Railroad Bridges

[Rick A]

Some articles and pictures of railroad bridges.

Vintage: Railroad Bridges With Timber Trestles | MONOVISIONS - Black & White Photography Magazine

In the 1830s, the railroad boom started a new era in the building of railroad bridges pushing engineers to build towering wooden bridges that have become synonymous with the era. Timber trestles were one of the few railroad bridge forms that did not develop in Europe. The reason was that in the...

monovisions.com

Scientific American Volume 81 Number 09 (August 1899) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

archive.org

Railroad bridge fire 40th anniversary: Fire in the sky

Forty years ago today, the Poughkeepsie Railroad Bridge burned – and changed history.

www.poughkeepsiejournal.com

Railroad Bridges (USA): Images, History, Purpose

Railroad bridges and train trestles were first developed in the mid-19th century, constructed primarily of stone. Today, steel is the common material.

www.american-rails.com

https://www.google.com/books/edition/American_Railroad_Bridges/SwM5AAAAMAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=railroad+bridges&pg=PA51&printsec=frontcover

 

[Rick A]

[Catalogue] : the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, office and works, East Berlin, Connecticut, U.S.A. : iron railroad bridges, iron roofs ... etc. 1890
by Berlin Iron Bridge Co.

[Catalogue] : the Berlin Iron Bridge Company, office and works, East Berlin, Connecticut, U.S.A. : iron railroad bridges, iron roofs ... etc. : Berlin Iron Bridge Co. : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Includes list and ill. of bridges built by the Company, and numerous testimonials

archive.org

Types and details of bridge construction 1904
by Skinner, Frank W. (Frank Woodward), 1858-1932

Types and details of bridge construction : Skinner, Frank W. (Frank Woodward), 1858-1932 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Book digitized by Google from the library of the New York Public Library and uploaded to the Internet Archive by user tpb.

archive.org

Iron and timber railway superstructures and general works; giving dimensions and quantities for the standard 4 ft. 8 1/2 in gauge, and the metre 3 ft. 3 3/8 in gauge ... with some earthwork tables, and outline of a specification and requirements 1874
by Grover, J. W. (John William), 1836-1892

Iron and timber railway superstructures and general works; giving dimensions and quantities for the standard 4 ft. 8 1/2 in gauge, and the metre 3 ft. 3 3/8 in gauge ... with some earthwork tables, and outline of a specification and requirements : Grover, J. W. (John William), 1836-1892 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

archive.org

 

[Rick A]

Here's one close to home. The Cape Cod Canal bridge and some info about it.

https://www.nae.usace.army.mil/Portals/74/docs/Recreation/CCC/Brochures/Vertical_Lift_Railroad_Bridge_Trifold.pdf

Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge (Buzzards Bay Railroad Bridge) - HistoricBridges.org

Historic Truss Bridge in Buzzards Bay Barnstable County, Massachusetts. This enormous vertical lift bridge had the longest lift span in the world for many years and is also noted for its ornamental detailing.

historicbridges.org

MC - Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge

Through truss vertical lift bridge over Cape Cod Canal on the Mass Coastal Railroad at Buzzards Bay

bridgehunter.com

 

[Rick A]

And here in Maine where I live, the old Back Cove railroad swing bridge is about to be torn down. Too bad as my understanding is there aren't a lot of this type of bridge left standing.

A Short History of the Back Cove Swing Bridge In Portland

The Maine DOT has announced plans to demolish part of the old Grand Trunk Railroad trestle that crosses Back Cove in Portland from the B&M Baked Beans plant to the East End.

wjbq.com

You’ll Never Believe the Story Behind This Abandoned Bridge in Maine - Standard News

In the liberal, hippie’esque town of Portland, Maine, you can find a vibrant local music scene, beautiful green spaces, and a creepy abandoned bridge. For years, this structure, adorned with ...

standardnews.com

Most People Don’t Know The Story Behind Maine’s Abandoned Bridge To Nowhere

This abandoned bridge has a very cool story!

www.onlyinyourstate.com

Yeah, you read it right. That's the B&M baked bean factory in the background.

 

[Rick A]

And Boston has it's own swing bridge at the Fort Point channel. For 10 years I crossed this bridge on my way to work. It was funny as a pedestrian that on the rare occasion when the workers who manned the bridge went on strike they would leave it in the open position so no cars could cross, leading to a real mess in an already congested area.

Northern Avenue Bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://www.bostonmagazine.com/property/2016/01/22/northern-ave-bridge/

And just like that, a Boston landmark will be removed

The Globe reports Boston officials have decided to tear down the old Northern Avenue Bridge starting in March - although a spokeswoman for the mayor said today that "there will still be an opportunity to preserve the bridge, but it cannot stay where it is because of its current condition." Read...

www.universalhub.com

 

[Rick A]

If anyone is interested in learning more about swing bridges, here's a wikipedia article.

Swing bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

https://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=railroad+swing+bridges

 

[Rick A]

Some old trestle bridges.

Railroad trestles created a vast and handsome network across America

Locomotives chugging along, high above the ground.

mashable.com

The magnificent and mighty trestle bridges of the 19th Century

The first use of timber for building bridges probably emerged when someone decided to place a log over a stream to cross over. However, the 1830s boom in

www.thevintagenews.com

Trestle bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

 

[Rick A]

Another old bridge manufacture.

Descriptive catalogue of wrought-iron bridges.. 1874
by Keystone bridge company, Pittsburgh

Descriptive catalogue of wrought-iron bridges.. : Keystone bridge company, Pittsburgh : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Mode of access: Internet

archive.org

 

[Rick A]

Here's another one in the state of Maine. The North Anson Railroad Bridge.

MEC - Carrabassett River Bridge

Abandoned pratt through truss bridge over Carrabassett River on Maine Central Railroad

bridgehunter.com

Walking the abandoned rail bridge of North Anson

Locomotives that had roared across this track were named things like Black Dinah, Moxie, and Bombazeen.

lifesatrip.ca

 

[Rick A]

Movables bridges by Hovey, Otis Ellis, 1864-1941
Publication date 1926

Movables bridges : Hovey, Otis Ellis, 1864-1941 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Bibliography: v. 1, p. 33-35

archive.org

The designing of draw-spans 1898
by Wright, Charles Herbert, 1857- [from old catalog]

The designing of draw-spans : Wright, Charles Herbert, 1857- [from old catalog] : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

Book digitized by Google from the library of the University of Michigan and uploaded to the Internet Archive by user tpb.

archive.org

An elementary and practical treatise on bridge building 1873
by Whipple, S

An elementary and practical treatise on bridge building : Whipple, S : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive

14

archive.org

There, now I'm heading out to my back yard to start building!

 

[Rick A]

There are some great railroad bridge photos on this NY public library digital collection site.

Search results - "railroad bridges" - NYPL Digital Collections

 

[Rick A]

And now for something completely different. A railroad bridge? Well, sort of..

 

[Bret_D]

... There, now I'm heading out to my back yard to start building!

How big of a chasm do you have to cross?

 

[Rick A]

Only about 23 feet. All I need is an abandoned car and some muscle. Anybody free Saturday?

 

[Rick A]

Bascule Bridge. Article from a 1909 Railway and Locomotive Engineering journal.

 

[Bret_D]

I'd love to see that HUGE foot.

 

[Rick A]

That was the age of giants. How about that shoe design? Right out of a Dickens novel

 

[Rick A]

Now this is a cool way to experience rail travel

 

[Bret_D]

Unfortunately, too many of these people are doing this illegally.

 

[Rick A]

A 1906 article on cantilever bridges from Railway and locomotive engineering.

Cantilever bridge - Wikipedia

en.wikipedia.org

Bridge - Cantilever bridges

Bridge - Bridge - Cantilever bridges: Like suspension bridges, steel cantilever bridges generally carry heavy loads over water, so their construction begins with the sinking of caissons and the erection of towers and anchorages. For steel cantilever bridges, the steel frame is built out from the...

www.britannica.com