Trackside with Trains Vol. 311: "Biggest bridges" is open for voting

[Brian Schmidt]

Vote for your favorite image in Trackside with Trains Vol. 311: "Biggest bridges!" Who did it best this week? Poll is open through Sept. 3.

http://trn.trains.com/photos-videos/trackside/2017/08/vol-311-biggest-bridges

[tree68]

I liked Nate Burris' shot - the bridge just goes on forever...

[RME]

I'm almost ashamed of this bunch of choices. 

The rules did not call for the longest bridge, or the tallest spindly trestle; they called for BIG.  In my opinion there is only one image with a big bridge in there (thanks, Jeff) but surely there was someone, somewhere, who got 2156 going over a truly big-looking structure, as here:

Not to say any of these aren't good images, even stunning images.  Just that there are images of bigger 'biggest bridges' to see in photographic form out there ...

[selector]

RME, are you being facetious?  

[CSSHEGEWISCH]

I went with Jeff Pletcher's photo of the Huey Long Bridge, a most impressive structure.

[zardoz]

RME may be ashamed, but I feel that this group of photos is amongst the BEST collection of images from which to choose that I have seen in a long time.

BTW, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, big means: of considerable size, number, magnitude, extent, importance, prominence, or significance. I would say that most, if not all, of the contributions meet some of those criteria.

For me, it was a difficult choice, as many of the images were worthy of a vote. My choice was down to two: Crandell Overton's and Trevor Sokolan's. Crandell's bridge is just SO long and tall, whereas Trevor's is so frail-looking that I can hardly believe big heavy trains traverse that structure.

[saldana17]

I choose the Huey P Long Bridge because I have driven truck over the bridge and the bridge moves with a train on it. It is an old bridge with narrow lanes when I was traveling in the 80's and 90's my wife would go and she would drive the Interstates she also got to go over Huey, she held on. Thanks Jeff for the Photo.

 

[AAJennings]

Wonderful photos.  I could not decide on one to vote on.

Two disappointments, however:

1) The bridges were not identified.  Although I recognized some, others I did not, and I would like to see some of the ones that I did not recognize.

2) No moveable bridges were included in the selection. Those bridges are often big, and their ability to repeatedly open and close impresses.

 

 

[Murphy Siding]

zardoz

RME may be ashamed, but I feel that this group of photos is amongst the BEST collection of images from which to choose that I have seen in a long time.

BTW, according to the American Heritage Dictionary, big means: of considerable size, number, magnitude, extent, importance, prominence, or significance. I would say that most, if not all, of the contributions meet some of those criteria.

For me, it was a difficult choice, as many of the images were worthy of a vote. My choice was down to two: Crandell Overton's and Trevor Sokolan's. Crandell's bridge is just SO long and tall, whereas Trevor's is so frail-looking that I can hardly believe big heavy trains traverse that structure.

 

To be fair, it does call out "biggest  bridge", not just "big". I'm sure euclid will be along to analize the difference for us.

[railfan1840]

In Biggest Bridges photos The high level bridge in Crandell Overton's pic is in Lethbrodge AB and is the longest/highest bridge of its kind. Others as long not as high and some as high not as long. Also in Trevor Sokolan's photo it shoud be noted that the Rochfort wood bridge was destroyed in an arson fire in 2016 and quickly replaced by CN. The arsonist was a young member of the local fire department.

 

[Paul of Covington]

saldana17

I choose the Huey P Long Bridge because I have driven truck over the bridge and the bridge moves with a train on it. It is an old bridge with narrow lanes when I was traveling in the 80's and 90's my wife would go and she would drive the Interstates she also got to go over Huey, she held on. Thanks Jeff for the Photo.

 

    I think Samfp43 has mentioned driving a truck on the old Huey P.   I've driven (not in a truck) that bridge many times before it was widened, and I gained a lot of respect for truck drivers who could stay in the narrow lane the whole way with what seemed like two or three inches clearance from the railing.

[BaltACD]

Paul of Covington

 

saldana17

I choose the Huey P Long Bridge because I have driven truck over the bridge and the bridge moves with a train on it. It is an old bridge with narrow lanes when I was traveling in the 80's and 90's my wife would go and she would drive the Interstates she also got to go over Huey, she held on. Thanks Jeff for the Photo. 

    I think Samfp43 has mentioned driving a truck on the old Huey P.   I've driven (not in a truck) that bridge many times before it was widened, and I gained a lot of respect for truck drivers who could stay in the narrow lane the whole way with what seemed like two or three inches clearance from the railing.

 

All bridges 'dance'.  You don't normally feel it if your vehicle (car, truck, train) continues to move across the bridge - however, come to a stop and other traffic on the bridge structure is moving and you can feel it bouncing around.

A decade or so ago, the Fuller-Warren Bridge in Jacksonville had a drawbridge structure across the shipping channel of the St. Johns River (that bridge structure has since been replaced).  Since I had to use the bridge both ways going to and from work, I would occasionally get stopped in trafffic as the draw was raised and lowered.  Traffic being traffic, once the draw was closed, the first vehicles in the opposite direction would begin passing my location on the trestle approach to the draw and the dancing would start - until I started moving at which point my own movement negated the feeling of movement from the bridge structure.

I have driven any number of high and some times narrow bridges over the years and how you focus your attention is critical.