Tales of the Black Bridge
“How did the Black Bridge get its name?”
The old timers on the railroad recalled how a long-ago railroad bridge maintenance crew misunderstood their painting instructions for that bridge. Instead of only painting the iron tie rods and all other iron hardware, that crew painted everything black; timbers included.
People would come to visit the spot. Some would suggest it was haunted. Pennsylvania is home to some of the country’s eeriest tales, from the fires of Centralia to the Hellham County Gates.
Here are two stories about the bridge: if you say the Lords Prayer backwards three times the Devil will come and claim your soul. Another is if you tap your horn three times when passing over that the “Screamer” will come. The Screamer is a tragic story of a ghost woman who hung herself over a bridge once she was left at the altar. It is said that she screamed loudly when she jumped. The myth says that this same woman will appear behind your car if honk three times. Note: just don’t do anything in threes when visiting Pennsylvania!
How does this relate to a diorama? Well, honestly it is Halloween and I am thinking of scary stories but I am also thinking that when my Dad died he left behind some of his prized possessions—in this case, a few of his brass train models—and I need a place to display, photograph and appreciate his legacy. I could simply glue a piece of track to a piece of wood, but I remembered the bridge and how cool the trains looked passing over the bridge. I also thought I could incorporate a lower track running underneath and use a dual gauge section that would allow me to display both standard and narrow gauge locos and rolling stock together... and a bridge diorama relates to a classic layout called the “Gum Stump and Snowshoe,” which also features a bridge crossing and is named after two towns in Pennsylvania.
