I watch the SPUD cams in St Paul MN and the question I have what type of facilities are availble like heat a/c and bathrooms on the bridges?
When the bridges were built in the 1800s a hole in the floor covered everything a tender would need, cold air (winter only), warm air (summer only) and a place to go.
Today bridge tenders might have heat and A/C, but plumbing is still a challenge, especially if the control cab moves with the bridge.
Since you reference St.Paul Union Depot, I assume the main one you're asking about is the one next to / under the Robert St. road bridge. That one has a fairly substantial building on top, kinda like a small town depot. Pretty sure it has plumbing and heat - and since it runs on electricity - could have A/C too.
BTW I began the application process to be a bridge tender in St. Paul years ago, I don't recall in the training seminar I went to anybody saying you had to work and eight hour shift without having access to a restroom. I suspect it's probably required, either by the union contract or per MN state employment regulations.
https://www.google.com/maps/@44.9441718,-93.087693,3a,37.5y,253.65h,93.55t/data=!3m6!1e1!3m4!1s_KBcSvT5gPq0asszluQgFg!2e0!7i16384!8i8192
It would be a chemical toilet, like for camping or in an RV, no? Periodically take the honey bucket out by the handle and swap in a new one, rather than suck out the retention waaaaay out there...
Here is the BNSF Hannibal Bridge in Kansas City
Railroad bridges at Memphis Tn... First was the (aformentioned) Frisco Bridge was opriginally. built in 1895by Bridgebuilder George S. Morrison for $3 M dollars fpor the KLansas City-Memphis Railroad Bridge Co. Originally, single tracked wioth a wooden deck for wagon traffic. Tolls were collected on the East end and money stored in a stone strong room in the [ier located below the tracks on the East end. The first tennant line was the Kansas City, Ft.Scott and Memphis RR.
In the 1930's a pair of cantelevered roadways(One Way,ea.) were added to either side, and they lasted until about 1949 when the Memphis-Arkansas Highway Bridge was opened. Currently, still used by BNSF Rwy
See info linked @ https://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMNK5B_Frisco_Bridge_Memphis_TN_West_Memphis_AR
The next railroad bridge at Memphis is the Harahan Bridge: FTL: "...This bridge was called the Rock Island Bridge when construction started. Before the bridge was finished, Rock Island Railroad president J.T. Harahan was killed in a automobile accident. His car was struck, by of all things, a train. As a result, the new bridge was renamed the Harahan Bridge..."
The Harahan Bridge as well, had cantelevered roadways on either side of the structure.. And similar to the adjacent Frisco Brdge were in use until 1949/1950; when the adjacent Mem-Ark Hwy Bridge was oened.
See info [and photos] linked @ https://www.johnweeks.com/river_mississippi/pages/lmiss18.html
[Site by John WeeksIII] ...As a child, it was a thrill to ride with my parents; across the roadways to the Arkansas side, sight-see. Then return to Memphis on a Sunday. after Church.
The obnly 'Bridge Tender was maintained until the late 1960's by then BN RR(nee: SLSF/Frisco) he walked the Bridge to its West side, and returned about every hour(?) from his 'shanty' o the East side (at approx Florida St ) . It was one of the Watchmen who told the story that the very West pier was a 'floater', and that was due to the Rver scouring it out(?)...Those watchmen could keep a young railfan enthralled with their stories....
When my father was Terminal Superintendent for the B&O in Baltimore he had a 'remote' mechanism installed so that the Curtis Creek Bridge Tender no longer had to row a row boat from the shore to the center island of the bridge to access the operating controls located in the 'house' at the top of the span. The major water traffic on Curtis Creek, then and now, is Coast Guard vessels to and from the Coast Guard's maintenance base. The bridge is left in the open position except for the movement of trains - normally a five day a week yard job that works in the afternoons servicing the industries on the Marley Neck Branch and returning back to Curtis Bay Yard in the late evening.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
The UP/exCNW bridge at Clinton IA has a row boat tied to the center pier for the bridge tender's use should the bridge get stuck in the open position. Which happens from time to time.
Jeff
I was once told never to use the handrails on the stairs headed up to an air traffic control tower...
As for the bridge, just make sure you're on the downwind side...
I wouldn't be surprised if a chamberpot was part of the furnishings.
Larry Resident Microferroequinologist (at least at my house) Everyone goes home; Safety begins with you My Opinion. Standard Disclaimers Apply. No Expiration Date Come ride the rails with me! There's one thing about humility - the moment you think you've got it, you've lost it...
Regarding the Memphis bridges:
The 'trail building' plan mentioned by Mr. Weeks has in fact been built out, and it is easily possible to walk or bike from parking starting nearly at Riverside Drive all the way to the end of the old shared approach on the west end. (There is a connecting network of trails there but I don't remember if any of them connect to the Trail on that side yet).
This was a nifty place to watch...
the extensive pier-rebuilding process under the Frisco bridge. The new piers are thoughtfully 'one track wide' to either side of the single track, so the route could be made triple-track with comparatively little difficulty.
The east-end bridge approaches run to a location known as Broadway... which used to be a street and is still indicated on Memphis city plat maps as one... but it has been entirely railroad ROW for many years. Notably the ex-IC line past Central Station crossed ALL the bridge approach tracks at grade... and all traffic in either direction had to stop and then proceed at 5mph all the way across. When I first came to Memphis and was living on N. Front, this crossing was marked with standard MUTCD octagonal stop signs...
It will not be surprising that the road crossings not grade-separated have been very enthusiastically closed with several generations of increasing traffic barriers and signage!
Much of the trackage through there has now been realigned and resignaled, and trains do not slow or stop at that crossing. It is painful to contemplate the thousands of gallons of fuel used over the years as the trains slowed, stopped, inched, and then reaccelerated to go to their respective routes or yards.
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