1877,1922 NS/CNO&TP/Sou/CS Bridges over Ohio River at Cincinnati, OH

(Bridge Hunter, Historic Bridges, B&T; 3D Satellite)

To explain the title, Cincinnati built and owns the Cincinnati Southern route, but it now leases it to the Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific, which is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Norfolk Southern.

The 1922 bridge was designed by Modjeski.

Photo from Bridge Hunter, 1877 Whipple truss
The longest span was 519' and when completed was the longest in the world.

Historical Postcard Showing Previous Swing Bridge from Historic Bridges
[The 1922 continuous truss was built around the old bridge so that traffic was not interrupted. The swing span was replaced by a lift span that used hydraulic jacks since it had to raise just 13'. The lift mechanism and towers have since been removed. The swing pier no longer holds any weight. It is the busiest railroad bridge in the area. [Historic Bridges]]

David George posted
Ohio River bridge.

Louis Edward Nollau glass negative collection
University of Kentucky Library
ca. 1913
Cincinnati, Ohio
Chris Mayhew Looking from Ludlow, Kentucky into Cincinnati. That’s also the first/original bridge.
Frank Michaels Double intersection Pratt Truss or Whipple.

Jim Kelling shared

Street View, 1922 Bridge

Street View

Street View

1 of 2 photos posted by Bridges & Tunnels

The massive Cincinnati Southern Bridge carries Norfolk Southern Railway (Cincinnati, New Orleans & Texas Pacific Railway) over the Ohio River between Cincinnati, Ohio, and Ludlow, Kentucky.

The first bridge over the river was completed in 1877 and featured the world's longest Linville-variant Whipple through truss in the world. There was also a swing span that was to be utilized during periods of high water when there wasn’t enough vertical space for boats to pass under the main span, although it was seldom, if ever, used.

In the early 20th century, it became evident that the Cincinnati Southern Bridge had become outdated. Due to weight limitations, trains had to be disassembled and transported across the river by locomotives weighing no more than 65 tons. Furthermore, the cars were restricted to a maximum gross weight of 115,000 pounds. The river crossing was extensively reconstructed between 1921-22, with the substructure widened and the superstructure erected over the existing trusses.

One notable change of the new bridge versus the old was the replacement of the swing span with a through truss vertical lift span, although it only raised 12 feet to accommodate tall boats. Other through truss spans were replaced with deck plate girders.

The seldom-used lift span was closed permanently in 1976, with the infrastructure later dismantled.

➤ Check out more on the history of this bridge at http://bridgestunnels.com/loc.../cincinnati-southern-bridge/

Bridges & Tunnels shared
Larry Klug: If you want to dig deeper into Cincinnati bridges, highways, and tunnels, check out this website that was done decades ago. This also includes expressways that were suggested, but never built.   https://cincinnati-transit.net

View from Train

Crossing bridge southbound from Cincinnati to Ludlow

Photo taken by Norfolk Southern Railroad (Operation Lifesaver Special) April 11, 2013

Brad McClelland posted
In the 1980's Seaboard System and early CSX used GE B30-7's on there intermodal trains. These locomotives were given a nickname of TOTE Boats, a L&N term for Trailer on Train Express.
This is southbound R-133 in Cincinnati, Ohio on May 4, 1986. This train is on the north approach of C&O's Ohio River Bridge. To the right is MD Cabin which controlled the crossovers on the north approach. In the background is Southern Railways Ohio River Bridge. I photographed this image from the southbound lane of I-75's Ohio River Bridge.

Brandon Lee posted five photos with the comment: "Since we seem to be on the subject of Ohio river crossings here are some shots I took of the Southern RR bridge and surrounding area in Cincinnati a few years back. The C&O's western crossing of the Ohio is behind the I-71/75 bridge in the background as well."

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Mark Hinsdale posted two photos with the comment:

"Almost Home"
On an unseasonably warm March, 1976 day, a northbound Southern Railway iintermodal train approaches and crosses the massive bridge spanning the Ohio River between Ludlow KY and Cincinnati OH. In short order, the crew will be putting their train away at Southern's Gest Street facility, the end of their run up the CNO&TP. Photos by Mark Hinsdale

Mark also shared.

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Javid Beykzadeh posted
01/15/2021 - Here's the catch of the year for me so far! NS 177 with the NS 1066 New York Central Heritage Unit leading crossing the Ohio River from Cincinnati into Ludlow, KY. This was the icing on the cake for my day!
[Norfolk Southern is not wasting money on paint.]
J.B. Rail Photog added
J.B. Rail Photog shared
Stephen Williamson: Very cool shot. That lead engine looks like a monster with a neat paint job. Got a good hill to climb for the next four or five miles.

J.B. Rail Photog added
01/15/2021 - Norfolk Southern 177 emerges out of a "tunnel of steel" on the Cincinnati Southern Bridge southbound into Ludlow, KY, after passing over the Ohio River with the Norfolk Southern Heritage Unit New York Central System leading on the NS CNO&TP.
[There were a lot of comments about NS should paint it.]
Randal Hampton shared
Randall Hampton: Anybody have a few thousand gallons of paint to spare?

 

MP Rail Photography posted
An NS manifest makes its way southbound across the Cincinnati Southern Bridge in Cincinnati, Ohio. The bridge, built in 1929 by the American Bridge Company of New York, and at one time had a vertical lifting element to it. August 27, 2024 Cincinnati, Ohio Power: NS 4817 - AC44C6M

 

MP Rail Photography posted
NS 4792 leads a manifest across the Cincinnati Southern Bridge. The bridge was originally build in 1922 by the American Bridge Compang and when constructed had a lifting span that has since been removed. August 27, 2024 Cincinnati, Ohio Power: NS 4793 - AC44C6M

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I did not realize it was a swing bridge because I never saw a close image of the Kentucky side before. Considering the height of the bridge, this is a reminder that steamboats had tall smokestacks. (Update: this is not a swing bridge. They just didn't bother to remove the old swing bridge pier when it was rebuilt in 1922. [cincinnati-transit])

Screenshot

Marty Bernard shared
Norfolk Southern GP38-2 5245 built Aug. 1979 as SOU 5245, crossing the Ohio River bridge from Cincinnati to Ludlow, KY, circa 1990, Karl Miller photo.

 

1:22 video @ 0:43
Craig Hensley Photography shared
A northbound NS manifest train rolls over the Ohio river into Cincinnati on a gorgeous summer morning.

A portal view