THE MANHASSET VIADUCT
In 1897, the Long Island Railroad was extended from Great Neck to Manhasset and Port Washington on the Island’s North Shore. The extension required building a trestle across the marsh at the end of Manhasset Bay, and a contract was made with the Carnegie Steel Company which apparently subcontracted with the King Bridge Company to do the actual construction.[1]
This viaduct has been in operation for over 100 years and looked to be in fine shape when I took the following pictures in October, 2005.
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This is one of two railroad viaducts built by the King Bridge Company still in operation. The other is the Short Line Viaduct across the Upper Cuyahoga Valley outside of Cleveland.
The viaduct is close to 680 feet long and 81 feet high and was featured in the silent movie “The Perils of Pauline” filmed in the 1920s. See the Addendum to the Railroad Special of 3/05 for more information.
Allan King Sloan – October, 2005
[1] See Building of the Long Island Railroad, Manhasset to be found at http:www.manhasset.org/history/railroad.html
