DeggestyMike were these true switchbacks--run past a switch, line it for the other track, back to the next switch, line it for the other track, and so on? Or, loops like the Rio Grande's Gilluly Loops on the west slope of the Wasatch?
Looked at 1972 USGS map
True switchback
I tried to sell my two cents worth, but no one would give me a plug nickel for it.
I don't have a leg to stand on.
Canso Causeway in Nova Scotia Canada has road and track side by side separated by steel girders on a Truss Swing bridge allowing ocean ships through. The line is operated by G & W.
DSchmitt: Good to see that someone else knows about the Foxburg bridge and switchbacks (see my post about it on the 2nd pg. of this thread, 2 down from the top, July 1, 2014). Unfortunately, by the time I was there (mid-1980's), the track looked like it was out-of-service, and not long after that it was torn up.
- Paul North.
The old Northwestern Pacific ran from north of SF Bay all the way north to Humbolt County and Eureka CA; the line was reopened circa June 2012 from Shellville (SR 12) near Sonoma CA to Windsor CA. It connects to the rest of the world via an east west branch from the south end to interchange with CA Northern near American Canyon/Vallejo. Shellville is on this branch.
Just a a couple miles west of Shellville the line crosses a unique bridge, it is a very small bascule (type of drawbridge) that accommodates both rail and vehicles. It is balanced so well it is raised by hand using a chain. SonOma Raceway at Sears Point off SR 37 is just a short bit further west.
Because of it short span/small size, plus it's dual role, and that it is moved by hand, make it one of the most unique bridges I have ever seen!
henry Mikus
The old Santa Fe Railway crossing of the Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa is a combined highway/railway bridge also.
These were true switch backs. I was there in the late 60's. The railroad appeared to be out of service, but the tracks, switches, etc were still in. I don't think it had been used in quite awhile since automobiles were parked on the tracks. Your USGS map doesn't show the tracks very clearly. It would sure make a neat HO model from a scenery perspective as well as an operational perspective. I worked at PennDOT at the time and one of the bridge inspectors that I worked with remembered trains climbing the hill. He said, as I recall, a couple of locomotives being required to drag about three cars at a time up the hill.
How about a tunnel? The Alaska Railroad has a tunnel that Alaska recently converted to a shared road and rail tunnel.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage_Glacier_Highway#Anton_Anderson_Memorial_Tunnel
I posted about that tunnel in July of 2014. We've driven through it on our way into Whittier.
Yes, that is an interesting tunnel. Some time back, I saw a video made as someone droe through the tunnel. THe soundtrack had classical music--I thought that Grieg's "In the Hall of the Mountain King" (from Peer Gynt) would have been appropriate for the passage through the mountain.
Johnny
Mike from VirginiaYour USGS map doesn't show the tracks very clearly.
The switchback is highlighted in red. The tails are clearly visible. Some of the roads are also in red, but it is clear which red is rail and which is road.
I know of 2 on the old Maine Central. One was the Carlton Bridge on the Rockland branch built in 1927 in Bath that was next to the Bath Iron Works factory. It had the 2 lane highway above and the ROW underneath. It has a lift draw section to allow passage of war ships built next door to go under the bridge. The pictures shown below show the roadway above disconnected from land as they built a new automobile bridge just to the North of this bridge.
http://bridgehunter.com/photos/14/79/147970-M.jpg
http://bridgehunter.com/photos/27/32/273259-M.jpg
The second is the one in Brunswick on the Lewiston Lower branch. I was rather unusual design having a 318' length, 2-span riveted Baltimore truss with suspended lower roadway. Lower deck is attached by pin-connected eyebars below the bottom chords of the trusses. North approach span is original. South approach is a steel girder thru span added when Rte. 1 was widened to four lanes in 1957. Ashlar coursed piers and abutments, wooden decks and deck railings. The roadway travels though the bridge abutments at each end.
http://bridgehunter.com/photos/12/77/127759-M.jpg
http://bridgehunter.com/photos/12/77/127762-M.jpg
http://bridgehunter.com/photos/31/23/312314-M.jpg
aegrotatio How about a tunnel? The Alaska Railroad has a tunnel that Alaska recently converted to a shared road and rail tunnel. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Portage_Glacier_Highway#Anton_Anderson_Memorial_Tunnel
Back in the late 90's, my wife and I took a vacation to Alaska. As part of that trip, we along with my best friend and his wife rented a class C motor home and made a circle trip from Anchorage, through Whittier, using the Alaska Marine Highway to Valdez, thence inland to Glennallen and on around to Anchorage. To get to Whittier, we, drove to Portage. We (the motor home and all) then rode the Alaska RR's shuttle which took us from Portage, through the tunnel to Whittier. We arrive at Portage, and get in line with a large tour bus and other vehicles. Our train arrives with a load of vehicles, and they proceed to drive off and pass us. Our train conductor walks by and collects our tickets. Soon, we are following the cars, bus and trucks onto the train.
Neat and efficient operation, one GP unit, a caboose, a lot of flat cars with intercar plates, and a ramp to drive up to the car floor height, drive over onto the last flatcar, and then up to the furthest vacant flat car. Circus style. No tie downs. While we are loading, the locomotive runs around the train. After all the vehicles were loaded, off we went up the valley and then into the tunnel coming out in Whittier. Unloading the same way, follow the leader to the first car and off onto the ramp alongside the car.
Can't do it today
I've always wondered why the BR&P simply didn't build along the river from Parker to near where Canoe Ripple Road crosses it, and then up a creek to the ROW near Knox. It would have been longer and would have avoided Turkey City but would have had better grades and operating characteristics.
There is the bridge at Oliver, WI.
See John Weeks web page below.
http://www.johnweeks.com/river_stlouis/pages/stlL09.html
I live in St. Louis and Eads now has Metrolink light rail on lower deck and auto traffic on upper deck. It was owned by Terminal RR and was used by trains for years, but I think Metro Transit owns it now after they took over the tracks for their trains. They also use the old tunnels under downtown that had belonged to Terminal too.
McArthur still has an auto deck but has not been used for years, but trains and Amtrak still use the rail deck. I think McKinley is only auto traffic and Merchants bridge is RR, Amtrak will use it sometimes when traffic is backed up on other route. They are way up north and I don't get up that way but that's what I remember.
I see others posted about McA and McK so the RR must use Merchants Bridge, I came across there with Amtrak recently. Get a nice view along the River and go through tunnels under the Arch. Had not been on that route in years.
Two bridges I can think of in New York City subways.
The first, the Queensboro Bridge originally had a pair of elevated tracks off the 2nd Av El into Queensboro Plaza. On addition it had a streetcar line on the lower deck sides. The streetcar line had a stop mid span for Roosevelt Island. And the Manhattan side had an underground loop.
The other is unique. On 4th Av there is a bridge across the Old Bay Ridge branch of the LIRR. The subway line goes across the bridge under 4th Av.
In San Francisco the Illinois St bridge over the India Basin has a (now) UP track that goes to Pier 80.
Immediately adjacent to that bridge is the 3rd St bridge over India Basin that Muni now has tracks on. I think the original bridge had Market St Ry. tracks on it.
narig01Two bridges I can think of in New York City subways. The first, the Queensboro Bridge originally had a pair of elevated tracks off the 2nd Av El into Queensboro Plaza. On addition it had a streetcar line on the lower deck sides. The streetcar line had a stop mid span for Roosevelt Island. And the Manhattan side had an underground loop. The other is unique. On 4th Av there is a bridge across the Old Bay Ridge branch of the LIRR. The subway line goes across the bridge under 4th Av.
While we are on this general subject, why not at least mention the George Washington Bridge, which IIRC was designed for a double-track extension of the IND A line into New Jersey (and space and some structure provided for the tracks when the lower deck was built in the early '60s), and the supposed rail provisions in the new Tappan Zee bridge (how much of this is actually in the design that will be built I don't really know).
There is still talk about a rail line across the new Tappen Zee bridge. The last I remember NY state is thinking about plans to building it in 2030.
One more NY City bridge I forgot about,
The Brooklyn Bridge. Originally had a cable powered railway to pull passenger cars across the bridge from the Sand St complex.
How about the rail / road bridge in New Haven ?There is even a picture of it in April's Trains page 52.
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