Re: Drawbridges that don't draw?
Author: George Andrews
Date: 01-01-2020 - 11:33
Lotsa railroad drawbridges on Erie Lackawanna in the New Jersey Meadowlands, one built new in 1958 by Lackawanna at Upper Hackensack when the original lift bridge began to sink into the mud. $5.5 Million Dollars was a lot for DL&W to spend for a bridge that was opened maybe twice a day. But - the boats were there first !!!
Another drawbridge on the old Erie at West Arlington was eventually " straight - railed " after barge traffic on the Passiac River disappeared in the early 1970's.
When I rode the Lewis & Clark Explorer RDC's from Portland to Astoria, OR, back in 2004, W & P had to send a crewmember by auto to manually close two drawbridges West of Clatskanie. They would remain closed to marine traffic ( only pleasure craft by then ) until the train finished its' run and layover in Astoria and returned to Portland.
In Raymond, WA, there remains a former Northern Pacific drawbridge across the Willapa River, locked in the open position and likely not worth scrapping when the branch was pulled up years ago.