Railway bridges are complex engineering feats designed to cross obstacles in the landscape, allowing for shorter journeys and faster delivery of goods. They have evolved from wood and stone to steel and suspension bridges, and must withstand extreme loads and weather conditions. As rail travel declines, many bridges are preserved or repurposed for hiking and biking trails.
A railway bridge is a structure designed to carry freight and passenger trains across an obstacle in the landscape. These bridges represent complex engineering and design feats and often require the collaboration of a team of engineers and builders. While many railroad bridges are designed to cross streams, others span valleys, canyons, or other obstacles that once impeded rail travel within the area. A railway bridge often has a major impact on the journey, allowing for shorter journeys and faster delivery of goods, as the train no longer has to travel a longer route around the obstacle. As the popularity of rail travel declines, railroad bridges are often preserved or reconfigured for other uses, such as hiking or biking trails.
The 19th and early 20th centuries represented the golden age of rail travel in the United States (USA). During this time, people had few options for travel outside of the railroad, making the railroad bridge an issue of extreme importance during this time. Early bridges were built of wood and stone, while later models were built of cast iron or wrought iron. The introduction of steel has allowed railway bridges to span great distances and cross areas that were once thought impossible. Advances in welding technology have also helped engineers develop bigger and better railroad bridge designs.
The basic railroad bridge consists of a simple girder or girder and is designed to span short spans, such as a small creek. The addition of triangular trusses allowed for longer and stronger railway bridges. Railway engineers have also taken advantage of the arch’s natural strength to design bridges with an arch-shaped support. Suspension bridges rely on high-voltage cables for support, which allows them to span even greater distances than previous bridge designs. More advanced units featured things like two-story construction, which allowed rail cars to share the same deck with vehicles or pedestrians.
A railway bridge must be equipped to handle the extreme loads of a train and its load, as well as the additional forces generated by the train’s speed. These bridges should also be able to withstand extreme wind and weather conditions. When crossing a body of water, bridge supports must be successfully placed underwater, often at great depths. Areas with unstable ground also present a challenge for railway bridge engineers.
As rail travel is replaced by other forms of travel, railway bridges continue to play an important role in society. Many are celebrated for their beauty or structure, while others are adopted by historic preservation groups. In the United States, rails-to-trails programs are particularly popular. Under these programs, communities transform old railroad tracks and bridges into scenic trails for recreation and hiking.
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