Lohmann: Historic railroad bridge gets a facelift

As we approached the old railroad bridge, a structure that used to be his neighbor and is now the object of his work and affection, Bob Flippen could barely contain himself.

"I get a rush every time!" said Flippen, a park interpreter at High Bridge Trail State Park.

I can see why.

High Bridge is a monster of a bridge: 2,400 feet long, 125 feet above the Appomattox River, a giant erector set of a construction wonder that inspires awe, admiration and, if you are of a certain apprehension when it comes to standing in high places, sweaty palms.

The last regularly scheduled passenger train crossed the bridge in 1979; the final freight train in 2005. Soon, you will be able to walk, bicycle or lead your horse across it.

"It's been an ongoing question since I've been here: 'When's the bridge going to be open?' " said Eric Hougland, manager of the park, which was created by the donation of a 31-mile former railway corridor by Norfolk Southern. The park has opened segment-by-segment since 2008, attracting 86,000 visitors last year, and the bridge is the final piece. Once the bridge is open, attendance is likely to increase dramatically.

"Now," Hougland said, "I'm getting daily emails and phone calls: 'We're planning a trip, and we want to make sure the bridge is open.' "

Mark your calendars. The bridge probably will open in April, Hougland said, once its rail-to-trail transformation is complete. If you're really eager, a contest offers you the chance to be the first person to cross the bridge in a private ceremony a few days ahead of the formal opening.

The First-to-Cross contest is sponsored by Friends of High Bridge Trail State Park, a nonprofit group. Tickets are $1 and are available in the Richmond area at the three Agee's Bicycles locations. The drawing is scheduled for March 11.

Proceeds from the contest will support the Friends group, and its top priority at the moment is to pay for the purchase of a collection of remarkable photographs of the bridge made when it was under construction in 1913-14. (The steel version of the bridge was completed in 1914, alongside the wood-and-brick-pier structure it would replace and which opened in 1854. The original bridge, billed at the time as the "largest" in the world, was the site of Civil War battles in the days leading up to the Confederate surrender at Appomattox, about 30 miles to the west, and had to be partially rebuilt afterward.)

Hougland was tipped that the photographs, actually 4-by-5-inch glass negatives, were for sale on eBay. Flippen, then an AmeriCorps volunteer for the park, investigated and found the pictures were made by Willis W. Vail, a construction engineer for the railroad, and purchased them to make sure the park didn't miss the opportunity. The photos have been turned over to the park for future educational use and exhibits, and the Friends group needs to cover the cost of reimbursing Flippen.

The photographs and information Vail provided with the glass negatives, as well as the detailed journal he kept, along with a 1914 article published in Engineering News, form a comprehensive account of the bridge's construction, an undertaking that required just 15 months — amazing, considering the era and the available technology, which included horsepower. As in, HORSE power.

"Definitely an engineering marvel," said Ian Brock, vice president and project manager for Keith Barber Construction, the firm handling the rail-to-trail rehabilitation, which has included replacement of about half of the almost 2,000 railroad ties, construction of railings running the length of the bridge and the building of three scenic overlooks on the side of the bridge. The last phase of the project, the installation of the final decking, was about to begin when I visited last week. Fun fact: Brock said his crew will use an estimated 340,000 screws in the course of its work.

I walked part of the not-quite-finished bridge with Hougland, Flippen and Jo Smith, whom Hougland and Flippen described as "caretaker of the bridge." Smith, who lived on a family farm adjacent to the bridge — and, at one time, across the tracks from Flippen — is the author of a local history of the bridge and has watched, researched and enjoyed it for more than 50 years.

"Sometimes I say I married the bridge when I moved to that farm with my husband," said Smith, who is treasurer of the Friends group.

Just walking on a bridge a half-mile in length is an experience, though I didn't quite achieve the same sensation of long-ago rail passengers that was described by Smith as "a somewhat aloft feeling of suspension since the bridge was not visible from inside the coach."

Considering you're above the treetops, the view is wonderful. As you move toward the middle of the bridge, away from the shelter of higher ground, the wind begins to whip. I'd suggest holding on to your hat.

And as much of a spectacle as the bridge is, there aren't many places where you can get a clear view of it. From the Cumberland County side of the bridge, a few miles east of Farmville, it's a mile to the nearest road and trail parking lot. From the Prince Edward County side, the nearest trail parking lot is 3 miles away.

If you want a good look, dust off your bike or break out your walking shoes.