The Colebrookdale Railroad Preservation Trust in Pennsylvania has been working to bring back to life a beautiful and historic railroad line. As part of that effort they are building a new station in Pottstown’s Memorial Park in the center of a Rust Belt town working hard to reinvent itself. The station needed to inspire and uplift the community and set the stage for an experience visitors would find magical. They chose a design that turned out to be a challenge to build, especially the foundation walls meant to simulate the limestone block foundations of European châteaus. To account for the vibrations of passing trains and support the weight of an 80-foot clock tower, a massive reinforced concrete foundation was deemed necessary. The footing alone required 150 cubic yards of concrete with 28 tons of #7 and #8 rebar.
Local firm Drumheller Construction accepted the job and carefully formulated a plan. Drumheller’s owner Jody Zeleznick worked with local carpenters to create custom wood forms clad in aluminum sheeting that provided the polished limestone effect the owners sought. But with 2-inch horizontal grooves formed with ripped lumber, Zeleznick was concerned about stripping, so he covered the furring strips with aluminum after they were nailed to the forms. The forms stripped cleanly.
“My men put a lot of thought into the forming and all the aspects of the job,” Zeleznick says. “It was small but one of the most challenging projects I’ve had in my 45 years of building with concrete. I am very glad Drumheller Construction was part of it.”
