Canadian Train Bridges and Trestles
Quebec and Ontario
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. |
Quebec
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The Harstone trestle is being studied for removal, replacement or refurbishment. This bridge, constructed in 1922, is one of the few remaining traces of the historic Port Arthur, Duluth and Western (Pee Dee) Railway. The replacement of the bridge would mean the loss of an important piece of the history of the area. |
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![]() | This view, dated June 1974 shows a couple of diesels providing the link between Montréal and Chicoutimi, about 140 miles north of Québec in the region now called Ville de Saguenay, now composed of the former towns of Jonquière, Chicoutimi and La Baie. CN and then VIA provided service dating back to almost the beginning of the 20th Century, until 1987, when VIA closed the downtown Chicoutimi station (see my station page). The Rivière Chicoutimi flows under the bridge, providing hydroelectric power, specifically for smelting aluminum at the former ALCAN (now Rio Tinto) plant in the Arvida district of Jonquière (home to the Roberval Saguenay Railway – mfj). The area pictured is the outlet into the Rivière Saguenay about a mile away. In July 1996, one of the many dams burst, sending 11 times its usual flow into the basin and flooding the entire area http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saguenay_Flood but the old bridge survived and was turned into a bicycle path during reconstruction. Montréal – Chicoutimi in the 1970s, was a lonely 318-mile ride with only day coach seating and no diner, as the train traversed a provincial park for at least 200 miles. The same trip is still done by VIA but the rails now end at Jonquière, about 10 kilometres (16 miles) short of Chicoutimi. View the timetable elsewhere in the page. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | “du Milieu” river trestle. Gaétan took the picture on 23 March 2005. It is located 40 km south of La Tuque. From Via Rail literature, it’s the highest in Québec at 60 m, 121 m long and built in 1907 |
This picture was taken and submitted by Gaétan Gagnon | |
![]() | Roberval Saguenay and RS3 locomotive cross a concrete bridge over a small set of falls, near Chicoutimi QC (now Saguenay) in the late 70s, outbound with aluminum ore (bauxite) from their dock at Grande Baie (Port Alfred) to the smelter at Arvida on one of their frequent runs. The bridge replaced an adjacent almost centenary wood bridge which had rotted. Like all the locomotives on its roster up to about the early 90s, Roberval Saguenay Railway motive power was built by either ALCO or their Canadian subsidiary Montreal Locomotive Works. The #24 was built as a Model RS-18 by Montreal Locomotive Works in April 1960 (Ser # 83278) and spent its entire life on the RSR, before being sold to a local metals dealer for either sale or scrap in 2000. |
Massey F. Jones collection | |
![]() | The Roberval Saguenay concrete bridge, probably constructed in the 1950s; when the deck of the old structure partly seen under the arch, became inadequate to support heavier loads. This view dates from around 1980. The advantage of this type of bridge is that it is extremely solid and requires low maintenance. Note the very heavy and reinforced bridge abutment. The surrounding rock is granite. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | The old bridge in the foreground might have been constructed as early as 1909, when the Ha!-Ha! Bay Railway Company was formed; the ancestor of the present Roberval Saguenay Railway http://www.trainweb.org/oldtimetrains/RS/history.htm It originally carried steam locomotives and possibly linked by rail with another bridge (featured on this page) in the Chicoutimi Basin, where a pulp mill operated , ferrying pulp from the Chicoutimi mill to La Baie, about 20 miles away, using among others 0-4-0 Tank Locomotive 15, featured at http://yourrailwaypictures.com/Logging/ In 1925, Alcan opened an aluminum plant in the area, purchased the RSR and extended the track from Arvida (now Saguenay) to the deep water port at La Baie, now transporting bauxite ore. All through the war years, the bridge supported steam locomotives and their load, till the advent of heavy road diesels, at which time the structure was probably no longer considered safe and the adjacent concrete bridge was built and is still in daily use. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | Ste Ursule Falls trestle QC with CN 6060 crossing on a runpast, during a railfan trip with the St Lawrence Valley Chapter of the Canadian Railroad Historical Association (CRHA) in the mid-70s. Situated in the Mauricie area of Quebec close to Shawinigan, the trestle still supports between 5 to 10 trains a day (mostly freight but some VIA) between Montreal and the Saguenay/Lac St-Jean or Abitibi regions through the Garneau Yard (Triage Garneau). Magnification of a crossbuck near there on Google Street View, has put the area around MP 75.83 CN Joliette Sub. Built by The Grand Trunk Railway (CN precursor) in 1900, it was the longest bridge in Canada in its time, with a deck measuring 346 m (1135 ft.), which is the length of 3 olympic soccer fields. The elevation at the deepest in the valley stands at 56.4 m (185 ft.), which is the equivalent of about a 15-story building. While the bridge is off-limits to pedestrians, the area offers interpretive hiking trails as well as other winter and summer activities. http://www.mauricie-travelguide.com/maskinonge/parc- des-chute-ste-ursule/ |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | Bristol Mines Trestle, 1982 It is on a siding to Bristol Mines at Wyman Quebec |
This picture was submitted by Bill Erwin | |
![]() | These Dayliners are shown on one of the bridges out of Montreal’s West Island and are ancestors of the present AMT Montreal-Rigaud service. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | A CN passenger train passes over this Lachine Canal in downtown Montreal, minutes before entering into Central Station/Gare Centrale http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Station_(Montreal), where all VIA Rail trains now arrive and depart. The metal structures (since removed), were used to support the catenary for early operation of CN electric engines operating through the Mount Royal Tunnel on the other side of the station. This was one of their storage area. This large heavy bridge is an upgrade from the decades-old swing bridge behind the engine, briefly featured in the 1965 National Film Board movie “The Railrodder” as Buster Keaton makes a symbolic entry in the Montreal area within the movie, on the way to the West Coast. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EiqqxyZeDXoas All the area under the bridges has now been reclaimed into green space and integrated into the Lachine Canal National Historic Site. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lachine_Canal |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | CN Geeps 4101 and 4105 on a runpast in front of Montmorency Falls during a St Lawrence Valley Railway Society CRHA excursion in the late 1970s Located just a few minutes from downtown Quebec City, half times higher than Niagara Falls and 150ft (45.7m) wide. The falls flow into the St Lawrence River. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | A CHRA fantrip brought Montreal railfans to the Cap Rouge trestle near Quebec City during summer 1978. Visible in the background is the Pont de Québec /Quebec Bridge (combined road/rail bridge) and Pont Pierre Laporte (the white pillars), a vehicle bridge. The Cap Rouge Trestle (translated to Red Cape [as for marine geography], is the main attraction in the area which dates back to 1635. Locally, it is called “Le Tracel”. Built in 1907-1908 with the participation of Gustave Eiffel, the structure was constructed by the National Transcontinental Railway (NTR), to link Winnipeg, Manitoba to Moncton, New Brunswick. When the NTR became absorbed in the Canadian National System in 1920, the Cap Rouge Trestle became CNR property and still in steady use today. It spans 3,335 feet (about 1.1 km), with an average of 172 feet (about 53 m) above ground. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | The name plate for the bridge shown below The date sign over the bridge reads: “1887 DOMINION BRIDGE CO., LIM’D LACHINE, PROV. QUE. “ |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | This view was taken through the front cab of an RDC during a railway fantrip in the mid 70s. Our train is about to pass through an old iron bridge at Fort Coulonge QC (west of Ottawa in Pontiac County) and will let us out on the other side while the train backs up for a runpast on the bridge. That’s when it goes full speed in front of the crowd, with all bells and whistles going. Fans take pictures, video; some record the sound, others just look. Then everyone re-board and makes ready for the next runpast at another historical place where it’s safe for for all to stand trackside. This old iron truss railway bridge carried the Pontiac Pacific Junction railway over the Coulonge River until 1902, and then the CPR until 1978. Our fantrip was designed solely to explore that soon-to-be abandoned line. The tracks have now been removed and the bridge converted into a hiking and cycling trail. See the links below for pictures and more info. The date sign over the bridge reads: 1887 DOMINION BRIDGE CO., LIM’D LACHINE, PROV. QUE. http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WM9N5V_ Fort_Coulonge_Rail_Bridge http://www.canadatrails.ca/tct/qc/pontiac.html http://www.canadatrails.ca/tct/qc/pontiac.html |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | Dayliner CP 9064 almost at the end of a runpast on the Fort Coulonge Bridge during a St. Lawrence Valley (CRHA) fantrip during the mid-70s. Shortly thereafter, the line was due to be abandoned by CP. The purpose of the fantrip was to have a ride on a line before the rail was torn up. Fort Coulonge is named after Nicholas d’Ailleboust, Sieur de Coulonge, who formed a settlement near there in 1694-95. It eventually became a Hudson’s Bay trading post on the Ottawa River and most of the area was developed in the mid-1800s, including the bridge, which was installed in 1887. At one time, Fort Coulonge was the site of a large sawmill, due to the large amount of forest around and gave rise to folk tales about those famous Canadian lumberjacks, kept alive at the nearby Chute Coulonge (Coulonge Falls) http://www.chutescoulonge.qc.ca/trails_6.htm . A map on the link will give the location of nearby Fort Coulonge. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | A CNR Steamer crossing the Richelieu River. This picture was taken from ther west side of the river and the train has just left Beloeil and is heading east, mid 1940s |
This picture was submitted by Norman Baker, Kingston ON | |
![]() | A CNR Steamer crossing the Richelieu River heading east. The picture was tas taken from the beach at Otterburn Park on the east side of the river, The train has just left Beloeil, 1953 |
This picture was submitted by Norman Baker, Kingston ON | |
![]() | One of the VIA FPA-4 diesel in the 6700 series, alongside Boulevard Laurier, exiting the Quebec Bridge (Pont de Quebec) on a very rainy day in the very early 80s; outbound from Montreal, into Gare du Palais in downtown Quebec, on the still popular VIA “Corridor”. Seeking to compete with GMD for the passenger loco market, Montreal Locomotive Works produced the FPA-2 and FPA-4 units but only CN received the latter. These units went to VIA Rail and all were retired by 1989. A few were preserved in Canada but the bulk was sold to US operators for use in tourist operations including dinner trains. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | Alco PA-1s 17 and 19, lead the Delaware & Hudson’s Laurentian between New York City and Montreal, inbound into Montreal around St. Lambert QC, having just passed the locks on the St. Lawrence Seaway. The PA-1 is the most famous model in American railroad history. Notice the long nose. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | The south end of Victoria Bridge at St. Lambert, July 1974. The raised span of the bridge and the road gate to the right in the down position, indicate that a ship is somewhere in the vicinity through St. Lawrence Seaway. Built in 1859 to link Montreal and the South Shore, Victoria Bridge is still very much in use by road and rail today. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victoria_Bridge_(Montreal) Further to the left in the photo is the St. Lambert Diversion, added in 1958, so that CN trains are not held up by ships. It also features a road for vehicles. When the span is raised on the main bridge as above, the diversion becomes available for continuous operation and vice versa. The link to a 1959 aerial picture for CN, shows the layout very well. http://www.imagescn.technomuses.ca/structures/index _choice.cfm?id=36&photoid=45286746 . Also view the map below At one time, Victoria Bridge hosted tracks of the Montreal & Southern Counties Railways, an electric interurban streetcar operation between downtown Montreal and the South Shore owned by private concerns until 1920, when the M&SC became a part of Canadian National Railways and it continued running the streetcar parallel to its CNR mainline between Montreal and Halifax. While service was frequent, the M&SC, with their early-1900 era brown streetcars and neglected maintenance had become a money-loser, so starting about 1951; CNR gradually cut back operations after 47 years. On Sunday June 19, 1955; the last M&SC streetcar made its last trip on Victoria Bridge. In 1956, the tracks were removed and the roadway to the right of this picture was in use. While the equipment was very outdated, M&SC operated a fairly efficient operation in its time, transporting commuters from Montreal’s business section to outlying areas, not yet considered the bedroom communities that they are today. View the M&SC history at: http://www.r2parks.net/M&SC.html and http://www.trainweb.org/elso/msc.htm Also compare the web photo of the first M&SC trip on 30 October 1909 below, with the view on this page, taken almost from the exact spot 65 years later. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:RailTram_19091030 MSC_PremierTramArriveASt-Lambert.jpg |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | A portion from a French copy of Perly’s 1983 map book, showing the south end of Victoria Bridge and the St. Lambert Diversion. http://www.perlys.com/oms-tour.php |
Submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | A Google Earth view of the main CN alignment (straight line) and the diversion (curved). Both bridges are able to accommodate road and rail traffic. View an extensive history of Victoria Bridge in English, including several old time photos at: http://www.memorablemontreal.com/accessibleQA/en /bridges/?id=176&menu=histoire |
Google earth Image submitted by Massey F. Jones |
Ontario
![]() | Alvinston Bridge Jim had this to say about this picture. “This is only the second photograph of the bridge that I have found. It is nice and clear and shows the steel construction. Judging by the dress – particularly of the girl and her hair style, I would suggest it is from the 1920’s or 1930’s. When I was a kid I always thought it would be cool to climb up on some of those style girders, but I never had enough nerve! The photo came from a lady who lived at Gray’s Siding, just about 2 miles from the bridge. ¨C239C ¨C240C ¨C241C ¨C242C |
This picture was submitted by Jim Griffin, Markdale ON | |
![]() | CNR Kingscourt Branch Bridge near Alvinston, ON. It was built 1898 and was taken down in 1965 The bridge is on the line from Alvinston to Glencoe and goes over the Sydenham River – but according to employee timetables it was called Bear Creek Bridge. It was 680′ long made up of 30′ deck girder sections on bents that were supported by cut stone footings that are still in place. The bridge also included a 90′ truss section that went over the river. Only one of the river piers is still in place. |
This picture was submitted by Jim Griffin, Markdale ON | |
![]() | GTR Bridge Paisley, ON |
This picture was submitted by Jim Griffin, Markdale ON | |
![]() | GTR Bridge Paisley, ON |
This picture was submitted by Jim Griffin, Markdale ON | |
![]() | GTR Bridge Paisley, ON |
This picture was submitted by Jim Griffin, Markdale ON | |
![]() | GTR Bridge Uxbridge, Ontario. The picture was taken in 1886 by local photographer, A. J. Lord. The blur of a train can be seen crossing the bridge.This bridge still exists although the tracks here have been removed. The bridge crossed a creek and mill pond, and was known as the “Big Bridge” or “Big B,” especially by those who went there to swim. An important fact today is that the Trans Canada Trail enters Uxbridge from the east on the former railway right-of-way, and crosses over this bridge ¨C295C ¨C296C ¨C297C ¨C298C ¨C299C |
Thgis picture was taken by local local photographer of the day , A. J. Lord and was submitted by Allan McGillivray, Uxbridge Twp. historian. | |
![]() | Canadian Pacific steamer pulling freight on the line from Coldwater, Ontario across the Hogg’s Bay Trestle or Hogg’s Bay Trestle (1908 to 1978} into Port McNicoll’s grain elevators in the 1960’s The Hogg�s Bay Trestle was built in 1908 to service the Canadian Pacific Railway line when it moved its terminal to Port McNicoll. It spanned a swampy 2,141 feet across the bay and was the longest wooden trestle of its kind in Canada. Built by a local craftsman, Mike McPeake, it was an engineering marvel. This rail line saved much time for trains running to and from Port McNicoll and helped it to become the thriving community once known as the �Chicago of the North�. The trestle was so important to Port McNicoll and even Canada that during World War II it was watched by armed guards. Sadly, the trestle was dismantled in 1978 due to concerns of safety and costly maintenance |
This picture was submitted by Doug Binns, Coldwater, Ontario | |
![]() | The scar at the bottom right of this Google Earth satellite picture gives a fairly good idea of how the track led to the dock on the Hoggs trestle at Port McNicoll. Follow it from the right side through the water and into the dock on the left picture. The right picture shows the trails now present around the trestle; the curved one about centre, is named “Trestle Trail”. Hogg Bay is an arm of Georgian Bay that some name “Hog Bay” today. Coldwater described in another photo, is about half-way between Port McNicoll and Orillia. See my station page to find out more about Port McNicoll |
Submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | An entrance to the Tay Shore Trail on Hwy 12 from Orillia to Midland, brings visitors to the main pier on the shore, which formerly anchored the Hoggs Bay trestle. A further walk left along the trail towards Port McNicoll brings hikers into what is called “The Trestle Trail” portion. The Tay Shore Trail is a 17 km of abandoned CN rail corridor. It is part of the Trans-Canada Trail. This Google Street View looks northwest. |
Submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | CPR Train Bridge at Kenora ON CPR bridge spanning the Winnipeg River at Kenora ON. This is the main line of the CPR connecting eastern and western Canada. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Arthur Grieve, Winnipeg, Manitoba | |
![]() | CPR Train Bridge at Nipigon ON CPR bridge spanning the Nipigon River at Nipigon ON. This is on the main line of the CPR. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Arthur Grieve, Winnipeg, Manitoba |
![]() | The South Nation River train bridge at Casselman ON This is on the CN Alexandria sub between Casselman and Ottawa Shown crossing the bridge is CN’s “Budd” Geometry Test Car 1501 enroute to Arnprior. |
This picture was taken by Ray Farand and was submitted by Jean Guy Hamel | |
![]() | CP Maitland River Train Bridge, Goderich, ON with CP-4244 and 4242 crossing |
This picture was taken by Bill Thomson in June 1, 1984. It was submitted by Jean Guy Hamel | |
![]() | CNR Bridge Gravenhurst Ont. April 1973 |
This picture was taken and submitted by Jim Parker | |
![]() | Ottawa Central Rideau River Bridge |
This picture was submitted by Jean Guy Hamel |
![]() | CPR Bridge across the mouth of the Moira River in Belleville Ontario |
This picture was submitted by L. Bruce Polmanter, Belleville, Ontario | |
![]() | CPR Bridge across the mouth of the Moira River in Belleville Ontario |
This picture was submitted by L. Bruce Polmanter, Belleville, Ontario | |
![]() | CNR Bridge across the Moira River in Belleville Ontario |
This picture was submitted by L. Bruce Polmanter, Belleville, Ontario | |
![]() | CNR Bridge across the Moira River in Belleville Ontario |
This picture was submitted by L. Bruce Polmanter, Belleville, Ontario | |
![]() | An Essex Terminal Railway (ETR) diesel locomotive crossing the steel bridge over the Canadian Southern Railway (CASO) tunnel, around 1975. Built almost a century ago, the tunnel has been used by the Michican Central Railroad , New York Central and its successors Penn Centraland Conrail to ferry freight betweenWindsor and Detroit. It continues to be used today to ferrygoods between Canada and the US and the bridge continuesto be in almost daily use by the ETR, linking theirOjibway Yard, and the interchange to CN and CP in Windsor. To view a CP train exiting the CASO tunnel, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WCdsNefVuaI The end of the movie clip will also show the location from which the photo on this page was taken. YouTube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cvv3_AmusCU&feature =related is taken from the same location; a more modern ETS diesel, crossing the bridge. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | The Bathurst Street bridge is one of the choicest places from observing lots of rail in Toronto. Located within the downtown core, this unassuming streetcar bridge that has been there for decades. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bathurst_Street_Bridge I took this Kodachrome shot for myself in the 1970s or so, while on a mission to photograph for CNE planning (flypasts, paratroop) by the military. (Actually, it’s possible to get just about the same thing from the CN Tower, which we circled many times) The tracks on the bottom left, lead to the CP John Street Roundhouse, while those on the lower right go to CN Spadina Roundhouse. Notice the many green GO Transit “F” units on the (then newly-laid) tracks. Only the John Street Rounhouse remains today as a living reminder of years past. The scene changed a lot over the next 20 years. Yet to be constructed in the lower left portion is the Skydome (later Rogers Centre) and others. Immediately to the left of the Barhurst bridge is Old Fort York and the Gardiner Expressway. In the background is Lake Ontario and Toronto Island, Rails to the top left go to Hamilton and Niagara Falls, while those the top right connect with Northern Ontario destinations and the Canadian West |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | The Bathurst Bridge shown from track level, taken fron the front of a Dayliner, heading into Union Station. The VIA passenger cars in Spadina Yard would date this photo about 1978, when VIA Rail was formed. In the background, behind the coaling tower is the Spadina Avenue Bridge. Also seen in the background is the CN Tower. Yet to be built (in 1989) is the Skydome (later Rogers Centre). Special features of the photo include a very clear view of the turnouts (switch) alignment, period boxcars and the CN Spadina Roundhouse on the right side (notice the red nosed yard switchers. Also notice the control tower in the background and some kind of control shack in the foreground, topped by a loudspeaker. Above the bridge and intersecting the CN Tower are barely visible “telltales”. A tell-tale is a series of ropes suspended over the tracks above the height of a boxcar. These ropes are intended to give warning to a brakeman on the roof of the train that the train is approaching a low-clearance obstacle, such as a tunnel or a bridge. My research established that the first Canadian Light Rail Vehicles (CLRV) were intoduced on the TTC in 1979 and this would be one of the early ones. As this is a scan from a negative, the date is undetermined but it is before the era of the articulated TTC streetcars (ALRV) streeetcars, now in wide use, so we can make the photo about 1979-1980. We are about to leave the Toronto Terminals Railway tracks and proceed on the mainline. In the aerial photo, this would be about the centre of the photo, alongside Old Fort York. View Toronto Terminals Railway at: http://www.ttrly.com/ |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | The CN Spadina Yard, still in full operation May 1980 in a view feom the Spadina Avenue Bridge.. Built in the 1920s as a servicing and repair facility, the yard was razed in 1986 and replaced by the Rogers Center (formerly The Skydome). While steam has been gone for the past 20 years or so, coaling towers still stand at the centre of the photo. The diesels are an FP7 (or FP9) on the right and an FPA-4 on the left. as well as an RDC. To the very far left is the CN Tower, then only 4 years old. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | The CN Spadina Roundhouse, taken from the CN Tower in the early 80s Nothing is left of roundhouse or yard, which was leveled in 1986 to make way for the Rogers Centre (formerly The Skydome). The Spadina Avenue bridge is at the top of the photo. A view of the Spadina Yard from a bridge is in these pages. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/CNR_Spadina_Roundhouse Still preserved in the back of the CN Tower is a portion of CPR John Street Roundhouse, open to the public. http://www.trha.ca/johnstreet.html |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | A lashup of Geeps 4925, 4924 and 4928 in the High Bridge in Georgia, Vermont in the mid 70s, during a fantrip with the St Lawrence Valley Railway Society (CRHA). The units are now heading back to Montreal with us. Georgia is just south of St Albans VT, a few miles beyond the Canadian border. The bridge is about 700 ft long and spans the Lamoille River. As in other Vermont bridges, this one dates back to the late 1800s. It first had had 2stone pillars, since reinforced with 2 extra concrete pillars to handle heavier traffic. Some of the original pillars can be seen, one to the left and one in the center of the photo. A very early stereo tintype shows the bridge with its original pillars and stone archways at: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons (The 2 pictures were printed side by side on cardboard and viewed by both eyes through different lenses, giving the illusion of depth – the ancestor of the Viewmaster – mfj) A good description of the bridge and its geographical location is at: http://www.waymarking.com/ Newer units on the bridge at http://www.railroad.net/articles/columns/reviews/ The bridge is still used daily by Amtrak’s Vermonter, running daily between Washington, DC and St. Albans, in Northern Vermont. Central Vermont was a subsidiary of the CN and it has a convulated history dating back to the late 1800s, with several receiverships along the way before CN purchased it, then sold it to Rail America, who has maintained operations over the bridge since. More at: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Central_Vermont_Railway Jeff Colburn made the following comments on this bridge. “The reason that there are 2 stone abutments is that the bridge used to be a wooden lattice bridge with a 125 foot span (3) hence the two stone piers. When the bridge was converted to steel girders, the girders used were approximately 60 foot spans, thus the need for additional piers between the stone piers. If you look closely at the stone piers you can see the concrete cap to make up the difference in the depth of the wooden trusses and the steel girders. There are actually several examples of this type of replacement construction in Vt.” |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | The slide caption, mentions that this pair of CP RDCs are northbound to Toronto-Havelock in June 1980. While the destination of the train is unclear, research has now confirmed that this photo was taken from stairs leading into the E.T. Seaton Park; off Eglinton Avenue near Don Mills Road and the Ontario Science Centre. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | The small foot bridge in the middle of this screen, captured from a 2015 Google Earth Street View of the parking lot at the E.T. Seton park, firmly confirms the trestle location. |
Credit: Google Earth Street View (portion) | |
![]() | In a runpast, most passenger are off-loaded at a picturesque spot, the train backs up about a mile, then rolls past the spectators, who then reboard the train after the run. The practice isn’t done much anymore, due to insurance concerns and the high price of fuel. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | Midland Ontario line (abandoned in the late 1990s) trestle near Saint Marie Ontario at Saint Marie Amongst the Hurons. This part of the line is now called the Tay Shore Trail. You can see the location at http://maps.google.com/maps |
This picture was taken and submitted by Bruce Raynor | |
![]() | The CPR “Canadian” over the Nipigon River; from a postcard he had sent to his folks, back in the late 1950s |
This picture was submitted by Massey F. Jones | |
![]() | CP Highway bridge, London Ontario |
This picture was taken and submitted by Bruce Raynor | |
![]() | CP Highway bridge, London Ontario |
This picture was taken and submitted by Bruce Raynor | |
![]() | CP Bridge over the Thames River and Oxford St. London, ON. Taken Oct 1982 |
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB | |
![]() | CP Bridge over the Thames River and Oxford St. London, ON. Taken Oct 1982 |
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB | |
![]() | CP Bridge over the Thames River and Oxford St. London, ON. Taken Oct 1982 |
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB | |
![]() | CP Bridge over the Thames River and Oxford St. London, ON. Taken Oct 1982 |
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB | |
![]() | CP Bridge over the Thames River and Oxford St. London, ON. Taken Oct 1982 |
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB | |
![]() | CP Bridge over the Thames River and Oxford St. London, ON. Taken Oct 1982 |
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB | |
![]() | CP 4223 at east end of the Oxford St Bridge London Ont July 1984 |
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB | |
![]() | CP Bridge over the Thames River and Oxford St. London, ON. Taken Oct 1982 |
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB | |
![]() | This two lane bridge one block East of the Thames River and Oxford St Bridge in London Ont. Oct 1982 |
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB | |
![]() | This railway bridge belonged to the L&PS RY and crossed over the south branch of the Thames River just south of the L&PS RY shops. In the photograph you will notice steel brackets on the side of the bridge. When I was a teenager these brackets supported a walkway from one side of the river to the other. I used this walkway many times walking between home and highschool. The bridge was last used by CN. |
This picture was taken and submitted by James Booth, Willingdon AB |
![]() | This bridge was located on Sarnia Road between Wonderland Road and Hyde Park, Road in London Ontario. The interesting part of this story is that this beautiful structure was built in 1890 in St. James Manitoba and was dismantled for the first time and relocated to London Ontario in 1909, where it was reconstructed and used as a “single lane” overpass for the next 102 years, until March 2011. Unfortunately the powers to be in London Ontario did not appreciate the magnificence of having a piece of this history and chose to dismantle this marvellous structure against one suggestion to keep it as a foot path and build the new highway along side of it. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Janice Bentley | |
![]() | This bridge was located on Sarnia Road between Wonderland Road and Hyde Park, Road in London Ontario. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Janice Bentley |
The following four pictures were submitted by Jack D. Kozlowski, Mississauga, Ontario and they were taken near Lakefield, Ontario. This used to be the CN rail line from Peterborough, Ontario to Lakefield, Ontario. This site is part of Silent Lake and Kawartha Highlands Parks, Ontario, Canada |
![]() | Old CN railway bridge near Lakefield, ON |
![]() | The righ-of-way of the Peterborou-Lakefield railway |
![]() | Abandoned Swing Bridge near Peterborough |
![]() | Abandoned Swing Bridge near Peterborough |
Jack also submitted the following pictures | |
![]() | CN Pickerel River Town, Rail Bridge |
This picture was taken and submitted by Jack D. Kozlowski, Mississauga, Ontario | |
![]() | CP Pickerel River Train Bridge |
This picture was taken and submitted by Jack D. Kozlowski, Mississauga, Ontario | |
![]() | CP French River Rail Bridge |
This picture was taken and submitted by Jack D. Kozlowski, Mississauga, Ontario | |
![]() | CNR Railway Underpass at Kinmoount Ont. 1970’s |
This picture was taken and submitted by Jim Parker | |
![]() | CNR Wooden Bridge over the CNR Tracks at Otter Lake Ont. August 2001 |
This picture was taken and submitted by Jim Parker | |
![]() | CNR Wooden Bridge over the CNR Tracks at Otter Lake Ont. August 2001 |
This picture was taken and submitted by Jim Parker | |
![]() | Hoggs Bay Trestle over the CNR tracks at Midland Ont. 1950’s |
This picture was taken and submitted by Jim Parker | |
![]() | CNR Abadoned Railway Bridge over the Wye River just south of Wyevale Ont. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Jim Parker | |
![]() | The Harstone Trestle is located 30 km west of Thunder Bay Ontario. This trestle is located on the original roadbed of the Port Arthur Duluth and Western Railway. CNoR had the line for a while and then CNR. This trestle was built in 1922 by CNR. It crosses the Kaministiquia River, below Kakabeka Falls. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Tim Lukinuk, Thunder Bay, ON | |
![]() | The Harstone Trestle The Harstone trestle is being studied for removal, replacement or refurbishment. There is an online petition. Plase help save this bridge. This bridge, constructed in 1922, is one of the few remaining traces of the historic Port Arthur, Duluth and Western (Pee Dee) Railway. The replacement of the bridge would mean the loss of an important piece of the history of the area. |
This picture was taken and submitted by Tim Lukinuk, Thunder Bay, ON | |
The Kaministiquia River Swing Bridge, Thunder Bay, ON It is a steel throughtruss built in 1909. Was built by the Grand Trunk Railway. It is still used by CNR. The approaches to the bridge were burnt in a fire in October of 2013. Train traffic has resumed, but not vehicle traffic. This bridge is listed on the Ontario Heritage Bridge list. | |
This picture was taken and submitted by Tim Lukinuk, Thunder Bay, ON | |
CNR Mckellar Lift Bridge � Scherzer rolling lift bridge 1911. Thunder Bay Ontario. McKellar River between the Mission and Mckellar Islands. Note the Sleeping Giant in the background. This bridge is listed on the Ontario Heritage Bridge list. | |
This picture was taken and submitted by Tim Lukinuk, Thunder Bay, ON | |
CNR Kaministiquia Bascule Lift Bridge – Strauss Thunder Bay, ON It is a trunion bascule bridge built in 1911 This bridge is listed on the Ontario Heritage Bridge list. | |
This picture was taken and submitted by Tim Lukinuk, Thunder Bay, ON | |
CNR Kaministiquia Bascule Lift Bridge – Strauss Thunder Bay, ON It is a trunion bascule bridge built in 1911 This bridge is listed on the Ontario Heritage Bridge list. | |
This picture was taken and submitted by Tim Lukinuk, Thunder Bay, ON |