Are combined rialway- and other kinds of bridges common in other countries?
In Sweden the remaining ones are countible on the fingers - though later additioned bicycle lanes are present now and when the former industrial ditricts rebuilds to housing areas.
They were never very common, and AFAIK existed only on secondary lines with light traffic. Some have become road-only bridges since rail lines have been lifted.
One example: Highway 6 (Ontario) crosses the North Channel on a swing bridge at Little Current, which was built for the Algoma Eastern Railway. The AER from Espanola to Little Current was closed around 2002, and the track lifted a short time later. The bridge was single track, so it's single lane. Traffic is controlled by lights at each end of the bridge.
Hi,
In Alaska they have a combined traffic tunnel, but it used to be served by a flatcar train (the road cars had to drive onto a rail car).
Actually, in a different application this principle is rather common: trams. They often run embedded into road. This in not really successful, especially in my hometown the trams are very un-reliable, it sometimes happens that there is no tram for half an hour because some stupid car parked on the tracks. Bicyclists are not very happy, because there is a great fear of accidents if the tires get stuck in the trackwork (I think this is mostly exaggerated ;-) So in all, this concept is the worst compromise for all parties.
But - if these exist along the railroad you model (whether freelanced or prototype), it might prove an interesting addition to your layout. You will have to provide some kind of gated "crossing" to prevent car owners to try "slipping through in front of the train even if the red lights are on" ;-) There might be rather nasty accidents.
Have fun!
Simple solution: pass local ordinance warning all drivers that cars blocking the tram right of way will be gently (or not) "nudged" out of the way.
On 8/21/2008 5:47 AM Marcus Marcusson spake thus:
I can think of at least one here (U.S.) right off the top of my head: the swing bridge over the Sacramento River at the UP's western approach to Sacramento. Cars on the upper deck, trains below.
Maybe we should start a list?
David Nebenzahl wrote in news:48aef902$0$31926 $ snipped-for-privacy@news.adtechcomputers.com:
The Steel Bridge in Portland, OR. Owned by the UP for access to the Portland Terminal RR. Trains on the lower deck (UP, Amtrak, and P&W). Cars, buses and MAX on the upper deck. They sure get a lot of use out of that bridge.
BTW: This bridge will do somthing intresting that no other bridge can. It can raise its lower deck to allow river traffic to pass without lifting its upper deck. For really tall boats it can also raise the upper deck.
See here:
Steve Caple wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@40tude.net:
Yup, that's it. But there is a common error on that page. AFWIW, Model Railroader made the same error when they had an article about a layout that included the brige.
The name of the brige is "The Steel Brige". "The" being part of the common name. Althought signage within Portland will simply direct one to "Steel Bridge". I don't know why.
And why is it called The Steel Bridge? Because, in a region surrounded by forrests, it was the first bridge on the west coast built with steel. All prievious structurs were made with all that abubdant wood.
Steve Caple wrote in news: snipped-for-privacy@40tude.net:
Ugly thing, aint it?
also from Gordon:
Well, yeah - but think what it wold have looked like if they'd tries to build a telescoping lift bridge from wood!
On 8/24/2008 10:32 PM Gordon spake thus:
No uglier than a lot of steel bridges. What gets me is how close to the water the bottom deck is. Apparently the Willamette doesn't flood much.
David Nebenzahl wrote in news:48b2ebfb$0$31964 $ snipped-for-privacy@news.adtechcomputers.com:
Actually the river looks high in those pics.
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