Tuesday, August 11, 2020

1945 BNSF/SantaFe Bridge over the Colorado River near Needles, AZ

(Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

 This appears to be a predecessor bridge
safe_image for  Seaver Center Collection Image Display

I wonder if there was another bridge between the above bridge and the current 1945 bridge because the cantilever bridge look rather spindly for the Santa Fe locomotives for the early 20th Century. The RR Aban Map shows that there were two crossings of the Colorado River before this one. And that the current one was a realignment to remove the twists and turns of following the river's valley. My theory is that the route that is now in Toprock Bay was the original route and the above bridge was part of that route. Then they appeared to have built a dam that created Toprock Bay. As part of that project they built the second route that followed the river valley. So it appears there was an intermediate bridge. I have not been able to find any information on that bridge.
RR Aban Map

Street View

Marty Bernard posted

One of Roger Puta's More Spectacular Photos
A few days ago I posted a version of this photo of before the train got to the bridge. This one I just found is even better.
That's AT&SF 5150 westbound on the Colorado River Bridge at the Arizona/California border in January 1983. The closest town is Topock, AZ. In maybe 20 minutes the train will be in Needles, CA.

Marty Bernard shared


Marty Bernard  posted eight photos with the comment:
8 Photos of 4 Trains at the California and Arizona Border
Roger Puta took these in January 1983 at the AT&SF Colorado River Bridge.  The River is the Arizona/California border.  He was on a hill in California where he could look at the bridge and across to Arizona and shoot westbounds ore he could turn around looking toward Needles, CA and shoot eastbounds.  This sequence has one eastbound and three westbounds.  Captions with Photos.
Please enjoy Roger's photography.
Marty Bernard shared
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1. and 2. AT&SF SD40-2 5150 westbound with mainly TOFC.
Jason Eminian: This is an extremely rare situation. JB Hunt did not start shipping on the ATSF until 1990. Must have been a private move.
Sammy Carlile: I noticed the older J B Hunt trailers as well. Definitely a rare move. And the train is a hot one with the UPS vans back there. It also shows how bad the slot use used to be on those flat cars. Look at all that wasted space. They definitely made some huge improvements with efficiency over time.

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1. and 2. AT&SF SD40-2 5150 westbound with mainly TOFC.

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3. and 4. AT&SF SD45u 5433 westbound with more pigs.
Sammy Carlile: A whole train of 10 Packs! A railfans and accountants dream and a hoggers nightmare! LOL [A nightmare because of the lack of slack action?]
Sean Graham-White: And a caboose!

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3. and 4. AT&SF SD45u 5433 westbound with more pigs.

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5. and 6. AT&SF C30-7 8133 eastbound with a merchandise freight train.

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5. and 6. AT&SF C30-7 8133 eastbound with a merchandise freight train.

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7. and 8. AT&SF C30-7 8132 westbound also with a merchandise freight train.
Too bad the two GEs didn't meet on the bridge.

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7. and 8. AT&SF C30-7 8132 westbound also with a merchandise freight train.
Too bad the two GEs didn't meet on the bridge.

Jan Olejnik posted
On the Arizona side of the Topock bridge. Crossing the Colorado River a few miles East of Needles CA.
Cody Goodman I bet that bridge sees dozens of trains per day.
Jan OlejnikAuthor Cody Goodman On good days well over 100.

It is so nice when a road bridge is next to a railroad bridge.

Street View


Street View

Street View

Micheal Hoskins posted five photos with the comment: "All of my shots of the Santa Fe bridge in Needles Ca./AZ as it crosses the Colorado river. In the first shot you can see the Sante Fe logo to the far left #kingofthezoomshots"
Jan Olejnik: Topock, not Needles.
Micheal Hoskins: Jan Olejnik I always do that because in the last shot the Needles are in the background.
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