Thursday, November 15, 2018

1895 Trail/(BigFour+B&O) Bridge over Ohio River at Louisville, IL

3D Satellite
[I saved the image because it captures the pier work
for the new part of the I-64 bridge.]
(Bridge HunterHistoric Bridges, includes videos of light shows; HAER)
The Big Four Bridge as it exists today consists of six spans, three Baltimore through truss spans and three Parker through trusses. There are two approach spans on the south and one on the north end of the bridge. The bridge carried the Cleveland, Cincinnati, Chicago, and St. Louis Railroad over the Ohio River between Louisville and Jeffersonville, Indiana. Piers supporting the approach spans are of concrete, those in the center are masonry. Connections are riveted. The Big Four Bridge was built in 1929 by the Louisville & Jeffersoville Bridge Co. on the piers of an earlier bridge. The central spans are 547' long. The Big Four Bridge was abandoned following the merger that formed the Penn Central Railroad.
[HAER]
20150509 1112

Kara Beth posted, cropped

ColorKinetics, one of four photos
[The bridge has become "the city's most popular attraction." It had a million visitors during its first two years.]

Ted Gregory updated

I waited for this 15-barge tow to pass under the bridge. Under the first span, you can see construction of one of the towers for the new cable-stay highway bridge.

I had to worry about getting my shoes in the mud when I took this shot.

They have built ramps on both ends to turn the bridge into a trail.

So now you can get detail shots of the riveting.

And other perspectives that would otherwise be very illegal.

Fans of the Ohio and Mississippi Railroad posted
I have to assume that this bridge was the forerunner of the BIG-4 bridge. Note the double headed engines and about a dozen cars. The approaches must have been a very steep grade.
[The B&O/Ohio & Mississippi shared a route between North Vernon, IN and Louisville, KY.]
Chris Stivers posted
Big 4 Bridge in Louisville Ky

Bill Pruehousner commented on Leo's posting
Pedestrian approach to the bridge (2015)
Glenn A Marriner posted
Here a shot my friend and me took. We're trespassing, we climbed approximately 400' straight up on the support pillars on the Kentucky side of the Ohio river in Louisville in 1998. This is looking towards Jefferson and Clarksville Indiana over the Ohio. The old Big Four CCC&SL bridge, now a foot bridge.
Brian Little posted
Chris Spear posted
The Big Four in Louisville, Ky. on fire. Now a rail trail, iirc. Not my photo.
Troy Nolen How does a rail trail burn?
Chris Bollinger That's before it became a rail trail.

Wendell Reed posted
Louisville

Brian Patterson posted
Ben StalveyGroup Admin 4100
[The reason for including this posting is the following comment. Waterways are not only good for bulk materials, they are good for oversized loads. To transport that crane by trucks, it would have to be disassembled and then reassembled.]
Noah Schell commented on Brian's posting
I’m on that boat here’s us going down through downtown Louisville

Rob Minton posted
Str. J.D. Ayres
Upbound between Miles 601 & 602 Ohio River
Big Four bridge and Towhead Island at top of picture.
William and Mary Bill Bauer Collection
David Smith: A part of Union Barge Line’s “Great White Fleet”, fuel flat on the starboard side.

I generally avoid political subjects, but this is a fantastic photo. I passed up another photo that caught it with yellow over blue because the lights cycle.
Waterfront Park posted

Click Bate in a Facebook Advertisement
[This shows that the approach they had to build for the trail is a non-trivial structure.]



(new window) This is why they paint the clearance numbers on one of the piers.

4:09 YouTube ""History in Your Own Backyard" video (source) Finished in 1895 and last used in 1969 and the approach spans were scrapped in 1974.

Facebook postings: Gary Miller (colored lights at night), Raymond Noel, Ralph Berg, Michael Fromholt, Chris Kilroy, Tim Shanahan (3 views) and Joseph Hoffman (16 photos).



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