Warehouse Point railroad bridge
The Warehouse Point railroad bridge is a girder bridge with a truss main span crossing over the Connecticut River between Enfield, Connecticut and Suffield, Connecticut. It carries Amtrak's New Haven-Springfield Line. The bridge has spaces for two tracks, but only one is connected to the mainline. It is one of few iron bridges erected in the United States before the end of the American Civil War.[1]
Warehouse Point railroad bridge | |
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An Amtrak train crosses the bridge in 2007 | |
Coordinates | 41.9435°N 72.6141°W |
Carries | Amtrak New Haven-Springfield Line |
Crosses | Connecticut River |
Locale | Enfield and Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut |
Characteristics | |
Design | girder bridge with a truss main span |
History | |
Construction end | 1866 (rebuilt 1903) |
Warehouse Point railroad bridge Location in Connecticut |
History
A wooden Howe truss railroad bridge was originally constructed in 1843 at this site by the Hartford and Springfield Railroad Company. In 1865-66, a new bridge (designed by James Laurie) was constructed to replace the old one.[2] The bridge was built in sections in England and shipped to the United States. The pieces were then riveted together on site.[1] The bridge was rebuilt and double-tracked in 1903-04.[3]
References
- A.J. Bianculli, Trains and Technology: The American Railroad in the Nineteenth Century, Vol. 4
- H.G Tyrrell, History of Bridge Engineering, (H.G. Tyrrell, 1911)
- 22nd annual report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of New York (1905)
General references
- Amtrak/Springfield Terminal Railroad Bridge at Structurae
- Manual for Railroad Engineers and Students (1881) - contains detailed description of the engineering specifications and construction of the bridge.