Roanoker David Flickwir Digs Big Holes, Too !

[NW Mailing List]

I’ve recently looked through the fascinating tunnel construction photos that Abram linked below.  Seeing them made me realize how little I understand the tunnel lining process.

For example, are the timbers behind the brick lining intended to stabilize the rock above, or to keep a completed brick arch from “springing” when the falsework supporting it is removed?

Is the space behind the brick lining eventually grouted full with concrete? 

What is the advantage of brick as a liner (I making an assumption that the rock in this area isn’t stable enough to form it’s own liner) vs. concrete?  Given DL&W’s extravagant use of concrete in other projects, I am surprised it wasn’t also used here.

Matt Goodman
Columbus, Ohio, U.S.


On Jun 12, 2017, at 6:44 PM, NW Mailing List <nw-mailing-list at nwhs.org> wrote:

Roanoker, and ex-N&W official, David Flickwir apparently also had the contract to build the 3629-foot Nicholson Tunnel (a.k.a. Factoryville Tunnel) on the Lackawanna's Pennsylvania Cut Off, 1912-1914.  These construction images were released yesterday from the Steamtown glass plate negative archive, and were exposed on Nov. 29, 1914.  The images were made by Watson B. Bunnell, a professional photographer in Scranton.  This tunnel is located on the old Lackawanna main line which the NS bought two years ago from the Canadian Pacific, extending from Sunbury, Pa. through Scranton,  to  Binghamton, NY, about 140 miles.  "The Pennsylvania Cut Off" was a 40 mile line relocation to reduce grade and curvature against heavy westbound coal trains leaving the Wyoming Valley Anthracite coal fields around Scranton.



http://lists.railfan.net/erielackphoto.cgi?erielack-06-11-17/B2035.jpg <http://lists.railfan.net/erielackphoto.cgi?erielack-06-11-17/B2035.jpg>
http://lists.railfan.net/erielackphoto.cgi?erielack-06-11-17/B2034.jpg <http://lists.railfan.net/erielackphoto.cgi?erielack-06-11-17/B2034.jpg>
http://lists.railfan.net/erielackphoto.cgi?erielack-06-11-17/B2033.jpg <http://lists.railfan.net/erielackphoto.cgi?erielack-06-11-17/B2033.jpg>
Mr. Flickwir (1852-1935) arrived in Roanoke as Construction Engineer on the Shenandoah Valley RR.  Within a few years, he was General Superintendent of the N&W's Eastern General Division (i.e. everything east of Bluefield.)

Attached is Mr.  Flickwir's bio as printed in the 1893 Biographical Directory of Railway Officials of America.  I find it interesting that he was Asst. Engineer of Construction for the Centennial Exposition of 1876, the nation's 100th birthday party, given in Philadelphia.  The Centennial Exposition was the largest civic event in America up to that time, the 6th World's Fair (and the first one held in America)  in which 37 nations participated and 10 million people attended.  It involved a staggering amount of construction, major revamping of railroads in the area, and it was the event which brought about the "blocking of trains" as an operating practice in American railroading (due to the massive volumes of passenger traffic handled.)  It was also the event at which some of the first interlocking equipment was exhibited and actually used in the control of train movement.  Two of the buildings from the Centennial still stand (albeit relocated) and are still used as railroad stations.

-- abram burnett

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