This is the swing bridge that crosses the lewes_rehoboth canal, 1 OF 4 Operational in the US according to our guide. The pics are a little rough as our boat was moving fast.
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One of the remaining three is operated by CSX across the Mobile River, by chart 13 miles above Mobile AL. Taken boats through it many times. To both its great staff and navigators with local knowledge it is known as the "14 mile railroad bridge", superstition being what it is....
It's hard to believe that there are only 4 of these in the US.
I too was surprised at this low number. I have encountered several of them while boating on waterways all over the south, but the one I described above is the only one operating. The rest were not staffed and were in an open position. Some of these may be operable on special train orders.
I think the tour guide is a bit off on the number of operating swing bridges. Here is an operating swing bridge in East Haddam Connecticut on the Connecticut River. This video is being shot from Eagle Landing State Park. The Essex steam train runs just to the left of the park in the google link.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.4501486,-72.4637605,655m/data=!3m1!1e3
Originally Posted by jonmuse:
This is the swing bridge that crosses the lewes_rehoboth canal, 1 OF 4 Operational in the US according to our guide. The pics are a little rough as our boat was moving fast.
This bridge is hand operated. There was a thread about the RR and the historical society receiving a deck gun from a battleship. maybe I can I find the link.
There are many RR bridges that remain in the open position, and only close when a train is coming. Some are actually remote control, with a horn/whistle warning boats of an impending closure.
There is a swing bridge in St. Joesph, MI (originally PM trackage, now CSX), and another in Manistee, MI (Originally M&NE, now Marquette Rail).
Jeff C
St. Joseph got me thinking about this one in St. Joseph, MO. I don't live in St. Joe (it's about 65 miles north), but before retirement there were a couple of places near here that I used to work at occasionally. The company I worked for had systems in the buildings.
https://www.google.com/maps/pl...1:0xe67596795bd371a8
According to my railroad map these are former Rock Island tracks that are now operated by UP. I have been by there many times and have never seen a train and have never seen the bridge closed. I don't really know if the bridge is actually being used?
There is this one between Rock Island,IL and Davenport,IA.
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I think there is also one at Atlantic City, NJ where NJ Transit crosses the back bay just as the trains enter/leave the station in AC. I haven't been down there in a few years so maybe someone can confirm.
Originally Posted by Matt A:
I think the tour guide is a bit off on the number of operating swing bridges. Here is an operating swing bridge in East Haddam Connecticut on the Connecticut River. This video is being shot from Eagle Landing State Park. The Essex steam train runs just to the left of the park in the google link.
https://www.google.com/maps/@41.4501486,-72.4637605,655m/data=!3m1!1e3
Plus there's a swing bridge north of this spot in Middletown, CT I think still carries train traffic.
I've seen the bridge in Lewes multiple times, as I live near Lewes. But I've never seen it closed or even a train in Lewes but from what I've heard they still run. It is hand cranked.
Used to be quite a few across the AIW between Norfolk and south Florida. Are they all gone????
I remember small railroad swing bridges across the Trent-Severn waterway in Ontario Canada that were manually operated. A man walked in a circle in the middle of the bridge to turn the gears to move the bridge. Most of the old canal locks up there also had similar manual mechanisms to move the lock gates and run the valves.
Photo from internet is captioned as the last manually operated swing bridge in Maine.
Or should I say womanly operated.
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There are a few swing bridges operating in the Great Lakes region. This one is in Thunder Bay, Ontario, and sees operation sometimes to allow limestone cargoes upriver to a local paper mill.
http://www.boatnerd.com/news/n...12-14-06-AE1.jpg
There's even a swing bridge on the Walt Disney World Railroad:
I think there is still one on the Buffalo Canal.
jonmuse posted:This is the swing bridge that crosses the lewes_rehoboth canal, 1 OF 4 Operational in the US according to our guide. The pics are a little rough as our boat was moving fast.
I take it is not manned, where do they put the quarters in? I am guessing the railroad leaves it open till they need to cross it.
You are right , John it is on the bypass canal for the Niagara river. Where Lake Erie meets the river. Very fast current . It is amazing to watch some thing that massive can turn on its center. Not the smoothest thing in the world
There is a Swing bridge in Seattle, below the West Seattle Bridge!
Lift bridge, Bascule bridge, and swing bridge in Sault Ste. Marie.
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Conrail Shared Assets over the South River between South River NJ and Sayreville NJ built in 1910 for the Raritan River Railroad.Still in use today and hand operated.
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There is also one on the Cape May Seashore Line over the Cape May Canal. The tracks on the northern side were vandalized a number of years ago. A couple of scrappers took out a mile and a half of tie plates and spikes. I doubt they have ever been restored. A true shame.
to further update the board - here is a list of movable RR bridges in NJ. Note the number of swing bridges:
| City | Bridge Name | River Crossed | Railroad | Rail Line | Bridge Type | Status |
| Arlington | WR | Passaic River | NS | Former NJT Boonton Line | Swing | Welded Shut |
| Atlantic City | Thorofare Draw | Intracoastal Waterway | NJT | Altantic City Line | Swing | Manned |
| Belmar | Shark | Shark River | NJT | North Jersey Coast Line | Bascule (Angular) | Manned |
| Bridgeport | Bridgeport Movable Bridge | Raccoon Creek | NS/CSX | Penns Grove Secondary | Swing | Remote Controlled |
| Burlington | Cooper River | NS/CSX/SRNJ | Swing | Welded Shut | ||
| Camden | Delair Bridge | Delaware River | NJT/NS/CSX | NJTAtlantic City Line, NS/CSX Delair Branch | Vertical Lift | Manned |
| Cape May | Canal | Cape May Canal | CMSL | CMSL Mainline | Swing | Manned |
| Elizabeth | AK | Arthur Kill | CSX, M&E | Vertical Lift | Being Rehabiltated | |
| Elizabeth | Elizabeth River | NS/CSX | Chemical Coast | Bascule (Angular) | Welded Shut | |
| Hackensack | Hackensack River | NYSW | Welded Shut | |||
| Jersey City | Lower Hack | Hackensack River | NJT | Morris & Essex, Montclair- Boonton | Vertical Lift | Unmanned |
| Jersey City | Hack | Hackensack River | PATH | PATH Mainline | Vertical Lift | Controlled by Dock Bridgetender |
| Kearny | Point- No- Point | Passaic River | NS/CSX | Swing | ||
| Lyndhurst | Lyndhurst Draw | Passaic River | NJT | Main Line | Swing | Bolted Shut, movable with two days notice |
| Newark | Dock | Passaic River | NJT/Amtrak | Northeast Corridor | Vertical Lift | Manned |
| Newark | Newark Draw | Passaic River | NJT | Morris & Essex, Montclair- Boonton | Swing | Manned |
| Newark | NX | Passaic River | NS | Newark Industrial Track | Bascule (Angular) | Abandoned in open position |
| Oceanport | Oceanport | Oceanport Creek | NJT | North Jersey Coast Line | Swing | Manned |
| Old Bridge | Morgan | Morgan Creek/ Cheesequake Creek | NJT/NS/CSX | North Jersey Coast Line | Bascule (Angular) | Manned |
| Paulsboro | Paulsboro Movable Bridge | Mantua Creek | NS/CSX | Penns Grove Secondary | "A Frame" | Remote Controlled |
| Pavonia | Cooper River | NS/CSX | Vineland Secondary, Beesley's Point Secondary, Paulsboro Secondary | Swing | Controlled by Cooper | |
| Perth Amboy | Barber | NS/CSX | Chemical Coast | Bascule (Angular) | Welded Sut | |
| Point Pleasant | Brielle | Manasuan River | NJT | North Jersey Coast Line | Bascule (Angular) | Manned |
| Princeton | Delaware and Raritan Canal | NJT | Princeton Dinky | Swing | Welded Shut | |
| Rahway | Rahway Movable Bridge | Rahway River | NS/CSX | Chemical Coast | Bascule (Angular) | Manned- Summer Unmanned- Winter |
| Ridgefield | Overpeck Creek | CSX | River Line | Swing | ||
| Ridgefield Park | Overpeck Creek | NYSW | Bascule (Angular) | |||
| Secaucus | DB | Hackensack River | NS | Former NJT Boonton Line | Swing | Abandoned in open position October 15, 2002 |
| Secaucus | HX | Hackensack River | NJT | Bergen County Line | Bascule (Angular) | Manned by Upper Hack Bridgetender |
| Secaucus | Portal | Hackensack River | NJT/Amtrak | Northeast Corridor | Swing | Manned |
| Secaucus | Upper Hack | Hackensack River | NJT | Main Line | Vertical Lift | Manned |
| South Amboy | River | Raritan River | NJT/NS/CSX | North Jersey Coast Line | Swing | Controlled by Coast Line Dispatcher |
| South Bound Brook | Delaware and Raritan Canal | abandoned (former Reading) | industrial spur | Swing | Welded Shut | |
| South River | South River Movable Bridge | South River | NS/CSX | Sayreville Running Track | Manual Swing | Manned |
The world's largest (according to Southwrst Chief conductor) double deck swing bridge crosses the Mississippi at Ft Madison, Iowa. 2 tracks on lower level; highway on upper.
