Truss Type RR Bridge

Second-hand trusses as replacements for wash-out or failure?

are bridges are designed to carry a maximin possible load. the piers are spaced differently, but the bridge spans have to carry the same load. the longer the span between piers or pier to abutment, the larger and stronger the truss or grirders must be.

Multiple truss section bridges are often used for road and rail crossings because they are relatively inexpensive. The Interstate Bridge between Portland and Vancouver, WA., which also has a lift section for navigational clearance, is a good example.

The Oklahoma Department of Transportation has devoted a web page to "Mixed Truss" bridges: http://www.okladot.state.ok.us/hqdiv/p-r-div/spansoftime/mixtruss.htm

Truss bridges are generally utilitarian rather than beautiful, but they have a certain charm. Some, like the 1916 railroad bridge over the Amur River in eastern Russia, are (or were) beautiful as well.

That bridge looks familiar... Tuskahoma?

Don't know where Tuskahoma is? About all I know about Oklahoma is that it was home to Curly Joe, Will Rogers, and Ike, and that it can beat Nebraska in football. That ain't bad.

The bridge is in Nowata County, across the Verdigris. I tried to find the nearest town, but got sidetracked when I found there was a town named Hogshooter. Wow!

Maybe the second photo in the second link in #4 has more info?

_{Not that I'd know - I'm just a dumb foreigner who just read the posts and follows the links.}

That bridge crosses the Verdigris River north of the Oogalah Wildlife Management Area, and the closest town is Nowata, which is also the county seat of Nowata County..

Here's what the Oogalah Wildlife Management Area is, and how you get there:

Oologah Wildlife Management Area

By: Scott Cox, Biologist at Oologah and Spavinaw WMA's. Phone: (918) 629-5286.
Oologah Office Phone: (918) 253-4253

Area Description:

Oologah WMA covers 12,941 acres in Nowata and Rogers counties in northeastern Oklahoma Located just east of Hwy. 169, southeast of the town of Nowata, Oak, pecan and willow are the predominant tree species present in the river bottoms. Locust, button bush, willow, hackberry and elm are present around the lake with some old fields and native grass interspersed throughout. The average annual precipitation for the area is about 39 inches.

WMA Driving Directions and places of interests:

Goose Island - From Oologah: 4 miles north on U.S. Hwy 169, 4.5 miles east on EW road 35 (E0350).

Overcup Bottoms WDU - From Nowata: 2 miles east on State Hwy 60, 1 mile north on NS road 416 (N4160), and 1 mile east on EW road 21 (E0210).

Upper Verdigris River - From Delaware: 1 mile north on U.S. Hwy 169, 2 miles east on EW road 15 (E0150), 1 mile south on NS road 416 (N4160).

Riley Bottoms area along Verdigris River - From Nowata: 3 miles north on U.S. Hwy 169, and 3½

miles east on EW road 19 (E0190).

Salt Creek area on Oologah Lake - From Nowata: 8 miles east on U.S. Hwy 60, 3 miles south on State Hwy 28, 1¼ miles west on EW road 25 (E0250).

Lightning Creek area on Oologah Lake - From Nowata: 8 miles east on U.S. Hwy 60, 3 miles

south on State Hwy 28, 1 mile west on EW road 25 (E0250), 1 mile south on NS road 421 (N4210).

Panther Creek area on Oologah Lake - From Nowata: 8 miles east on U.S. Hwy 60, 3 miles

south on State Hwy 28, 1 mile west on EW road 25 (E0250), 2 miles south on NS road 421 (N4210), ½ mile west on EW road 27 (E0270).

Winganon area - From Winganon: The WMA runs north and south of the town.

Spencer Creek area - From Chelsea: 5 miles west on EW road 32 (E0320, part of which is State Hwy 28), 2 miles south on NS road 420 (N4200).

Cherokee Central area - From Chelsea: 6 miles west on EW road 32 (E0320, part of which is State Hwy 28), 2 miles south on NS road 419 (N4190)

70).

Winganon area - From Winganon: The WMA runs north and south of the town.

Spencer Creek area - From Chelsea: 5 miles west on EW road 32 (E0320, part of which is State Hwy 28), 2 miles south on NS road 420 (N4200).

Cherokee Central area - From Chelsea: 6 miles west on EW road 32 (E0320, part of which is State Hwy 28), 2 miles south on NS road 419 (N4190)

I remember that bridge from my college days at Southeastern.

Driving down to Sherman/Denison area...

To tell you the truth, the Google Satellite photo is terrible in terms of clarity as you cannot see much detail from above. Too bad there wasn't a "Birdseye" view available. I didn't have time to research other satellite map resources on the www. Perhaps there are others that include better imagery?

I have been fortunate to work on railway lines and alignments in the past, which is a rarity these days of tight railroad budgets. Anyone familiar with the relatively new AMTRAK station in the City of Rensselaer NY (built around 1999-2000 give or take)? I was on the engineering design team that did that station including some limited bridge work, platforms, new track alignments, signals, etc. So I can speak with some authority, although limited, regarding railroad bridge design methodology....That and I grew up near one of the largest and most innovative railroad locomotive plants that existed in the US, that being the no defunct American Locomotive Company (ALCO) that was located in Schenectady New York. Also, I'm an avid HO model railroader since childhood, and have built many scatch-built railroad bridges that are historically accurate in scale, although they're much more stronger scale wise than the real deals.

I suspect that the differences between the various bridge spans is based primarily on the actual span lengths and the necessary economy of construction. Truss bridges are much more cost effective for longer spans then box beam girders. Each type of bridge type has its own pros and cons, as well as weight carrying capacity limits. But we must remember that each span here is subjugated to the very same live load imparted by the locomotive(s) travelling over it, which are usually the largest axle load of the entire train. There are exceptions of course, but these are a rarity and usually include very heavy and oversized rail car cargo.

Due to the apparent age of these structures and type of construction (from what I can ascertain from the Google Map pic), I suspect that the bridge spans were designed for a Cooper E80 railroad live load where the vertical load resulting from one axle of a special engine. This is the usual railroad engineering standard used throughout the USA and Canada for the past 100 years or so, and dates back to the time when very large steam locomotives were in use, like those built by ALCO, Baldwin and the like. Todays diesel electric locomotives aren't as massive or heavy, but the design standard still prevails to this day and is used extensively. For the E80 Cooper live load, the heaviest loaded portion of this engine, the axles are spaced at 5 feet on center. The axle load is 80,000 pounds. This is pursuant to AREMA specs.

Hope that answers your query.

you might be interest of the failure of the kinsau railroad tressle in northern pennsylvania. it was build 1882 an called the eight wonder of the world at the time. it was dismantled and rebuild in 1900. in order to carry heavier loads. during a restoration project in 2003, the brige collapsed in high winds due to the engineer not replacing corroded anchor bolts. that man of course blamed himselve for the failure of such a histric bridge. it's my understanding that he was never able to recover from a guity concienence. very sad.

That was the Kinzua bridge, first built of iron, then rebuilt in steel, done in by a tornado and corroded anchor bolts in 2003. What is left of it is now part of a State park.

Here's a brief, well-writen article: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kinzua_Bridge