Notes
This Frank Patterson stereocard image is labeled "Deschutes Bridge at Celilo." The plaque informs us the bridge was constructed by the Pennsylvania Steel Company of Steelton PA. The year appears to be 1911, though it's a bit blurry.
Images like this made for very popular stereocards because they accentuated the 3-D effect.
Category: [default]
Tags: bridge Celilo_Falls Columbia_River Patterson railroad stereocard
Comments
This bridge caused many a death to the Indians during salmon runs at Celilo. They would walk across it to Wishram, where sadly they would get drunk and then make an attempt to get back to Celilo. Some made it and some didn't.
Charlott on 8th May 2018 @ 7:02am
I didn't know it was called the "Deschutes Bridge"
L.E. on 8th May 2018 @ 7:12am
I should be able to remember this, but doesn't this bridge have a swinging span? Seems like as a kid, I remember seeing it turned, with big gaps in the railroad track and worried that the train would fall into the river.
L.E. on 8th May 2018 @ 7:22am
Originally the bridge, built to replace the train ferry, had a bob tail swing span over the Celilo canal, the lift was added in the 50's at the time of The Dalles dam. The swing span is still extant just south of the lift span between piers one and two. Total bridge length of 3248' includes the Y at the north end. All the piers were poured on dry rock now flooded. The lift span is a parallelogram rather than a rectangle, possibly something to do with strength or twist?
Kenn on 8th May 2018 @ 8:29am
I see the safety rails are angle iron, normally used standard T rail.
Kenn on 8th May 2018 @ 8:34am
This appears to be a Pratt truss bridge, commonly used on Hill line tracks (GN, NP, SP&S) where OSL (UP) seems to use all Warren trusses.
(Cut it out, Kenn, three posts is succession?)
Kenn on 8th May 2018 @ 9:02am
but informative Kenn.....be careful with that talking to yourself.....
Arlen Sheldrake on 8th May 2018 @ 9:22am
lol, here I thought I'd be the only one to notice the angle iron safety rail! I shoulda known better!
spinsur on 8th May 2018 @ 10:14am
What and why to the upright metal inside the regular rails?
nels on 8th May 2018 @ 10:14am
The upright metal is the safety rails others have mentioned. Typically bridges have additional lengths of standard rail on trestles to help prevent derails and to limit the damage if a derail does occur, in this case though angle iron was used instead.
Longshot on 8th May 2018 @ 11:14am