[N&W] RE: Bridge Supports

[nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org]

Gary Rolih writes:
In the early 1900's many of the abundments on the Scioto Division and many 
in the Bluefield area ( the large Bluefield Yard retaining wall for one) 
were made of what was known as McDermott sandstone.  This stone came from 
quarries along the Cincinnati District just to the west of Portsmouth, 
Ohio.  There is a ridgeline between the Scioto River and Ohio Brush Creek 
which is made of this sandstone.  There were at least five quarry pits 
along the tracks from MP C99 to MP C80,(towns McDermott, Arion, Henley, 
Otway, and Rarden), which supplied stone to the N&W. Taylor and Waller 
Brothers were the biggest.  Waller Brothers is still in business near 
McDermott.  The sandstone came in two grades, blue or gray ( both look 
sandy brown to me, which had different structural properties. This 
sandstone was apparently a little low on compressive strength over the long 
term.  It would tend to spall.  Since quite a bit of it is still around 
uncapped or covered by concrete, it mustn't be too bad in terms of durable 
life.