Warehouse Point railroad bridge explained

Bridge Name:Warehouse Point railroad bridge
Carries:Amtrak New Haven-Springfield Line
Crosses:Connecticut River
Locale:Enfield and Suffield, Hartford County, Connecticut
Design:girder bridge with a truss main span
Num Track:1
Complete:1866 (rebuilt 1903)
Coordinates:41.9435°N -72.6141°W

The Warehouse Point railroad bridge is a girder bridge with a truss main span crossing the Connecticut River between Enfield and Suffield, Connecticut. It carries Amtrak's New Haven–Springfield Line. The bridge has spaces for two tracks, but only one is connected to the mainline. It is one of a few iron bridges erected in the United States before the end of the American Civil War.

History

A wooden Howe truss railroad bridge was originally constructed in 1843 at this site by the Hartford and Springfield Railroad Company. In 1865–66, a new bridge (designed by James Laurie) was constructed to replace the old one.[1] The bridge was built in sections in England and shipped to the United States. The pieces were then riveted together on site.[2] The bridge was rebuilt and double-tracked in 1903–04.[3]

In mid-2023, Amtrak applied for a federal grant to replace the bridge.[4]

See also

Further reading

Notes and References

  1. H.G Tyrrell, History of Bridge Engineering, (H.G. Tyrrell, 1911)
  2. A.J. Bianculli, Trains and Technology: The American Railroad in the Nineteenth Century, Vol. 4
  3. https://books.google.com/books?id=zHE2AAAAIAAJ&pg=PA374 22nd annual report of the Board of Railroad Commissioners of the State of New York
  4. Amtrak Applies for $7.3 Billion in Federal Grants to Advance Northeast Corridor Infrastructure Upgrades . June 5, 2023 . Amtrak.