1891 RK/L&N/MC&L Bridge over Cumberland River in Clarksville, TN

(Bridge Hunter, no Historic Bridges, satellite is below)

20161216 6969, upstream elevation

During the 1937 flood, the water was nearly touching the bridge deck. [Reed Reding comment on a Facebook post via Dennis DeBruler.]

Modjeski and Masters, Inc. posted
Yesterday [6/13/2019] was a beautiful day for a bridge inspection in Clarksville, TN. A team of our talented engineers performed both mechanical and electrical inspections of this swing bridge.

I saved a copy of the satellite image because it caught the RK/L&N/MC&L span is partially open.

Ralph Sowell posted

R. J. Corman Railroad Bridge in Clarksville, Tennessee - on the Cumberland River. Built 1891.

© Tennessee State Library and Archives.

John Dennis: Early 1980's, Ft.Campbell pilots had "no fly over or UNDER this bridge" Flight Warnings- makes ya just wonder who tried.....
Bridges Now and Then posted
A paddlewheel steamer passes through the R. J. Corman Railroad Bridge in Clarksville, Tennessee, on the Cumberland River, c. 1891. (Tennessee State Library and Archives)
Jim Ritchie: somebody is standing ( where the track is located) on this end of the swingspan
group of folks gathered on the bridge - over right bridge pier
John Blake posted

Satellite

Satellite

It must be closing because you can see a towboat delivering a barge to Ingram Materials in the upper-left corner of this second satellite image.

+40+40, downstream elevation

The river must have been a lot higher when the satellite images were taken than when I took my pictures because the clearance was over 50 feet. I would think that would be plenty for a towboat.

Note the material handling operation under the left side of the swing span in my telescope closeup of the swing span.

Once again I've learned that having the sun at your back is not necessarily a good thing when taking pictures of a bridge. As the caption indicates, I cranked up the brightness and contrast of the closeup of the swing span. Below is another downstream elevation view, but I did not post process it except for cropping.

downstream elevation overview

Note the piers are stone except the concrete one on the right (west) side of the swing span.

downstream elevation

Greg Biggs comments on Bridge Hunter page explain: "The stone piers were built in 1859-1860 for the original wooden swing bridge built to cross the Cumberland River for the Memphis, Clarksville & Louisville RR. A few years ago a barge did a hit and run on one of the original piers and it was rebuilt" Echo Anderson observed that this was one of the few bridges that survived the flood of 2010.

I took pictures of the downstream elevation from the boat launch and a river side park, but they all turned out to be quite disappointing like the "downstream elevation overview" picture above from the boat launch. Fortunately, my wife took a bunch of "grab shots" as I drove along the river. Especially when we saw how long the wooden approach trestle was on the west side.

upsteam elevation

Also note the huge guard pier they have upstream of the center pier for the swing pier. I imagine it is easy to control the direction of a tow going upstream because the relative speed of the water past the rudder would be high when the towboat is pushing against the current. But for downstream tows that are flowing with the current, the relative flow of water past the rudder would be low. I'm sure the towboats have twin screws so that the throttles of the two engines can help steer the tow. But that big guard pier indicates that twin screws can have limited control.

Update: A 3D Satellite image shows the length of the trestle over the flood plain.

3D Satellite

Andrew Witkowski posted
I was in Clarksville, Tennessee a few years ago to visit and I came across this bridge over the Cumberland River. I was wondering what it’s history was, like: what railroad had it built; when was it built; what railroad currently uses it; and how many trains use/cross this bridge? Any additional information the group can provide is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance for any information on its story/history.
Charles Windham Andrew Witkowski A three span through truss bridge built by the Pencoyd Bridge & Construction Co. The center span is a swing pin-connected through truss. The two approach spans are pin-connected, eight panel Camelback through trusses. Built for the Louisville and Nashville Railroad in 1891 and now owned by the R. J. Corman Railroad. It is known as the Cumberland River Swing Bridge.

A video of a train crossing the bridge

(new window) 

Before the 9'-channel waterway was built, the river could get quite low.

Screenshot

A William Nelson III posted

This is the Western trestle approach to the swing bridge over the Cumberland River near Clarksville , TN.

Formerly part of the L&Ns old Memphis line , the eastern portion of which is operated as a short line from Guthrie, KY. To Cumberland City, TN ., run by the RJ Corman RR.

This is the view from my farmhouse’s front porch.