Railroad Bridge L-158

In 1883, the Bridge L-158 was built for the New York, West Shore, and Buffalo Railroad Company. The bridge was fabricated by Clarke, Reeves, and Company, a subsidiary of the Phoenix Iron Company, and erected by the North River Construction Company. This bridge was technologically advanced when it was built because it used the double-intersection Whipple truss design advanced and patented by Squire Whipple in 1846, and the patented Phoenix Columns credited to Samuel J. Reeves. The Whipple truss design has a diagonal tension beam that crosses two panels.

The bridge was the shortest span of a three span bridge that crossed the Rondout Creek in Kingston. At that time this 163-foot span carried the New York, West Shore, and Buffalo line across the creek, and the bridge was 29 feet wide with two tracks. In 1904 a new bridge was built at the Rondout Creek that could handle a bigger load. The New York Central and Hudson River Railroad, which controlled the West Shore Line, replaced the Rondout bridge.

Between 1895 and 1906, New York City built the New Croton Water Supply System. This required railroads located in the proposed watershed to replace bridges at existing crossings. Bridge L-158 which had been replaced at the the Rondout Creek was re-purposed and moved to Muscoot Reservoir near Goldens Bridge.

The only significant change for the bridge resulting from switching its locations was the size of the bridge. The width was decreased from 29 feet two rail bridge to a 17 foot one rail bridge.

In 1960 the bridge was closed and is no longer in use. The rails have been removed from the bridge. The bridge was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1978.

1. Williams, Gray. Williams, Kenneth T.. Picturing Our Past: National Register Sites in Westchester County. Edition 1st. Westchester County Historical Society.
2. Scott, Peter H.. L-158. National Register of Historic Places.
3. Panych, Peter. "Old Bridge L-158 last of a noble breed." . .