1889+1919,2008 Amtrak/New Haven Bridges over Thames River between New London & Groton CT

1889: (Bridge Hunter)

1919: (Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; HAER; Satellite)

The 1889 swing bridge was replaced by the Strauss trunnion bridge in 1919. The bascule span was replaced by a lift span in 2008. The 1889 bridge was converted to road use when the railroad moved off of it in 1919. In 1943 the road bridge was replaced. [Bridge Hunter index]

Originally, it was the New York, Providence & Boston Railroad (NYP&B). Then it was the New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad (NH). It is now Amtrak's NEC.

Fred Hadley posted

The New London double track railroad bridge and draw span - the world’s largest in 1889.

We illustrate in the present issue the great railroad bridge crossing the Thames River at New London, Connecticut.

Hitherto the “Shore Line“ trains on the Providence and Boston routes have been ferried across the stream on a special ferryboat, which was capable of carrying an entire train of cars.

The crossing of the “Groton Ferry“ has come to be looked for as a regular incident of the trip between Boston and New York, and as for haps been welcomed often by the passenger on day trains as an agreeable variety in the route.

But in a few weeks the boat will take her last trip, and the trains will then cross the estuary by the largest drawbridge in the world and the saving for the traveler of no inconsiderable amount of time will have been effected.

Scientific American excerpt, June 8, 1889

Flickr via Bridge Hunter, Public Domain

The road bridges in the background are the Gold Star Memorial Bridges.

HAER CONN,6-NEWLO,11--7
7. VIEW LOOKING NORTHWEST SHOWING MOVABLE SPAN IN OPEN POSITION - New York, New Haven & Hartford Railroad, Groton Bridge, Spanning Thames River between New London & Groton, New London, New London County, CT

HAER-data includes a general history of movable bridges along the NEC. "There are three basic types of Strauss bridges: the vertical overhead counterweight type, the underneath counterweight, and the heel trunnion.  Groton Bridge is the only heel trunnion type of Strauss bascule bridge on the Northeast Corridor rail line."

Leanne Velazquez Flickr via Bridge Hunter-1919, License: Creative Commons Attribution (CC BY)

Niel Fenn Davis posted
The NYNH&H Railroads shoreline main as it crosses the Thames River in Groton Connecticut, is was important to keep this waterway open and free from any obstacles, Groton is the home of Electric Boat the only builders of our nation’s nuclear submarines, the submarines also are based here so this bridge was built to accommodate them when passing through here.

 

Douglas Butler posted
ATK Railroad Lift Bridge Groton, CT.

Jonathan Konopka posted

Comments on Jonathan's post

 

This was taken after the railroad bridge was replaced but before the road bridge was replaced in 1943.

Calvin Lunny, one of many from his album
Old Thames Railroad (RR) Bridge. Before the Gold Star Memorial Bridge in Groton-New London, Connecticut crossing the Thames River.

MilitazryPhotoDepot posted
GROTON, Conn. (September 2, 2022) – The USS San Juan (SSN 751) transits the Thames River as the ship returns from routine operations to Naval Submarine Base New London in Groton, Conn., Sept. 2. The Los Angeles-class fast attack submarine USS San Juan and crew operate under Submarine Squadron (SUBRON) TWELVE and its primary mission is to provide attack submarines that are ready, willing, and able to meet the unique challenges of undersea combat and deployed operations in unforgiving environments across the globe. (U.S. Navy photo by Chief Petty Officer Joshua Karsten)

Another submarine going under the bridge.

WALK Bridge Program posted
There are 25 movable bridges in CT including 3 lift bridges: the Amtrak Bridge in New London, the Tomlinson Bridge in New Haven and the Stratford Ave Bridge in Bridgeport? https://portal.ct.gov/DOT/Bridges/Moveable-Bridges

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