Did you know that as you go over the Mansfield Bridge your on part of an Old railroad Bridge? How about the old Neville Island Bridge was once Pittsburgh's 6th street Bridge

If you ever drove over the old Neville Island Bridge on the west side of the island which connected you to the community of Coraopolis  Pa. 
Then you actually drove over a relocated section of the 6th Street Bridge in Pittsburgh which a section of it was dismantled and floated down river and placed on piers to make the Neville Island Bridge.

The bridge had to be closed in 90s do to an emergency when it was discovered that it had the same structural flaw that the Silver City Bridge in WV had that collapsed  and was quickly replaced with current span.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silver_Bridge

A second bridge where steel was reused and still in use is the Mansfield bridge in Mckeesport which connects to Dravosburg 
Steel from this bridge in part came from the Old Wabash  Railroad Bridge .

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wabash_Bridge_(Pittsburgh)

The Mansfield Bridge is a magnificent looking bridge I have been over many times and even carried trolley traffic at one time. its also been scene of horrific accidents due to speeding motorists

https://historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=pennsylvania/mansfieldbridge/

 

So as you can see recycling is not a new thing it has been going on for a long time .

Some of Infamous Red Light Districts around the Tristate

Yes what mystery blog would not be complete with out a discussion of the Worlds Oldest profession

Agree or not there will always be a need for shady lady's of the night as long as there are young men willing to pay for sex so its not surprising around the tri-state area were several Red Light districts.
one such was in Steubenville Ohio which also had a large illegal gambling district to go with it My dad would sometimes get hired to take young Jewish men from Squirrel hill  to have an evenings fun in Steubenville . It has been mostly torn down and was located close to the steel mill.

 

https://www.theintelligencer.net/life/features/2015/02/author-sheds-light-on-steubenivlle-s-past-infamous-red-light-district/

My Dad who is not Jewish but he  would get hired by young Jewish Men in early 50s to take them from Squirrel   Hill  to Steubenville and Club 30 upriver for a nights entertainment of gambling and drinking   in his old 43 Plymouth and make sure they got home safely

My grandfather spoke of  young men walking the line a red light district along 2nd ave in Pittsburgh before the J&L Mill was expanded during world wars .

 Now my Grandfather said back in the day the houses along 2nd ave a Dr. was always on call and made sure the lady's where safe from Sexual disease. I don't know how true this is  as even back then it was illegal but it would make sense to keep everyone safe.

One of the more Infamous Places to meet a shady lady was Brick Alley in Mckeesport Now all gone.

https://brewingwithleber.blogspot.com/2011/05/birth-of-brick-alley-ipa.html

 

Brick Alley was a street, covered with bricks, down by the Youghiogheny River. On the river side were businesses: warehouses, a scrap yard, an auto wrecking yard. On the other side were wooden houses, brothels. On the upriver end, just beyond the wrecking yard, was the black housing project, Harrison Village.

You also had gambling which seems to go hand in hand with Prostitution. But eventually the Brick alley was torn down late 70s and  partly redeveloped . When i worked as a guard I would walk up Walnut Street to Reliance Steel also now gone and you could see where all the foundations and bricks where still laying. including the former Tube city Brewery

 

 

 

Those Mysterious large green pipes running thru the Mon Valley along Pa 837 . What do they do ?

 If you have ever driven down Pa. 837 you would notice very large green  painted exposed industrial pipes from Munhall all the way down to  Jefferson Hills .

But what are they for ? lots of rumors and story's I have heard but their is a logical explanation 

and it makes perfect sense and saves United States Steel  and helps save environment in long run.  

The pipes run from the USS Clairiton Coke Works to Irvin works to Edgar Thompson Works. at one time it also served Homestead and Duquesne works when they existed. 

The pipes carry Combustible  Coking Gas which is produced when coal is heated in the process of making coke .

You can also see smaller  Nitrogen and Oxygen pipes in places as well  which run between the plants 

This coke  gas is a valuable Byproduct of Coke Making and is used at Irwin and ET to heat the blast furnaces .

Which cuts down the amount of natural gas to fire the furnaces. .

The pipes are not as expansive and prominent  as they once where  when they where still feeding Homestead but are still plainly visible as you ride down Pa.837