1892 BNSF/BN/Frisco Bridge over Mississippi at Memphis, TN

(Bridge Hunter, John A. Weeks III, 3D Satellite)

HAER TENN,79-MEMPH,19--1 from HAER
OVERALL VIEW OF BRIDGE (CENTER). VIEW TO SOUTHWEST.

The Harahan Bridge is the one on the right, and the one on the left is I-55.

"When built this was the most southerly bridge over the Mississippi River....Cantilevered Baltimore through truss. This bridge was built entirely of the newly developed open hearth steel." [Bridge Hunter]

The towboat in the second photo is downbound so the Frisco bridge is the first one we see.

David Gulden posted
Michael Gore: Concerning the caption "...churns up a wake...", read somewhere a long time ago that the Big Mama's pilots would cross the searchlights in an X to warn folks ahead to be ready...huge wake would be headed their way shortly.
[Sprague ("Big Mama") ]

Once again, we see the advantage of a cantilevered design is that the span over the navigation channel can be built without any falsework.

Bridge Hunter

Bridge Hunter

M.J. Scanlon has a 2003 Flickr photo of a BNSF train coming off the bridge. The lead engine is still in a BN livery.

M.J. Scanlon has a 2003 closeup of BNSF "cigar band" coming off the bridge.

An M.J. Scanlon 2018 photo

Update:

Jim Ammons posted
Z-ATGSBD crossing the rebuilt Frisco Bridge over Mississippi River at Memphis 3-31-17
Jim Ammons BNSF had to completely replace the bridge over land in Arkansas as the bridge piers were sinking into the dirt. The part of the bridge over the river with piers in the water is good, nothing replaced on that part of the bridge.

M.J. Scanlon Flickr 2005 Photo shows all of the Arkansas approach before its replacement including three cut-stone piers.

Randy James posted
the Frisco(bnsf) constructed in 1892 rail bridge, taken from the pedestrian walkway on the harahan constructed in 1914, rock island, mopac & cotton belt (union Pacific) bridge in west Memphis Arkansas sunset, the bridge in the background is the Arkansas-Tennessee (old bridge) i-55

Joe Dudek posted
1994

Terry Redeker shared
[A BNSF OCS train from Topeka KS via Kansas City to the Super Bowl in Atlanta, GA with a freight on the Harahan Bridge. Jan 29, 2019]

M.J. Scanlon shared a link on 2/24/2019 to BNSF Former Springfield Division
A BNSF loaded coal, destined for the Scherer coal powered facility in Georgia, enters Memphis after crossing the overflowing Mississippi River on the Frisco Bridge. It is switching to main 2 on the Thayer South Sub. A westbound UP train is crossing into Arkansas on the Harahan Bridge. 1/18/19

M.J. Scanlon
Flood waters have consumed the low lying Arkansas side of the Mississippi River as BNSF 5402 & 8974 cross over on the Frisco Bridge in the center of this trio of bridges leading into Memphis. On the left is the Memphis-Arkansas bridge which carries Interstate 55 to and from Memphis. Union Pacific's Harahan Bridge is on the right.

Craig Nicholson posted
Here we have the Frisco bridge in center, Harahan Bridge to the left, and the Memphis-Arkansas (aka old bridge) to the right. Located in Memphis, TN crossing the MS river. The Frisco bridge was opened in 1892, and the Harahan was opened in 1916. In 1917 the Harahan Bridge was opened to 2 lanes of vehicle crossing as well cantilevered over the sides of the bridge. Vehicles used this as their primary crossing until 1949. Now the northernmost lane is home to the Big River Crossing for pedestrian and bike traffic.

Comments on Craig's post
DJI link

safe_image from Jay Miller share of a Jay Flickr, Aug 30, 2019
BNSF crossing the Frisco Bridge
BNSF freight crossing the Frisco Bridge. The original portion is a cantilevered through truss bridge carrying a rail line across the Mississippi River between West Memphis, Arkansas, and Memphis, Tennessee. The bridge is built entirely of open-hearth steel, a newly developed material at the time of construction. The structure features a 790-foot (240 m) main span and two additional 600-foot (180 m) spans. Its 65-foot (20 m) height above the water was the highest clearance of any U.S. bridge of that era. The construction of the piers went nearly 100 feet (30 m) below the water's surface. It was completed in 1892. Several years ago the newer portion was added replacing the older structure which seemed to be sinking into the land from the river to the higher ground.
[I didn't know Flickr did videos. You have to hit the play icon directly for the video to start.]

1 of 2 photos posted by Alan Smith
Historically low levels on the Mississippi River at Memphis Tennessee. Under the Frisco and Harahan bridges on the Arkansas side which is usually under water. Lots of artifacts showing up and lots of metal detectors.

Trent Carroll posted
A few minutes before the New Year's Eve sunset, BNSF 4154 South leads a loaded grain train into Memphis over the Mississippi River on the Thayer South Subdivision. This is the Frisco Bridge, built in 1892 by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad (The Frisco) and reinforced in 2017 by the BNSF. Just a few feet north of this bridge is the Harahan Bridge of the Union Pacific, which is partially visible between the steel members of the Frisco Bridge. The photo was taken from the walkway of the Interstate 55 bridge. December 31, 2019

AISC
[Evidently in 2017 the removed an old span while the slid in a new 339' truss span. I can't believe I can't find a photo of such an interesting upgrade. I can find photos of just the approach construction. I would also like to see how they changed the piers and spans of the western approach because I assume they didn't stop trains for a long time.]

CommercialAppeal, ttnews also used the same BNSF press release

Terry Redeker Flickr
BNSF 2527, 2814 (GP39-3) Mississippi River Bridge West Memphis, Arkansas
[GP39-3 local over flood waters in Arkansas]

William Hayslip posted
Wanted to share my drawing of Frisco Mike 4106 crossing the Mississippi River into Memphis.
Charcoal and graphite 16 x 24

Redeker Rail Video & Photography posted three photos with the comment: "A few shots from last week [March, 2018] showing the flooded Mississippi River in Memphis"

1

2

3

Redeker Rail Video & Photography posted
6/23/2018

Redeker Rail Video & Photography posted
Engineers view crossing the Mississippi River into Memphis on the Frisco Bridge. 6/23/2018

Redeker Rail Video & Photography posted
Got out today to grab a shot of the BNSF Inspection OCS traveling from Birmingham to Kansas City.
BNSF Train: O BIRKCM2 13A
BNSF Frisco Mississippi River Bridge
Memphis, Tennessee 2/13/2019
[OCS = Office Car Special?]
Jarrod Woley Good gosh, how many people are they hauling?
Terry Redeker Jarrod Woley 15 cars is about the largest BNSF OCS that I have seen. The ones to the Masters usually only have 8-9 cars.
Jarrod Woley I’m surprised they didn’t have two engines on it.
Terry Redeker Jarrod Woley this is the same consist that went to Atlanta for the Super Bowl 2 weeks ago.
Steve Forrest Those trains typically have sleeping cars and dining cars in addition to regular coaches, which adds to the length. I had a chance to ride the NS office car train on a couple of occasions and let me tell you it's some kind of fancy on the inside. There may have been customers on this trip too.
Jarrod Woley Steve Forrest very true. I’ve rode once and it is definitely the way to travel!

Redeker Rail Video & Photography posted

Bobby Fischer posted
11/5/20. A northbound intermodal crosses the Mississippi River on the old Frisco Bridge as it leaves Memphis, TN and enters Arkansas. The bridge in the background is UP’s Harahan Bridge.

One of fourteen photos posted by John Weeks
Looking downstream through the Harahan Bridge towards a train crossing the Frisco Railroad Bridge. The BNSF uses the Frisco bridge. That structure is pretty lightweight and has maintenance issues, so trains are limited to about 10 miles per hour. Further, a train cannot start, stop, or accelerate on the bridge without fear that the structure will collapse lengthwise. The highway bridge is behind the two rail bridges.

M.J. Scanlon Flickr 2004 Photo

M.J. Scanlon Flickr 2006 Photo

M.J. Scanlon Flickr 2018 Photo

M.J. Scanlon Flickr 2018 Photo of the Arkansas low land trestle with concrete bents.

M.J. Scanlon Flickr 2018, probably a drone shot from over the river

BNSF 6673 | GE ES44C4 | BNSF Frisco Bridge

A BNSF manifest train makes the Mississippi River crossing on the Frisco Bridge (center bridge) as it leaves Arkansas and approaches Memphis, Tennessee. Union Pacific's Harahan Bridge above the Frisco has the MNLCN stopped partially on the structure waiting to go to CN's Harrison Yard. The Memphis-Arkansas Bridge (I-55 highway) is in the foreground.

M.J. Scanlon: high drone shot of a flooded Mississippi

M.J. Scanlon: BNSF closeup of the Arkansas side

M.J. Scanlon Flickr: BNSF intermodal train Z SBDATG7 11L comes off the Frisco Bridge, into Memphis, after crossing the Mississippi River from Arkansas.

Redeker Rail Video &  Photography posted 8 drone photos of the two railroads including a coal train headed to the "Daniels Power Plant on the Mississippi Export in southern Mississippi"

A photo and description of all three Mississippit bridges at Memphis