North American Railroad Bridges - Hardcover

Solomon, Brian

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0785833919 ISBN 13: 9780785833918

Publisher: Crestline Books, 2016

Synopsis

From quaint wooden trestles to graceful arched viaducts, railroad bridges are necessary parts of the North American railroading landscape. This photographic history of North American railroad bridges features chapters on major types of construction: viaducts (both stone arches and steel construction), cantilever, suspension, and truss bridges. In addition to explaining the different types of construction and why they are used, author Brian Solomon offers the histories of the origins and construction of structures that are iconic within the railroading community--like Hell Gate in Queens, New York, and the Hill Bridge in Minneapolis--as well as lesser known but railroad bridges. In addition, he also discusses landmarks like the Brooklyn Bridge that no longer conduct rail traffic. The book is illustrated throughout with archival black-and-white photos, as well as modern color photography depicting railroads large and small hauling traffic across bridges throughout the continent.

About this title

From the Inside Flap

Few railroading scenes are as enduring as those that depict a freight or passenger train traversing river or roadway, creek or canyon, atop a sturdy structure specially engineered for the situation. In this marvelously illustrated work sure to appeal to modelers and railfans alike, prolific rail historian Brian Solomon presents the only completely illustrated book to tackle the development and evolution of North American railroad bridges.

Inside, Solomon examines major types of construction—including trusses, trestles, viaducts (both stone arches and steel construction), suspension bridges, and movable spans—as well as many of the men responsible for pioneering them. In addition to explaining in layperson’s terms the principles behind each type of construction and why they are used in given situations, Solomon offers histories detailing the origins, construction, and use of iconic structures such as Hell Gate, Starrucca Viaduct, and Suisun Bay Bridge, among others, as well as lesser known but nonetheless important and interesting spans.

North American Railroad Bridges is illustrated throughout with landmark patent drawings, period postcards, specially commissioned diagrams, and modern color photography from some of today’s top rail photographers, capturing railroads large and small hauling traffic across bridges throughout the United States and Canada.

From the Back Cover

In this marvelously illustrated book sure to appeal to modelers and railfans alike, Brian Solomon presents the only completely illustrated history to tackle the development and evolution of North American railroad bridges. Solomon examines each major type of construction—trusses, trestles, viaducts, suspension bridges, and movable spans—as well as the men responsible for pioneering them, while explaining in layperson’s terms the principles behind each. In addition, iconic structures such as Hell Gate, Starrucca Viaduct, and Suisun Bay Bridge, are examined in detail. North American Railroad Bridges is illustrated throughout with landmark patent drawings, specially commissioned diagrams, and modern color photography from some of today’s top rail photographers, in a fitting tribute to the structures that are as essential to the continent’s railroading landscape as locomotives and rolling stock.

Edition details

• Publisher: Crestline Books
• Publication date: 2016
• ISBN 10: 0785833919
• ISBN 13: 9780785833918
• Binding: Hardcover
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 256