(
Bridge Hunter,
Historic Bridges,
3D Satellite)
Update: While my daughter was driving me around Chicago so that I could take pictures, I shot a sequence from I-55. Fortunately, the camera was able to lock focus even though we were moving at highway speeds. It appears the third bridge is not totally abandoned. I wonder what they have planned for it. (Another Update:
The third bridge is to help connect BNSF's Corwith Yard with BNSF's Clyde Yard.)
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Later I made a trip to the boat ramp park to take some more photos.
It is embarrassing when the street view gets a better photo. And he even caught it with a train.
Even the bridge that was recently rehabilitated by BNSF has graffiti.
I caught it graffiti free, but I didn't dodge the vegetation very well. I do not like walking in weeds for various reasons.
This is the lowest fixed bridge at 17-feet on the Lake Michigan to Gulf of Mexico waterway.
(The Chicago River An illustrated History and Guide to the River and Its Waterways, 2nd Edition, 2006, David M. Solzman, p.221) This surprised me because I have heard that the
South Branch Bridge is the lowest. Then I remembered that they can, and do, still raise the South Branch Bridge. (Update:
USACE lists it as 17.6')
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MWRD posted on Feb 5, 2022
A view of the construction site for the first Eight Track Rail bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on August 22, 1899, looking east from a temporary trestle. The bridge would later be replaced by the current bridge in 1909. |
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MWRD posted on Oct 24, 2022
The 8 Track Rail Bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on January 23, 1909, showing a crew at work between tracks on the northern approach of bridge. This bridge was replaced by the current bridge in 1909. |
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MWRD posted
The 8 Track Rail Bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal showing a crew at work between tracks on the northern approach of bridge on January 23, 1909. This bridge was replaced by the current bridge in 1909. |
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Dennis DeBruler shared a MWRD posting
Historical photo of the week: The 8-track rail bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Western Ave is seen opened for passage of tanks bound for Dickinson Seed Company on February 27, 1917.
[Note the power lines on the left that terminated at a switchyard building to the left of the photographer.] |
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MWRD posted
Construction of the new Eight Track Rail Bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Western Ave in Chicago on September 7, 1909. The movable bascule-style bridge replaced a fixed bridge to allow for passage of large vessels.
Chris Nantus shared |
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MWRD posted
A view to the north showing work on the 8-track rail bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Western Avenue on February 5, 1910. The MWRD built the bridge, which is actually four separate spans with two rail tracks each, between 1908 and 1910.
Timothy Leppert: Great photo. Parked the lead locomotive of a BN train on that bridge many times waiting for the interlocking signal. |
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MWRD posted
A view to the north of construction of the 8 Track Rail Bridge and removal of what remained of the previous bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Western Ave in Chicago on February 5, 1910.
Mike Breski shared
David Daruszka shared
Did BN put in their own bridge base over the canal or just cut into the SF west of the xing |
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MWRD posted
A view to the north showing work on the 8-track rail bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Western Avenue on April 19, 1910. The #MWRD built the bridge, which is actually four separate spans with two rail tracks each, between 1908 and 1910. |
For decades I have wondered which railroads used the 8-track bridge that crosses the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal
just west of Western Avenue Bridge. My study of the
Brighton Park Crossing has answered that question. The bridges carry the
Western Avenue Corridor across the canal. Originally, the 8 tracks, starting from the east side, were 2 tracks for the
Chicago Junction Railroad (New York Central), 2 tracks for the Baltimore and Ohio Chicago Terminal, and 4 tracks for the
Panhandle Route of the Pennsy. But one of the Pennsy tracks was not used.
Currently, the usage is 2 tracks for NS/NYC/CJ and 2 tracks for CSX/B&OCT. That is, only the 2 eastern spans of the 4 spans still have tracks on them.
Some sources refer to this as a Pennsylvania Railroad bridge because the Panhandle Route was the first railroad to build in this corridor. But these spans were built by the Sanitary District of Chicago. The official name seems to be Eight Track Bridge. But I like the "Scissors Bridges" nickname because of the unique design of alternating which side a span lifts from.
This is one of
six railroad bridges in Chicago's list of 353 landmarks.
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HAER
Jonathan Konopka posted
These are the Western Avenue "Scissors" Bridges in Chicago, IL. They are four bascule bridges that were built in 1909 and carry eight railroad tracks across the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
Dennis DeBruler: HAER has several more photos: http://www.loc.gov/pictures/item/il0665/ |
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David Daruszka commented on Jonathan's post
Coming across. |
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MWRD posted
A steamship passes through the 8 Track Rail Bridge and a swing bridge at Western Avenue on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, viewed from the south side of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal between the two bridges (current home to the Richard J. Daley Park and boat launch) on April 20, 1921.
William Lafferty: This was my comment the last time this great photograph appeared here: The Great Lakes Towing Company's Indiana, built by that firm in 1912 at its shipyard at Cleveland, tows the venerable wooden steamer Thomas Davidson light towards Western Avenue for its long trip to Lake Michigan. Wolf & Davidson launched the vessel 5 May 1888 at Milwaukee to its own account, named for one of the two partners in the yard. Last owned by famous salvage master Captain J. T. Reid, it was abandoned at Sarnia, Ontario, in 1930, its engine removed for scrap in August 1931, and its hull burned afterwards on Lake Huron near the mouth of the St. Clair River. To the left is the Sanitary District survey both Robert R., of which I've spoken here before, and ahead of it the little passenger gas boat White Flyer also owned by the District, built at Chicago in 1928, and which would serve the District well into the 1950s. I now add that the photograph was taken from the lawn of the Sanitary District's powerhouse at 31st and Western. |
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MWRD posted
A view of the Eight Track Bridge opened for passing of a dipper dredge, looking west from the Western Avenue bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on July 23, 1920. |
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MWRD posted on Feb 14, 2023
A view to the west showing the 8-Track bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal with the bridge lifted for passing vessels on August 3, 1920. |
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MWRD posted
A barge on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, viewed looking west towards the 8-Track Rail Bridge, on October 9, 1923.
[I noticed the tugboat is owned by the Great Lakes Dredge & Dock Co. This photo raises the question of when was the modern towboat that pushes, instead of pulls, tows developed?]
MWRD posted |
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Dennis DeBruler commented on the MWRD post
This photo posted by Ken Gidewall confirms that the buildings in the upper-right corner of the MWRD photo were part of the massive International Harvester plant that occupied much of the land around the former West Fork of the South Branch between the turning basin and California Avenue. |
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MWRD posted
Construction of the first 8 Track Rail Bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on September 21, 1900. This bridge was replaced by the current 8-track "scissors" bridge, which is actually four separate spans with two rail tracks each, built by the MWRD between 1908 and 1910.
Dennis DeBruler: I believe the buildings in the right background were the McCormick Harvesting Machine Co. before it was absorbed by International Harvester Co. in 1902. |
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Chuck Edmonson posted
Chicago's old '8 track bridge' just off Western Avenue over the Sanitary and Shipping Canal. |
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Braian Morgan commented on the above posting
According to the PRR this location was called Ash Street Junction. This is the official PRR track chart from company records.Once the PRR or P.C.C& StL reached 49th Street the B&OCT Crossed the Pennsy and ran on the west side of the embankment and the Pennsy on the east side of the embankment. The Chicago Junction Railway turned North east at Western Avenue to connect with the Stock Yards and the parent New York Central at 39th and State Street. |
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David Daruszka commented on the above posting
Engineer's view. |
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MWRD posted
Historical Photo of the Week: Some brave folks pause for a photo during work on the District-built 8-track rail bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal near Western Ave on March 18, 1910.
MWRD posted |
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Joe Balynas commented on a post
Bob Colton: It has the lowest clearance of any bridge on the commercially navigable sections of Chicago's waterways. Over the years several tugs have had there wheelhouses either damaged or destroyed navigating under that bridge.
The Amtrak South Branch Bridge has only 11.1' of clearance. This one has 17.6' of clearance. So I guess this is the lowest of the now fixed (unmovable) bridges. |
Randy provided two photos on a post with the comment: "I wish this bridge was 3ft higher off the water. It's the lowest bridge on the river and I always drag my antennas on the tug boat across the bottom."
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The bridge is in the background of these three photos
posted by MWRD with the comment: "
Historical Photos of the Week: A three-part photo series! A truck is removed from the south bank of the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal, west of Western Avenue, on April 26, 1926." I wonder what the factory is in the background of the right side of a couple of the pictures.
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MWRD posted
Work on the south side of the 8 Track Rail Bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal in Chicago on December 29, 1908. This bridge was replaced by the current bridge in 1909. |
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MWRD posted
This photo from February 25, 1910, shows workers inspecting the ruins of a tool house that was destroyed by a fire during work on the 8-Track Rail Bridge over the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal.
The photo also shows the power lines that were being constructed to the MWRD switchyard building that was between this rail bridge and the Western Avenue Bridge. |
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Eric Reinert: International Harvester/McCormick tractor works beyond the freight cars. |
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MWRD posted
A group of Sanitary District of Chicago (now MWRD) employees train on a new boat on the Chicago Sanitary and Ship Canal on August 16, 1919. |
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