Two Train Bridges

How about some bridges? Train bridges that is…it’s been a while. Here’s a pair, not all that far apart, both easily approached from public property, both about a century old, and both belonging to the same railway, although when built each was along a competing line. Take in these impressive pieces of engineering, still on the job and likely to be so for some time. The railways always built their infrastructure to last and got their money’s worth – it’s how they rolled.

Let’s have some fun – go!

The first bridge – let’s give it the B&W treatment – Byron Rob who we’re hanging with no doubt approves – is located in the Calgary community of Ogden. It crosses Ogden Road, the Canadian Pacific Railway’s east/west mainline, a public pathway and finally the Western Irrigation District Canal. It’s made up of multiple spans, a mix of wood trestle, deck plate spans, through plate spans with multiple piers, and the most impressive section, a Pratt Through Truss section.

The Pratt Span was a product of the Manitoba Bridge and Iron Works in Winnipeg and dates from 1913. This firm was prolific builder of bridges and other steel work and operated from the early 1900s to the 1980s. From the 1930s on, it was a division of Dominion Bridge, the countries largest steel fabrication firm for much of its history. It’s not clear if the other spans came from MB&IW – they’re not marked – or even if they date from the same time. Perhaps some were later replacement spans – no matter anyway.

The Pratt Truss design dates back to the 1840s and well into the twentieth century was particularly popular with railways, with many built and still is use today. It’s a solid design, simple, and able to be made in lengths up to about seventy five metres (give or take). On this example, the two sides are offset somewhat due to the angle of approach. The truss height is oddly tall giving the structure a rather lanky and spindly appearance.

The line here once belonged to the Canadian Northern Railway and was opened for business in 1914. It travelled from a point not far from Edmonton, heading south to Calgary, entering the city at its eastern fringes. From there it passed over the bridge, through a number of industrial areas before hitting the edge of downtown in the north not far from Stampede Park (the repurposed station is still there). In the early 1920s the “CNoR”, a transcontinental always on shaky ground financially, was amalgamated into Canadian National Railways.

Today the line is cut back to serve a few industries to the west of the bridge and trains are infrequent and short. Still, there’s enough business that the line, and bridge should continue to be used for the foreseeable future. Our dream is to capture a train here. One day.

A more detailed piece…
Bridge Hunting – CNR Ogden.

The second bridge – now the colours are popping – is but a half a click or so to the north, along the same public pathway. Much more massive in form, it’s comprised of two identical spans with one intermediate pier and crosses the mighty Bow River.

This structure was built by the Grand Trunk Pacific, a rival transcontinental to The Canadian Northern spoken of earlier, with it’s arrival in Calgary circa 1911-1912 (the centre pier has 1911 stamped on it). The “GTP’s” line also came in from a point close to Edmonton, taking a more direct approach than its rival entering Calgary at its North East corner. The line then doubled back slightly, crossing the bridge here, before entering downtown at its east end (where present day Fort Calgary is). This line has long since been cut back to a point not far east of here and see’s only the occasional train (we did catch one on the line once!). The railway serves a rail car repair facility and the CNR/CPR interchange track.

The GTP, like the CNoR was often near bankruptcy and like it also got folded in the the CNR about 1920-ish. GTP lines were generally overbuilt (witness the sheer mass of this bridge), where as the CNoR almost seemed to cheap out.

Just downstream is the CPR’s Bonnybrook Bridge at the east end of their Alyth Yards. That structure failed most spectacularly during the spring 2013 floods – see: Collapsed Bonnybrook train bridge. Interestingly, the ex-GTP bridge was seemingly untouched by the heavily flowing debris laden waters.

This here bridge uses a variation of the Pratt Design called a Parker Truss, differing in that the upper cords dip at each end. These are a tad more complex to build, but overall are lighter and can be made in longer lengths than a straight Pratt (up to 100-110m if not more). Compared to the frail looking CNoR bridge, this one looks husky, all business and we can fully imagine is ready to support trains for another hundred years. It’s one solid hunk of steel.

Know even more about this structure…
Bridge Hunting CNR Bow River.

More bridge hunting…
Bridge Hunting – Scotsguard Saskatchewan (Abandoned, made of Cement).
Bridge Hunting – Bullpound Alberta (Abandoned).
Highway #524 abandoned road bridge (Abandoned).

If you wish more information on what you’ve seen here, by all means contact us!

Date: April, 2018.
Location: Ogden, Calgary.
Article references (and thanks): Geoffrey Lester, BridgeHunter.com.

Both bridges can be viewed from public property.

The CNR’s old bridge in the Calgary community of Ogden.

It’s been doing its job since 1913.

Track here is little used.

This section spans a canal…

…The rest, the CPR mainline and Ogden Road.

That they have to put up this warning…

Concrete and steel.

And not far away, CNR’s other bridge over the Bow.

In back a span belonging to the CPR.

It just up and exploded!

This bridge is from 1911 and sees only the occasional train.

A CPR stack train about to leave Alyth Yards.

At the speed of light…