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| Street View, Apr 2024 |
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| Street View, Jun 2024 |
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| 2009 photo by John Cross via BridgeHunter |
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| Don Lindsley posted Timber Creek Bridge, OK |
Today's frontage road was the original US-66 route.
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| route66 |
Friday, July 31, 2026
1926 US-66 Bridge over Timber Creek east of Sayre, OK
(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Satellite)
Thursday, July 30, 2026
1878+1962 NS/Southern/CNO&TP Nemo Tunnels #22, #23 and #24 near Wartburg, TN
Old #22: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Satellite, south portal. Note bridge pier just south of the portal.)
Looking the other way along the bridge, we se the south portal of New #22.
I think 1923 is a late date to still be building a pin-connected bridge.
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| 1 of 29 photos posted by Matt Murphy Nemo Tunnel last week [Jul 2026]— at Nemo Tunnel. [Note that the tunnel provides plenty of clearance for double-stack container cars.] |
I think Matt was at the south portal of New #24.
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| "First Train", company photographer via BridgeHutner_new_#24 |
The old tunnels were built in 1878. The were 15' (4.6m) wide and 20' (6m) high. In 1962, they were bypassed by tunnels that were 20' (6m) wide and 30' (9.1m) high. Old #24 was replaced by an adjacent New #24. Old #22 and #23 were replaced by New #22 and a new bridge on a new alignment. The right-of-way with the new tunnels is in purple in this map. The tunnels marked with dashed black lines are the old tunnels.
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| 1980/88 Lancing Quad @ 24,000 |
In addition to building new tunnels, a lot of dirt was moved. This view of the north portal of New #24 also shows the new NS bridge over the Emory River.
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| company photographer via BridgeHutner_new_#24 |
Looking the other way along the bridge, we se the south portal of New #22.
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| 2012 photo by Shane Passmore via BridgeHunter_new_#22 |
1906+1927 Nemo Bridge
There is a third span hidden in the trees because over half of this bridge is over a flood plain.
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| Street View, Sep 2015 |
It is faint, but we can see the third truss in this photo.
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| BridgeHunter_pedestrian |
I think 1923 is a late date to still be building a pin-connected bridge.
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| 2010 photo by Calvin Sneed via BridgeHunter_pedestrian |
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| RedGlobeReflections |
We can see a hint of the third truss in this photo.
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| 2010 photo by Calvin Sneed via BridgeHunter_pedestrian |
193,1987,2026 Charles Anderson Bridge in Pittsburgh, PA
(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; pghbridges; Satellite)
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| Trail View, Oct 2008 |
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| HistoricBridges "This massive deck truss bridge is one of the few surviving patented Wichert truss bridges in existence....The bridge was designed by the City of Pittsburgh, which had to license the Wichert truss design. On the bridge plaque, the Wichert Continuous Bridge Corporation is named as patentee." This 780' (238m) long bridge has a man span of 360' (110m). |
Wednesday, July 29, 2026
1956 IL-141+IN-62 Wabash Memorial Toll Bridge over Wabash River west of Mt. Vernon, IN
(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)
But the Indiana approach is even longer.
Indiana built the bridge and charged tolls until July 1, 2014. [ArchivedBridgeHunter comments and indot]
The 2,400' (731.5m) long bridge has a main span of 427' (130.1m). [HistoricBridges]
It is so nice to see a steel bridge with a fresh coat of paint.
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| Street View, Sep 2025 |
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| HistoricBridges and BridgeHunter, The Decatur Daily Review: October 2 1955 HistoricBridges explains that the design is a tied arch with a continuous truss. |
This is where the arch part of the truss launches from a pier.
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| Street View, Sep 2025 |
Another view of the arch part.
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| Street View, Sep 2025 |
The Illinois approach is long because of a flood plain.
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| Street View, Sep 2015 |
But the Indiana approach is even longer.
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| Street View, Apr 2018 |
This is a view of the entire bridge. I dropped a pin to mark the west end. I could still see the east end after zooming out far enough to include the whole bridge because of the shadow on a field
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| Satellite |
1910 East Park Dam and Spillway on Little Story Creek near Stonyford, CA
Dam: (Satellite)
Spillway:
I don't remember seeing that much vegetation growing on a big concrete dam.
Spillway: (Satellite)
The primary purpose of this dam is a source of water for irrigation.
Dam:
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| usbr "Completed in 1910, the 139-feet-high dam and reservoir are part of the Orland Project, Reclamation’s oldest and smallest water delivery project constructed in California." |
Spillway:
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| usbr |
I don't remember seeing that much vegetation growing on a big concrete dam.
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| CaliforniaWaterNewsDaily During a drought, the lake was closed Aug 20, 2021, to lower the reservoir to repair a gate that broke in 2020. |
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| Bureau of Reclamation posted Picture it: California, 1910. East Park Dam is completed, beginning more than a century of supporting communities across the western Sacramento Valley. Today, as part of the Bureau of Reclamation's Orland Project, East Park Dam continues to provide reliable irrigation water that supports local agriculture, strengthens rural economies and helps sustain the communities that depend on it. Thank you for being a friend to California communities for more than a century. 📷: East Park Dam and Reservoir, part of Reclamation’s Orland Project, are nestled in the rugged mountains of California’s Inner Coast Range. |
Tuesday, July 28, 2026
1887 Faust Street Bridge over Guadalupe River in New Braunfels, TX
(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)
"Built 1887 by the King Bridge Co.; made obsolete by new bridge in 1932; rehabilitated 1998" [BridgeHunter]
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| 2014 photo by Royce and Bobette Haley via BridgeHunter |
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| 2014 photo by Royce and Bobette Haley via BridgeHunter |
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| HistoricBridges "This bridge is one of the most important and largest remaining examples of a bridge built by the King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio, one of the most important and prolific bridge builders of the late 19th Century. It is also one of the rarest and most important bridges in the State of Texas....The bridge has been restored for non-vehicular use, and it is an area attraction and one of the most valuable historic resources in the area. The bridge retains original built-up fishtail style floorbeams." |
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| Facebook Reel [There was a lot of flooding in central Texas in July 2026.] |
Monday, July 27, 2026
Aban/NYC and 1951 US-60 Bridges over Gauley River in Gauley Bridge, WV
NYC: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)
Those piers have been repurposed as a suspension bridge for a pipe.
3 of 23 photos posted by Waldo's Adventures with the comment: "Old trestle over the gauley river gauley bridge wv has not seen a train in years someone clean the brush off the bridge."
Also, CSX has a connection with NS just downstream on the Kanawha River at the Deep Water Bridge.
At this location, the Gauley River joins the New River to form the Kanawha River.
A view of the NYC bridge from the US-60 bridge.
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| Street View, Jun 2022 |
Note the abandoned piers on this side of the railroad bridge.
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| 2011 photo by Irma Hale via BridgeHunter_NYC |
Those piers have been repurposed as a suspension bridge for a pipe.
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| 2011 photo by Irma Hale via BridgeHunter_NYC |
Normally, I would not note a steel-girder bridge, but Historic Bridges considered it worthy of inclusion. 1951 is probably an early date for steel-girder bridges, so this would be a pioneering design for what is now ubiquitous.
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| HistoricBridges_US-60 "This is a representative example of a large mid-20th century steel stringer bridge in West Virginia." |
3 of 23 photos posted by Waldo's Adventures with the comment: "Old trestle over the gauley river gauley bridge wv has not seen a train in years someone clean the brush off the bridge."
Waldo's Adventures shared
Originally, this bridge connected NYC with C&O.
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| a |
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| b |
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| c |
Originally, this bridge connected NYC with C&O.
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| 1931/48 Fayetteville Quad @ 62,500 |
When Conrail was split up, CSX got the bridge. I imagine that CSX would have no desire to interchange with NS here. But a couple of Waldo's photos shows that rails are still on the bridge. Is CSX keeping this bridge intact in case they need an emergency detour? Looking at the satellite image, the C&O branch along the Gauley River doesn't look like it is used much. But if that is the case, why did they build a 2011 replacement bridge at Gauley?
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| National Rail Network Map |
Also, CSX has a connection with NS just downstream on the Kanawha River at the Deep Water Bridge.
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| National Rail Network Map |
Sunday, July 26, 2026
1902-15,2002 Trail/B&O Guilford (Granite) Quarry Bridge over Little Patuxent River in Columbia, MD
(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)
This photo makes it obvious that it is a pin-connected bridge.
It was easy finding the bridge on this map, but, because of urban sprawl and road construction, it was hard to correlate this map with a satellite image.
"Built in 1902 for the B&O Railroad, abandoned in 1925, rehabilitated in 2002 for trail use." The bridge has a 35-degree skew. [BridgeHunter]
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| 2014 photo by Bob Dover via HistoricBridges "For a railroad bridge, particularly one built in 1902, this bridge has very lightweight members. The laced end posts contribute to this appearance, and also add a nice aesthetic." |
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| Ted Hart, Apr 2024 |
This photo makes it obvious that it is a pin-connected bridge.
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| hmdb |
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| Michael Cheek posted The Guilford Quarry Pratt Through Truss Bridge in Columbia, Maryland. Built in 1902, it was formerly a B&O Railroad Spur over the Little Patuxent River connecting the town of Savage to the Guilford Quarry. Now, it is part of the Patuxent Branch Trail which runs from Savage Park in Laurel to Lake Elkhorn in Columbia. Dennis DeBruler: Found it: https://maps.app.goo.gl/w7iPptzt1CuPBu5x6 |
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| hmdb "History: Railroad expansion in the 19th century required strong, dependable bridges to carry trains over ravines and rivers. Early bridges were built of stone that was sturdy but expensive. Timber bridges often had to be replaced as wood weathered or was burned by hot cinders from steam locomotives. When cast iron, and later wrought iron, came into use, bridges could be built of great strength and longer spans. By the turn of the 20th century, steel had replaced iron for railroad bridges. "In 1844, Caleb and Thomas Pratt developed a bridge that was built with wood and diagonal iron rods. They patented the design, which was made up of sections called trusses. Soon, they built the bridge entirely of iron. This bridge had the advantage of low-cost construction, because the iron parts were made in shops, the parts were easily transported to the site, and the bridge could be quickly erected by semi-skilled labor. It was so popular, it became the standard American truss bridge for moderate spans (from 25 feet to 150 feet), well into the 20th century. "The Pratt Bridge in Guilford is 83 feet long. The distance between the side trusses is 15 feet, 6 inches. It is a single-span structure designed to carry one set of train rails. Instead of crossing the river at right angles, the bridge has a built-in 35-degree left-hand skew. There are inclined end-posts at each end, and pin-connected eye-bars. "This bridge was built in 1902 to carry the Patuxent Branch of the Baltimore and Ohio Railroad over the Little Patuxent River. The train carried heavy loads of granite stone from the Guilford quarries until 1925. The bridge abutments are made from this granite, which was used to construct many other bridge abutments and culverts on the B&O lines. After the railroad spur was abondoned, the bridge surface was planked to serve for a time as a local farm road. "Although hundreds of these bridges were built, only a few survive. Several miles downstream, a similar Pratt bridge, known as the Gabbro Bridge, once carried the quarry train over the Middle Patuxent River. It was washed away by floods. "Long abandoned, the Pratt Through-Truss Bridge was rescued by the Howard County Department of Recreation and Parks and adapted to carry the Patuxent Branch Trail across the river. Its reopening was celebrated with a ribbon cutting on November 2, 2002 - over 100 years after it was built. "Caleb and Thomas Pratt were father-and-son team from Boston. Caleb was an architect, and his son Thomas, born in 1812, became an engineer. By the age of 12, Thomas was preparing plans in his father's office. When he was 14, he attended Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute in Troy NY and then went to work for the railroads designing bridges and other structures. He designed his first truss bridge in 1842; then he and his father were granted a joint patent in 1844 for the Pratt Truss Bridge. When they made the bridge entirely of iron, they pioneered the age of iron railroad bridges." |
It was easy finding the bridge on this map, but, because of urban sprawl and road construction, it was hard to correlate this map with a satellite image.
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| 1907/12 Laurel Quad @ 62,500 |
I used a blend of the 1907 map and a modern map to determine that the bridge was northwest of today's intersection of I-95 and MD-32.
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| 1907 @ 30% |
Note that the Patuxent Branch still ran to Savage after it was abandoned to the quarry. The branch still served a mill in Savage. The bridge to that mill is a Bollman Truss Bridge that is extant.
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| 1950/50 Savage Quad @ 24,000 |
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