Bridges and Twisted Rail
“This is what happens when rails are subjected to intense heat. The “sulphite bridge” in Franklin, New Hampshire, is a wooden covered bridge structure typical to New England. It was built in 1896. The last train crossed it in 1973. A fire inside the bridge on October 27, 1980, which is believed to have been arson, damaged the entire structure. The charred bridge trusses remain standing, however; and these bent rails tell the story of the intense heat that scorched the ancient timbers — which neither collapsed during the fire nor in the thirty years and counting since the fire occurred. The “sulphite bridge” got its name because this line primarily carried goods to and from nearby paper mills. Be sure to check photo no. 435049 (below) for another view of this bridge!”
This is a couple of photos before the fire when the bridge was still active:
I scratchbuilt a model of a bridge similar to this around 1979. I saw an article in Railroad Model Craftsman with pics (could have been this bridge before it burned), and used the design for a covered bridge on my layout at my parent’s house – I was a freshman at UC at the time. What fascinated me was that the bridge is a covered bridge with the tracks on the top. The structure and sides would have been sheathed with vertical planks, just like a typical covered bridge, to protect the wood structure. But they ran the track on top rather than through to keep smoke and sparks from collecting and damaging the bridge. This was a relatively common practice in New England. You can just catch the cant of the “roof” on the side of the tracks. There would have been wood shingles on either side of the tracks on a canted roof structure which shed precipitation from collecting in the structure.
Here’s another example. (Combo Bridge, Newbury, NH – Haverhill, VT. Built 1852-53 Lost 1903. 1853 picture of “Pehaungun” and “Winnepesauke” of the Boston, Concord & Montreal Railroad.) Obviously, the bridge structure is different – an arch bridge, but the same tactic of sheathing the timbers under the track was used to protect the structure.
…another,. Very similar to the Sulphite Bridge:
Unfortunately, most of these bridges have either been abandoned or replaced by modern bridges. I don’t know of any that still exist except the Sulphite Bridge. You can still find a few of the more typical covered bridges where the tracks run though rather than over the structure. These covered bridges have almost inspired me to build a model railroad based on New England around the turn of the century – that still may be the path I go!
I love these covered bridges…and I’m lucky enough to be able to drive through one every day! This is the entrance to the neighborhood where I live. The Jediah Hill Covered Bridge, is the oldest still active bridge in Hamilton County, built in 1850. It’s been refurbished/rebuilt twice to allow modern fire equipment into the neighborhood (there’s no other entry). Every couple of years, Springfield Township replaces a few of the road timbers. One of our neighbors has recently put lights on the bridge such that the exterior is colorfully lit at night.
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