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Portland’s Steel Bridge lights 100 candles
Happy 100th to a truly remarkable piece of transportation engineering!
This is indeed a unique bridge. The approach on the East side is particularly sharp, making for a slow crossing - plenty of time to admire it’s construction!
Portland is indeed a transportation mecca. I attend a school board conference there every winter. I arrive on the Amtrak Empire Builder, and the Max light rail takes me everywhere I need to go!
And in celebration of the anniversary of this world unique bridge, the Pacific Northwest Chapter - National Railway Historical Society has just published a 60-page book describing in detail the history of this bridge and it’s predecessor. LOTS of historic pictures never before published. The book can be ordered online at:
www.pnwc-nrhs.org
I used to arrive from Eastern Oregon at night on UP number 11 or number 25 in the 1940s and 1950s. I still have images of the bridge, the locomotive pulling our train (steam) and downtown Portland in my head. The passengers were getting antsy by this time and started collecting their belonging for getting off the train.
I do hope the UP maintains the bridge better than some others I have seen owned by a variety of Class 1’s.
Many bridges look deplorable and could certainly use a coat of paint…if the Chief Engineers can find money in their budget. These are the bridges that are NOT made of Corten Steel, so the rust is a visible indicator of weathering induce deterioration.
the lower deck can raise without disrupting the upper deck? how does that work?
The Pacific Northwest Chapter of the National Railway Historical Society has produced a book in honor of the bridge’s centennial entitled “Steel Over the Willamette”. Check it out at www.pnwc-nrhs.org.
What’s that tall, semaphore-looking object to the right of the bridge operator’s house in the photo? Is it a signal for marine traffic? I’ve never seen this bridge in person but have long admired its massiveness and uniqueness. “Draw” bridges of any type are fascinating - lift, swing, bascule, draw. Unless, I guess, your train has been plugged by an open one.
If you ever get a chance, park at Portland Union Station and walk across the pedestrian bridge toward the river. Continue south a couple of blocks and cross the lower deck of the Steel Bridge. You can watch trains and river traffic to your heart’s content.
In response to a few of the questions. The lower and upper decks have independent drives, cabling, pulleys (sheaves) and counter weights. The lower deck can be raised independently of the upper by its vertical supports telescoping into the upper deck vertical supports. The tall semaphore looking object on the top is actually a crane which allows items to be hoisted up to the machinery level from the upper road level.
If you are able to visit Portland’s steel bridge in person, you can still make out a VERY faint UP Shield that was painted on the concrete counterweights. The sun has faded out the herald form west end counterweight. Check out the counterweight on the east end of the bridge. It is (was) a huge herald - fills the entire counterweight. Maybe the UP should repaint them in honor of their 150th anniversary!