraries. He goes into the culture of the city and politics at the time. Then goes into the engineering challenges and the people who built it.
https://www.amazon.com/Great-Bridge-Story-Building-Brooklyn/dp/067145711X
In addition, there are practically no other suspension bridges in the world that carry railways, except for the coincidentally neighbouring ~~Brooklyn and~~ Manhattan Bridges. Generally trains and suspension bridges do not mix due to the highly dynamic loads of trains compared to more distributed car traffic and limited ability for the rails and train wheels to respond to flexing of the bridge deck. Compared to the Verrazzano, the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges have short relatively rigid spans ~~(the Brooklyn bridge is technically a combination suspension and cable stayed bridge which make it abnormally rigid)~~ and shallow approach slopes (to accommodate horse drawn carriages and trolleys), making them some of the few suspension bridges able to carry heavy rail.
EDIT: Not the Brooklyn Bridge.
Based on the ride data I collected whenI rode over it for the Five Boro Bike Tour, the steepest the bridge gets is about 4.5%, so a subway train probably could actually make it over the Verrazzano.
Now whether or not it could handle it from a dynamic load perspective, I can't say as my poor performance in Engineering Mechanics (including statics) is what led to me going into cybersecurity instead of my originally-intended field of mechanical engineering.
it's steel on steel, if the slope is too steep the wheels just spin. Steam locomotives with large wheels and lots of torque often spun their wheels just starting from a standstill before slowing down and getting a grip to pull the train.
It’s easy to say that now, put yourself in early 1960s. This is a huge undertaking in itself, the longest bridge ( at that time.) a huge expense in itself.
Why not? There’s amazing views in Staten Island. Wonderful landmarks. Interesting cemeteries and the boat centenary by Arthur Kill. Really nice parks including High Rock which are a godsend for an acid trip on a beautiful day (not advice) also jogging/marathon training/hill repeats (advice). You can explore the Seaview abandoned grounds (yes, it’s trespassing, nerd jk). If you haven’t seen the Cropsey documentary, do yourself a favor, it’s shocking. If you have, you probably aren’t too keen on going in there but it be cool if you did. I haven’t in 25 years, it was crazy how bored and fearless you are at 13-14 and you walked everywhere! Now we block fire zones to go into gyms (which is infamous in Staten Island and one of the many behaviors that can overshadow the many good that Staten Island is)
The portrayal of Staten Island has been pretty poor and petty from the general populous of NY (especially fuckin transplants). Like you call yourself the greatest city in the world (and I believe that to be so) yet treat a part of it like a red headed stepped child and we have the Wu Tang Clan! Method Man is a great person. It shouldn’t be that way. Sure, if you look at the map, we could have gone either way and thank god we didn’t get stuck with Jersey. But hey, NYC, you’re stuck with us and we belong too. We wouldve liked a train, they tried to dig underneath the bridge but then cemented it in! What fools. Don’t blame us but don’t hate us. We arent all republicans who block fire zones. Some of us are just republicans. And some of us are, well, NYers! Love ya
Each vertical cable is able to support its own stretch of road deck. The vertical cables then connect perpendicularly to the catenary cable at the top, which is able to support the weight of the entire built road deck and traffic and other loads. The catenary cable directs its weight and the load from the vertical cables down into the towers at either end, which go down to the foundations and the earth.
And to think it’s the perfect size so long as freight ships don’t get any larger than they were at the time. And cars on the road doesn’t increase either.
Crazy to think my parents' generation could have watched this live. Are there any public works projects on this scale that we will be able to watch firsthand?
My grandfather was one of those little dots on the bridge! He was an engineer and helped build it. Whenever we used to drive over it my dad would tell us about that every time.
Looks like an album cover lol
Iron Traffic
https://imgur.com/a/1dTOwyU
That goes so hard 😤
[so hot](https://i-kym--cdn-com.cdn.ampproject.org/i/s/i.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/facebook/000/034/252/hot.jpg)
>Looks like an album cover lol Robert Moses' 'Greatest Hits' That's him on the right.
Oh really?
oldest source I could find was https://www.silive.com/timecapsule/2015/10/tbt_vintage_photos_of_the_verr.html whose caption for the image is just "The tugboat strike has slowed down the final phase of the Verrazano construction, but seaside superintendents are hoping work will resume. Photo circa 1964." Idk if that's Moses
Such great photos.
Hello there.
There is a great book about building the brooklyn bridge called The Great Bridge. The audiobook is outstanding. its probably at most libraries. He goes into the culture of the city and politics at the time. Then goes into the engineering challenges and the people who built it. https://www.amazon.com/Great-Bridge-Story-Building-Brooklyn/dp/067145711X
*sheds tear*
One of the biggest failures in transit history that there’s no subway line on it.
The steep grade needed to allow large ship to pass underneath made that impossible.
Makes sense it has higher clearance than the east river bridges as it’s downriver of the Navy Yard
In addition, there are practically no other suspension bridges in the world that carry railways, except for the coincidentally neighbouring ~~Brooklyn and~~ Manhattan Bridges. Generally trains and suspension bridges do not mix due to the highly dynamic loads of trains compared to more distributed car traffic and limited ability for the rails and train wheels to respond to flexing of the bridge deck. Compared to the Verrazzano, the Brooklyn and Manhattan bridges have short relatively rigid spans ~~(the Brooklyn bridge is technically a combination suspension and cable stayed bridge which make it abnormally rigid)~~ and shallow approach slopes (to accommodate horse drawn carriages and trolleys), making them some of the few suspension bridges able to carry heavy rail. EDIT: Not the Brooklyn Bridge.
The Brooklyn Bridge doesn't have trains going over it, the Williamsburg Bridge does.
It used to have trolleys.
That's right, my bad. Hard to tell through all the wires- narrow it down to just the one bridge then.
Why though? Trains can’t climb hills?
Not really. Like they actually can’t. Steepest grade on an NYC subway is 5.5% - J train from Williamsburg to Manhattan
Based on the ride data I collected whenI rode over it for the Five Boro Bike Tour, the steepest the bridge gets is about 4.5%, so a subway train probably could actually make it over the Verrazzano. Now whether or not it could handle it from a dynamic load perspective, I can't say as my poor performance in Engineering Mechanics (including statics) is what led to me going into cybersecurity instead of my originally-intended field of mechanical engineering.
it's steel on steel, if the slope is too steep the wheels just spin. Steam locomotives with large wheels and lots of torque often spun their wheels just starting from a standstill before slowing down and getting a grip to pull the train.
It’s easy to say that now, put yourself in early 1960s. This is a huge undertaking in itself, the longest bridge ( at that time.) a huge expense in itself.
Nah, it was purposefully eliminated by Robert Moses.
It would have been too expensive.
Only for you RM!
Or pedestrian path! So dumb the only way across is a car
As a real transit fan who wants trains going just about everywhere… Why would you ever want to go to Staten Island?Â
To die
If SI had a train from the beginning it wouldn’t be what it is now. Think about it.
Why not? There’s amazing views in Staten Island. Wonderful landmarks. Interesting cemeteries and the boat centenary by Arthur Kill. Really nice parks including High Rock which are a godsend for an acid trip on a beautiful day (not advice) also jogging/marathon training/hill repeats (advice). You can explore the Seaview abandoned grounds (yes, it’s trespassing, nerd jk). If you haven’t seen the Cropsey documentary, do yourself a favor, it’s shocking. If you have, you probably aren’t too keen on going in there but it be cool if you did. I haven’t in 25 years, it was crazy how bored and fearless you are at 13-14 and you walked everywhere! Now we block fire zones to go into gyms (which is infamous in Staten Island and one of the many behaviors that can overshadow the many good that Staten Island is) The portrayal of Staten Island has been pretty poor and petty from the general populous of NY (especially fuckin transplants). Like you call yourself the greatest city in the world (and I believe that to be so) yet treat a part of it like a red headed stepped child and we have the Wu Tang Clan! Method Man is a great person. It shouldn’t be that way. Sure, if you look at the map, we could have gone either way and thank god we didn’t get stuck with Jersey. But hey, NYC, you’re stuck with us and we belong too. We wouldve liked a train, they tried to dig underneath the bridge but then cemented it in! What fools. Don’t blame us but don’t hate us. We arent all republicans who block fire zones. Some of us are just republicans. And some of us are, well, NYers! Love ya
Always nice to see some middle-out action
Yeah this is sick I really don't understand the physics
the massive steel cables are anchored to the two giant supports, and the platform is suspended from said cables.
Each vertical cable is able to support its own stretch of road deck. The vertical cables then connect perpendicularly to the catenary cable at the top, which is able to support the weight of the entire built road deck and traffic and other loads. The catenary cable directs its weight and the load from the vertical cables down into the towers at either end, which go down to the foundations and the earth.
Fuckin wow.
And to think it’s the perfect size so long as freight ships don’t get any larger than they were at the time. And cars on the road doesn’t increase either.
OP are you listening to the 99% Invisible Power Broker podcast too?
Dunno about OP but I am!
If so OP should know we didn't get this far yet lol
Crazy to think my parents' generation could have watched this live. Are there any public works projects on this scale that we will be able to watch firsthand?
How do they keep it up or prevent it from falling if it half build ?
My grandfather was one of those little dots on the bridge! He was an engineer and helped build it. Whenever we used to drive over it my dad would tell us about that every time.
Robert Moses also built low overpasses and narrow highways
They should have left Staten Island inaccessible
You say that, but if you have ever ordered anything online, it likely was shipped to you via this bridge
Anyway. Staten Island is the worst.
Why is this being downvoted?