Canadian Train Bridges and Trestles
Train Bridges in The Maritimes

 

I decided to write this page on railway bridges after a visitor Arthur Grieve, Winnipeg, Manitoba offered to give me a number of railway bridge pictures that he had collected.
I again hope that my visitors will be sending me their pictures to be
included on this page. 
johnmacdonald@summerville-novascotia.com

 


 

Join me on facebook so that you can keep up with all the changes to
this page and all the rest that make up Old Canadian Railways

Old Canadian Railways

Promote Your Page Too



 
 
 
 



 
 

 
 
 
 
 

Quebec and Ontario
Western Canada
British Columbia and the Territories

 

Return to Train Bridges and Trestles
The Halifax & South-Western Museum

 


 
 
An ideal location to view some rail activity downtown Halifax is from the Young Avenue Bridge at the southern edge of the city, just past the classic railway station, which is worth a visit inside and out.
While there is not a lot of rail power or rolling stock around, despite the vast rail network of former days, an SD40-2 switcher is likely to be around to gather a few loads around the Marginal Road area, along the South End Halifax Container Terminal (Halterm) and eventually bring the consist through the �railway cut�, constructed 97 years ago, specifically for the purpose.
In this view, CN 5381 is passing under the Young Avenue Bridge on July 16th, 2010; enroute to another CN intermodal facility which will transport the cargo west. The tracks to the left, lead into the VIA station platforms. Trains travel infrequently along the cut but 
when they do, the consist passes under several bridges, the nearest two, being the Young Avenue Bridge and the Tower Road Bridge. Originally, there were 16. 
A guaranteed consist through the railway cut is the VIA train, to and from Montreal.  Young Avenue is fairly busy, so expect a bit of noise but there is a very adequate sidewalk to take pictures from. 
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
Tower Road Bridge, a couple of blocks away from Young Avenue,  is another location which will bring rewarding rail observations, particularly when VIAtrains arrive and depart Halifax, as the consist passes under the bridge.
It is also the beginning of the "Railway Cut",started about August 1913, which was eventually spanned by 16 bridges, most of which today require fairly extensive repair; 6 of which now having tonnage restrictions.

Crowds gathered on the Young Avenue Bridge 
December 22, 1918, to see the first Maritime
Express of the Intercolonial Railway Company 
(ICR),steam  through with perhaps red "ten wheeler" made in Liverpool, while passengers were awed at the rock walls looming above them.
Rail traffic through the cut right now is infrequent and there is a study going on,  about widening the cut and placing a roadway alongside the tracks. 
Some part of the study suggests that the tracks should be removed altogether and replaced by pavement for truck traffic into the Halterm container terminal. 
Another  alternative  is to imbed the CN tracks into the pavement. 
The disadvantage of taking photos looking into the harbor from the Tower Bridge is that there is a large pipe on a structure in the way but it doesn�t block the 
view very much (see the Young Avenue photo).
Crossing to the other side, the view into the railway cut looking west is pristine, as shown in another view on this page..

Photo: Massey F. Jones 

This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
When VIA #14 train arrives from Montreal, the 
locomotive is near the station and it is necessary to have the whole train turned around for the next day's departure. Rather than have a switcher do the work, it is done by the train�s motive power.  The operation takes about 30 minutes.
The first step is to back the train, observation car first, out of the VIA station and into the railway cut past a specific spot (described elsewhere). This will put the locomotives in the proper direction for the next move. After setting a turnout (switch); the train now moves forward under Tower Bridge Road and Young Avenue, then along Marginal Road within the South End Container Terminal (view the Google Earth photo), and then clockwise around a balloon track.
After re-emerging from the balloon track, it again passes under Young Avenue and then Tower Road and proceeds well into the railway cut, stopping at a specific point, in the view shown here on July 16th,
2010.  After a turnout is set; the train is then backed up, observation car first, into the VIA station, to the platform, where it will depart at Train #15 to Montreal, the following day.
Operations were cut back in October 2012, from 6 times per week to 3 times per week. VIA train #14 (Ocean) arrives from Montreal on Thursday, Saturday and Monday and departs Halifax on Tuesday, Friday and Sunday. A trip takes about 23 hours with one time zone change. There are several classes of accommodation available and "Renaissance" cars used during the high season. The trains are also longer.
Massey posted a 12-minute video clip  on YouTube, showing the departure of VIA Train #15, followed by the arrival of VIA Train #14 into Halifax and then documents the major aspects of the switching operation described above. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LRDxrcUSeXs
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
A 2014 Google Earth view of the tracks, 
around the VIA station (top right ) and 
Halifax South End Container Terminal. 
The balloon track lower right, helps turn 
the VIA train around to have it face the 
proper way for departure. Despite the 
great amount of track, rail traffic is
minimal now.
The location of the Young Avenue and 
Tower Road bridges can be clearly seen. 
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones
The first bridge to span Halifax Harbour.
Built in 1815 and finally distroyed in 1893
after being rebuilt in 1891. At that time it 
was destroyed by a fierce gale.
From Facebook group, Nova Scotia Memories of Days Gone By
CNR Sackville River Bridge, Bedford NS
This picture was taken by John MacDonald
An Old CNR Steam Engine crossing the
CNR Bridge in Bedford NS
Posted on the Internet by the Nova Scotia Archives

Location of the Midland Railway ((DAR) (Dominion Atlantic Railway) Bridge crossing the Shubenacadie River at South Maitland, Nova Scotia. 
This bridge is now used as a observation platform for the tidal bore on this river.
The tide on this river raise over 45 ft. twice a day
and cause a bore or wall of water that races up the river.
I
In 1901 the Midland Railway opened its line across Hants County, connecting Truro to Windsor 
and the Dominion Atlantic Railway
through the Annapolis Valley. In 1912, the DAR purchased the Midland line. The DAR abandoned this line in the late 1970's
I
The Midland Railway ((DAR) (Dominion Atlantic Railway) 
Bridge crossing the Shubenacadie River at South Maitland, Nova Scotia. 
 Posted on facebook by Youcef Amine  
CNR River John Train Bridge
 I  
CNR Bridge, River John, Nova Scotia
This bridge is on the abandoned Oxford Junction to
Stellarton (Oxford Subdivision)
This picture was taken and submitted by Greg Evans
CNR Bridge, River John, Nova Scotia
This bridge is on the abandoned Oxford Junction to
Stellarton (Oxford Subdivision)
This picture was taken and submitted by Greg Evans
CNR Bridge, River John, Nova Scotia
This picture was taken and submitted by Greg Evans
CNR Bridge, River John, Nova Scotia
This picture was taken and submitted by Greg Evans
CNR Bridge, River John, Nova Scotia
Sandstone bridge piling
This picture was taken and submitted by Greg Evans
CNR Bridge, Wallace River, Nova Scotia
This bridge is on the abandoned Oxford Junction to
Stellarton (Oxford Subdivision)
This picture was taken and submitted by Greg Evans
Rail Trestle, Westville NS mile 74.5 on what used to be the CNR Oxford Sub It is now the CBCNS Oxford Spur, May 2007
This picture was posted as "Public domain" on Photobucket
by Brian Hiscock
Rail Trestle, Westville NS mile 74.5 Deck
This picture was posted as "Public domain" on Photobucket
by Brian Hiscock
CN Rail Bridge of the Nine Mile River, Elmsdale NS
Viewed from the #2 Highway bridge.
This bridge was built by the Intercolonial Railway in the
late 1850's
 This picture was taken by John MacDonald May 29, 2015  
CN Rail Bridge of the Nine Mile River, Elmsdale NS
  This picture was taken by John MacDonald May 29, 2015  
This bridge is on the Dartmouth Musquodoboit Subdivision 
of the Canadian Government Railway.
The bridge crosses a small stream on his property in 
Middle Musquodoboit. There once were tanks embedded along side the tracks for emergency water supply for the steam locomotives. This rail line ran from Dartmouth to Upper Musquodoboit. It is just 1/2 mile south of his
residence and is still  in good condition.
This picture was submitted by Lyle Bates, Middle Musquodoboit, Nova Scotia
Roadway bridge over the main line to the 
CN yard, Truro Nova Scotia and the branch line to 
Cape Breton NS 
(CBNS) Cape Breton and Central Nova Scotia Railway
I
Salmon River Railway Bridge, Truro Nova Scotia
This bridge is on the main CN line in Truro Nova Scotia
Foot Bridge over the ( CBNS ) Cape Breton 
and Central Nova Scotia Railway, Salmon River, Nova Scotia
I
Foot Bridge over the ( CBNS ) Cape Breton 
and Central Nova Scotia Railway,
Salmon River, Nova Scotia
I
DAR Bear River, Nova Scotia Train Bridge
This bridge is on the abandoned DAR line
DAR Bear River, Nova Scotia Train Bridge
This bridge has now been completely removed
This bridge is on the abandoned DAR line
DAR Blue Beach Road bridge
 This bridge is on the abandoned DAR line  
DAR Gaspereau River Bridge
This bridge is on the abandoned DAR line near Grand Pre Nova Scotia
DAR Gaspereau River Bridge
This bridge is on the abandoned DAR line near Grand Pre Nova Scotia
DAR Bridge Annapolis Royal Nova Scotia crossing Allains Creek
This bridge is on the abandoned DAR line near Annapolis Royal Nova Scotia
DAR Bridge Bridgetown, 
Nova Scotia
This bridge is on the abandoned DAR line in Bridgetown, Nova Scotia
The Pentz Lake Causeway near Mount Uniacke, NS
This line has been taken over by the Windsor & Hantsport Railway Company.
This company purchased what remains of the DAR from 
New Minas to Mantua with a branch to Windsor Junction.
Since gypsum production has ceased in the Windsor area
this line sees very little traffic.
This causeway is on the abandoned DAR line near Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia
The Pentz Lake Causeway near Mount Uniacke, NS
This causeway is on the abandoned DAR line near Mount Uniacke, Nova Scotia
This bridge is on an almost abandoned DAR line near 
South Uniacke, Nova Scotia
This picture was taken by John MacDonald
This bridge is on an almost abandoned DAR line near
South Uniacke, Nova Scotia. It crosses high over the Sackville River.
This picture was taken by John MacDonald
This bridge is on an almost abandoned DAR line near
South Uniacke, Nova Scotia. It crosses high over 
the Sackville River.
This picture was taken by John MacDonald
The DAR Railway bridge and the highway bridge
over the Avon River at Windsor Nova Scotia, 1940's Heading east.
The first railway bridge was built across the Avon River 
in 1870 and lasted until 1915 when
it was replaced with this bridge the was in service until into the 1960's when it was replaced by the present causway
Image courtesy of Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management, Halifax, N.S.
The DAR Railway bridge and the highway bridge over the Avon River at Windsor Nova Scotia
Heading west
This picture was taken from a picture hanging in a local service station in Brooklyn NS
ICR Bridge over the Folly River
A real early example of a train trestle of that period
Government of Canada Archives   
CN Folly Lake Railway Bridge
This bridge is on the main line from Halifax to Montreal and crossed
Highway 4 at Folly Lake
Posts ended here Dec1 2016
CN Bridge Waughs River, Tatamagouche, 
Nova Scotia
 
CN Bridge Waughs River, Tatamagouche, 
Nova Scotia
CNR Pattersons Wharf Road Overpass, Tatamagouche, 
Nova Scotia
CNR French River Bridge, Tatamagouche, 
Nova Scotia
DAR Train Bridge, Paradise, NS
This bridge is on the abandoned DAR line near Paradise, NS
DAR Train Bridge, Paradise, NS
This bridge is on the abandoned DAR line near Paradise, NS
CNR Roseway River Bridge near Shelburne, Nova Scotia
This bridge is abandoned and is now part of a hiking trail
It is comprised of two sections joined by a small island.
The second section is shown below.
CNR Roseway River Bridge
CNR Tusket River Bridge
CNR Tusket River Bridge shown from the new highway
CNR Gold River Bridge , 1960's
This picture was taken at the Halifax & Southwestern Railway Museum,
Lunenburg Nova Scotia
Halifax & South Western Railway ( Canadian Northern Railway (CNR)) Martins River Bridge
Thise picture was taken by John MacDonald  
Halifax & South Western Railway ( Canadian Northern Railway (CNR)) Martins River Bridge
Thise picture was taken by John MacDonald  
 Halifax & South Western Railway ( Canadian Northern Railway (CNR)) Bridge above Cooks Falls, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
This bridge is now part of a walking trail system
Halifax & South Western Railway ( Canadian Northern Railway(CNR)) Bridge above Cooks Falls, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
This bridge is now part of a walking trail system
Cooks Falls, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia
Halifax & South Western Railway ( Canadian Northern Railway(CNR)) Bridge above Cooks Falls, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia

This picture is looking east at the railway bridge over the Lahave River just above bridgewater. The picture was taken during construction of the bridge around 1903-04

This picture was taken at the Halifax & Southwestern Railway Museum,
Lunenburg Nova Scotia
Halifax & South Western Railway ( Canadian Northern Railway(CNR)) Bridge above Cooks Falls, Bridgewater, Nova Scotia

This picture shows the bridge after completion.
This view is from the east bank looking west. Notice 
how the bridge was built through the cented of a lumber mill
that was situated on the west bank of the Lehave River.

This picture was taken at the Halifax & Southwestern Railway Museum,
Lunenburg Nova Scotia
The Moncton CN (Pink) Subway 1960's

Pink Subway For a while the Subway was painted Pink
and covered with local artwork. Every year main street 
would close and local artists and students would paint it.

 CREDIT: Armand Melanson  
This Dawson settlement trestle over Hiram Creek was
built by The Albert Railway Company. Construction
began in 1875 and in 1877 the line from Hillsborough to Albert was opened. 
In 1900 the line between Salisbury and Albert was
purchased by the Dominion of Canada and operated by 
the Intercolonial Railway (which eventually became
part of CN).
This trestle was last used by the Salem & Hillsborough Railroad between 1984 and 1996 as a tourist railway 
carrying passengers and there was a dining car at selected times. This trains ran between Hillsborough, Salem & Baltimore, New Brunswick. The Salem & Hillsborough Railway is now operated by the New Brunswick Railway Museum.
It is my understanding that this trestle has been removed in early 2012.
This picture was posted on Facebook by Judy Lynn Carson, Moncton NB
 NR Tantramar River Bridge, 
Sackville NB
This bridge carries all the CNR
traffic from Montreal to Halifax
 Taken by John Macdonald, Aug 16, 2015  
The "Saint John River Railway"
Bridge at Centerville NB
This picture was taken and submitted by Sarah Levy
CPR Bridge Woodstock NB July 2007. This Bridge was taken out by ice in 1976 but was replaced shortly after that. It was finally taken out
of service in the early 1990s
This picture was posted as "Public domain" on Photobucket by Brian Hiscock
CPR Trestle just west of the town 
of Woodstock crossing The Saint John River July 2007
This picture was posted as "Public domain" on Photobucket by Brian Hiscock

The CNR Doaktown Train Bridge
The piers in the forground are from
the old highway bridge which was removed in the late 1960s-early 1970s
This picture was take by Darlene Carvell-robichaud, Doaktown NB
The longest CNR rail bridge in Atlantic Canada stretches over the Salmon river where one can literally see a train float across the sky.It is located
near New Denmark, New Brunswick. 
July 2007 
This picture was posted as "Public domain" on Photobucket by Brian Hiscock
The longest CNR rail bridge in Atlantic Canada stretches over the Salmon river where one can literally see a train float across the sky.It is located near New Denmark, New Brunswick.  July 2007 
This picture was posted as "Public domain" on Photobucket by Brian Hiscock
Salmon River Valley Trestle on the CN mainline between Plaster Rock and Grand Falls NB 
This trestle is 3920 feet long and 195 feet high For more information on this trestle go to this web site
http://blog.traingeek.ca/2007/12/bridges
This picture was submitted by Ed Anderson, Belleville, ON, Formerly of Plaster Rock, NB
This picture was taken around 1983
Salmon River Valley Trestle on the CN mainline between Plaster Rock and Grand Falls NB 
This picture was submitted by Ed Anderson, Belleville, ON, Formerly of Plaster Rock, NB
This picture was taken around 1983
CNR Bridge Chipman NB crossing the Salmon River
This picture was posted as "Public domain" on Photobucket by Brian Hiscock

 

Links
Visit our Home in Summerville Nova Scotia. This house was built in 1873.
Where we live and what we do
A Nova Scotia Snow Storm Hits Summerville
A Nova Scotia Snow Storm Hits Summerville
A tribute to the Steam Locomotives of the CNR
A tribute to the Steam Locomotives of the CPR
Robot Cars
The Old Railway Stations of Canada
Canadian Railway Artifacts
The Newfoundland Railway
Old Canadian Diesels
   
Old Canadian Rolling Stock 
Passenger Cars
Old Canadian Rolling Stock 
Freight Cars
Electric Locomotives and Street Cars
Industrial and on Site Diesel  Locomotives
The Scrap Yard
 
Canadian Old Logging Equipment
and Steam and Diesel Locomotives
The Grain Elevators of Western Canada
Canadian National Railways Motive Power Statistics Index
Railway Maintenance Equipment
And Old Railway Rolling Stock
Canadian Railway Tunnels
Jerry Barnes' Garden Railway, The SCRR
The Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society
The Nova Scotia Railway Heritage Society
Historic Aircraft Pictures
Visit John's Old Car and Truck Pictures
The Yard Limit's page on the
Windsor & Hantsport Railway (WHRC)
CN Pensioners' Association
The Stanley Steamer

For all you steam fans, this page is a must

Visit Lonnie Hedgepeth's 
of Rocky Mount, North Carolina site.
He has used the plans provided on Covered Bridge Plans  webpage and is building a Covered Bridge for his
Live Steam train.
The building trades class at Darlington HS in Darlington, Wisconsin built this covered bridge for a local business man
 Tour the 64 remaining Covered Bridges
 of New Brunswick
The Covered Bridges that once
dotted Nova Scotia.
Lilies From the Valley
A Vast selection of Oriental and Asiatic previously cut commercially grown bulbs ready for shipment anywhere in Canada
Visit my Jeep page
A Picture Review of the Jeeps
from 1940 to the present
A Picture Review of the 
Nash, Hudson 
and the cars of American Motors
A Picture Review of the Hudsons and Terraplanes
that were found in Australia
A Picture Review Studebaker
A Picture review of the Packard
A Picture Review of the
Pickup Truck from 1940 to 1969
A Picture review of the Volkswagen
A Picture Tour of the Kaiser Frazer
A Picture Tour of the
A Picture Tour of the Henry J
A Picture Tour of the Crosley
A Picture Review of the Chevrolet
from 1916 tto 1970
A Picture Review of the Ford
from 1908 to 1969
The Chrysler Airflow
View some of John Evan's  Artwork
View some of
John' Evan's Artwork
This site has quite a collections 
of John's artwork.
View these old cars as you haven't before.
Eric Gordon's Kaiser Rebuild
There are many pictures showing the
details of this Rebuild
E Mail
johnmacdonald@summerville-novascotia.com

 

Privacy Policy for http://yourrailwaypictures.com/ 

If you require any more information or have any questions about our privacy policy, please feel free to contact us by us by email at john@summervillens.ca 

At http://yourrailwaypictures.com/, the privacy of our visitors is of extreme importance to us. This privacy policy document outlines the types of personal information is received and collected by http://yourrailwaypictures.com/ and how it is used. 

Log Files 
Like many other Web sites, http://yourrailwaypictures.com/ makes use of log files. The information inside the log files includes internet protocol ( IP ) addresses, type of browser, Internet Service Provider ( ISP ), date/time stamp, referring/exit pages, and number of clicks to analyze trends, administer the site, track user's movement around the site, and gather demographic information. IP addresses, and other such information are not linked to any information that is personally identifiable. 

Cookies and Web Beacons 
http://yourrailwaypictures.com/ does use cookies to store information about visitors preferences, record user-specific information on which pages the user access or visit, customize Web page content based on visitors browser type or other information that the visitor sends via their browser. 

DoubleClick DART Cookie 
.:: Google, as a third party vendor, uses cookies to serve ads on http://yourrailwaypictures.com/. 
.:: Google's use of the DART cookie enables it to serve ads to users based on their visit to http://yourrailwaypictures.com/ and other sites on the Internet. 
.:: Users may opt out of the use of the DART cookie by visiting the Google ad and content network privacy policy at the following URL - http://www.google.com/privacy_ads.html 

Some of our advertising partners may use cookies and web beacons on our site. Our advertising partners include .... 
Google Adsense 
 

These third-party ad servers or ad networks use technology to the advertisements and links that appear on http://yourrailwaypictures.com/ send directly to your browsers. They automatically receive your IP address when this occurs. Other technologies ( such as cookies, JavaScript, or Web Beacons ) may also be used by the third-party ad networks to measure the effectiveness of their advertisements and / or to personalize the advertising content that you see. 

http://yourrailwaypictures.com/ has no access to or control over these cookies that are used by third-party advertisers. 

You should consult the respective privacy policies of these third-party ad servers for more detailed information on their practices as well as for instructions about how to opt-out of certain practices. http://yourrailwaypictures.com/'s privacy policy does not apply to, and we cannot control the activities of, such other advertisers or web sites. 

If you wish to disable cookies, you may do so through your individual browser options. More detailed information about cookie management with specific web browsers can be found at the browsers' respective websites.