Editing Hell Gate Bridge (section)

=== Approach viaducts ===
The height of the arch above Hell Gate required that the line be placed on an elevated viaduct between Long Island City and Port Morris. The viaduct is almost entirely composed of steel and concrete, except for small segments at either end, where the line is carried on an [[Embankment (earthworks)|embankment]] with retaining walls.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 1368" /> The steel viaduct is carried on approximately 150 concrete piers.<ref name="RAG1914 pp. 888–889" />

==== Bronx viaduct ====
In the Bronx, the Hell Gate Bridge has an approach viaduct measuring {{Convert|4356|ft|m}} long<ref name="RAG1914 p. 1368" /> and descends at a grade of up to 1.2 percent.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 1368" /><ref name="Ammann p. 1661" /> The NH used [[helper locomotive]]s during the 20th century to assist freight trains traversing the approach viaduct's grade.<ref name="p896297024" /><ref name="p879783320">{{cite magazine |date=October 23, 1943 |title=Five More Electric Locomotives Added to New Haven Fleet: Trend in design is to higher-horsepower single-cab units—newest type is suitable for freight and passenger service Table I—Principal Dimensions and Weights of the Three Latest Types of New York, New Haven & Hartford Electric Locomotives |magazine=Railway Age |page=655 |volume=115 |issue=17 |id={{ProQuest|879783320}}}}</ref> The Bronx viaduct merges with the former four-track [[Port Morris Branch]] (now the one-track [[Oak Point Link]]) at 142nd Street in Port Morris.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 889" /><ref>{{harvnb|Ammann|1918|ps=.|pages=1660–1661}}</ref> Separate ramps carry the western and eastern pairs of tracks down to the level of the Port Morris Branch.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 889" /> As built, the western ramp descended between the Port Morris Branch's western and eastern pairs of tracks, while the eastern ramp descended to the east of the Port Morris Branch.<ref name="Ammann p. 1660" /><ref name="RAG1914 p. 889" /> Two sets of piers carry the ramps northward from the Bronx Kill span to 132nd Street.<ref name="n142388040" />

From the Bronx Kill north to 132nd Street, the four-track-wide viaduct consists of plate girders, which rest on concrete piers. Each pier is less than {{Convert|50|ft}} tall and has an arched opening at the base.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 889" /> The Hell Gate Pathway runs underneath the arches.<ref name="The Hell Gate Pathway : NYC Parks 2006 n945" /> The viaduct splits into two ramps north of 132nd Street, each with space for two tracks.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 889" /> Between 132nd and 138th Street, the ramps are largely supported by rectangular concrete piers.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 889" /> The plate girders run parallel to each other, under the tracks, and are intersected perpendicularly by I-beams, which support the concrete-and-ballast trackbeds above.<ref name="RAG1915 p. 422">{{harvnb|Railway Age Gazette|1915|ps=.|page=422}}</ref> The western ramp crosses over the Port Morris Branch's former eastern pair of tracks from 132nd to 133rd Street and is supported by large steel cross-girders.<ref name="RAG1915 p. 422" /> Between 138th and 142nd streets, the line is carried on an embankment measuring {{Convert|900|ft}} long.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 889" />

==== Queens viaduct ====
The Queens approach viaduct descends at a grade of no more than 0.72 percent and is carried over local streets.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 1368" /><ref name="Ammann p. 1661" /> It ranges from {{Convert|110|to|30|ft}} above ground.<ref name="Ammann p. 1661" /> The section west of 29th Street measures {{Convert|2868|ft}} long and was originally known as the Long Island viaduct.<ref name="RAG1915 p. 424" /> The western viaduct is very similar to those above Randalls and Wards Islands, but the piers of the Queens viaduct use shallow foundations due to the presence of gravel and sand under the viaduct. The gravel and sand could not accommodate loads of more than {{convert|3|ST/ft2|t/m2}}, so the Queens viaduct is supported by especially wide concrete piers.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 891">{{harvnb|Railway Age Gazette|1914|ps=.|page=891}}</ref>
[[File:Astoria_Ditmars_Boulevard_tunnel_vc.jpg|thumb|The arch carrying the Hell Gate approach viaduct above the [[Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard station]]]]
The section from 29th to 44th Street{{efn|The ''Railway Age Gazette'' refers to this segment as running between "Lawrence Street and Stemler Street".<ref name="RAG1914 p. 892" /> These streets have respectively been renamed 29th and 44th streets.<ref>{{cite web |title=Queens Table 1: Old Name to New Name |website=One-Step Webpages by Stephen P. Morse |url=https://stevemorse.org/census/changes/QueensChanges1a.htm |access-date=December 23, 2023 |archive-date=December 15, 2023 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20231215013843/https://stevemorse.org/census/changes/QueensChanges1a.htm |url-status=live}}</ref>}} measures {{Convert|3480|ft}} long and was originally called the eastern viaduct.<ref name="Ammann p. 1661" /> Reinforced concrete [[Semicircular arch|round arches]] carry the line over several streets in Astoria.<ref name="RAG1914 p. 891" /><ref name="n142397488" /> The approach viaduct crosses above the [[New York City Subway]]'s elevated [[Astoria–Ditmars Boulevard station]] at 31st Street,<ref>{{Cite web |title=NYCityMap |url=http://maps.nyc.gov/ |url-status=live |archive-url=https://archive.today/20150524114059/http://maps.nyc.gov/ |archive-date=May 24, 2015 |access-date=March 20, 2020 |website=NYC.gov |publisher=[[New York City Department of Information Technology and Telecommunications]]}}</ref> and [[three-centered arch]]es were used at two locations where a flatter arch was required.<ref name="n142397488" /><ref name="RAG1914 p. 892">{{harvnb|Railway Age Gazette|1914|ps=.|page=892}}</ref> [[Warren truss]] bridges carry the line diagonally above intersections.<ref name="n142398010" /><ref name="RAG1915 p. 425">{{harvnb|Railway Age Gazette|1915|ps=.|page=425}}</ref> The truss-bridge segments typically measure {{convert|120|to|166|ft}} long<ref name="RAG1914 p. 891" /><ref name="n142397488" /> and consist of heavy box-section columns that are made of built-up [[I-beam]]s.<ref name="RAG1915 p. 425" /> Along the remainder of the eastern viaduct, the tracks run atop compacted [[Fill (land)|land fill]], which is enclosed by retaining walls. The retaining walls are made of slabs that are bolted together, while the fill came from the excavation of [[Sunnyside Yard]].<ref>{{harvnb|Railway Age Gazette|1914|ps=.|pages=891–892}}</ref>

East of 44th Street, the viaduct ends, and the line descends onto an embankment.<ref name="Ammann p. 1661" /><ref name="RAG1914 p. 892" /> The passenger and freight tracks branch off in western Queens, past the end of the viaduct.<ref name="Ammann p. 1656" />