TLE&W/NKP/Cloverleaf Bridge over Maumee River in Grand Rapids, OH

(Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Rebecca Bender shared Life On A Rail's post

The comment:

December 6, 2015 - While at home in Ohio I took a detour to Grand Rapids to photograph the bridge that crosses the Maumee River. The Grand Rapids railroad bridge is a 901 foot, six-span through truss bridge that is the longest railroad bridge operated by a tourist railroad east of the Mississippi River. The bridge is operated by the Toledo, Lake Erie and Western Railway which owns the Bluebird Passenger Train. The Bluebird is currently undergoing repairs and renovations. The bridge goes past the old Isaac Ludwig Mill located near Lock No. 44 on the Miami and Erie Canal. Lock 44 is the only original functioning lock in the state of Ohio. No photos were physically taken on the bridge.

Satellite

Cloverleaf was the nick name for the Toledo, St. Louis & Western, which was bought by the Nickel Plate, which was the nickname for New York, Chicago and St. Louis. (I think that is the first double-which sentence of my life.)

I made a copy of Bing's satellite image because the long shadow "documents" the truss structure. Lock #44 is just east of the bridge. Zooming out, you can see the rapids and why there is a mill and lock in this town. I again use a Bing image below because the river was running higher and you can see the water turbulence in the rapids.

Satellite

Update:

Mitch Mitchell posted
Grand Rapids a little different view with more canal boats and with the Clover Leaf RR Bridge in the background 1890

One of five photos posted by Jim Etchie
Crossing the Maumee River on Old Cloverleaf track still in place

Jim Etchie posted a "barrel shot" and posted an angle shot.

our 901ft long bridge over the scenic Maumee River. The bridge’s structure and support was inspected and found to be in great condition, but new wooden cross ties are needed to return the bridge back into active service. [TLEW]

There would be a lot of canal boats on the Maumee River because of the Wabash & Erie Canal.

Richard Roberts posted five photos with the comment: "TLEW motor car run today on the old NKP Clover Leaf line over the Maumee River." The first photo shows that the Wabash & Erie Canal is still watered in this area. I also need to check out the Isaac R. Ludwid Historical Mill. I need to put Grand Rapids, OH on my "to visit" list. I wonder what the drop in the river elevation is across these rapids. Given there is a mill because of a rapids, the canal should have had a lock here. In fact, it is also still intact!

Street View

Jim Ruff posted four photos with the comment: "Six Span Truss Bridge Across the Maumee River - Toledo, Saint Louis, & Western Rail Road - Grand Rapids, Ohio."
Jim Ruff shared
Matt Beil Any hope that the bluebird will make a come back?
Jim Ruff It was going to come back two years ago. It all comes down to funding. Last Summer there were short excursions with a small battery operated Dummy, pulling two or three small cars. I will post photographs of the locomotive and some of the cars that belong to the rail group. The passenger car was trashed by vandals and need restored.
Jim Ruff shared

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2 of 4 photos posted by Bobby Becker with the comment: "The Cloverleaf crossed over the Miami & Erie Canal as well as the Maumee river on a 900 ft. long bridge at Grand Rapids, Ohio. The original crossing was destroyed in the 1913 flood and this bridge was completed that year. The old mill in the photo is water powered and, although it's largely a tourist attraction it still grinds baking flour. There is also a working lock gate on the canal."

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