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Horsesnhurricanes — Portal to the Past
Published: 2014-07-13 07:11:19 +0000 UTC; Views: 717; Favourites: 15; Downloads: 7
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Description
Abandoned County Road 66 bridge, in Winston County, Alabama. Built in 1924, this Pratt through truss stands on a narrow one-lane section of winding backroads, far away from civilization, over Rock Creek. The wooden deck is rotting and falling apart and the guard rails are missing, but the bridge still stands in its own little corner of the world, as it has for the last 90 years.I love old truss bridges. The architecture and structural complexity of this bridge type is fascinating, and very pleasant to the eye. Modern concrete slab bridges just don't have the same sort of appeal as these old sentinels. Unfortunately, usually being narrow, one-lane, and neglected, there aren't many left, and the ones that remain are rapidly falling victim to the scrapyard, to be replaced by another soulless, dull concrete slab...
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Comments: 9
They quickly loose their appeal to me post rivet construction. It always fascinates me to see how relatively "thin" the design was for truss's (like in your picture) compared to now days. Makes me feel like maybe we lost some design talent somewhere along the way.
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Aye, no doubt. Even riveted trusses are a little less attractive than pin-connected trusses (as most of the surviving through trusses around here are). And it's even more amazing how even though the old spindly pin connected trusses have strict weight limits, people STILL drive utility trucks, buses, and other really heavy vehicles over them and they usually hold up just fine. My county's oldest bridge is an 1898 pin-connected truss, and people sometimes ignore the weight limit and drive 10-15 ton vehicles over it. Pretty impressive strength for a century-old, horribly neglected thin steel bridge. (The deck is well-maintained, at least) We build huge, massively overbuilt concrete monstrosities even on quiet back roads now... is it possible that the old timers and their built-to-last steel trusses were right all along? (Of course, height limits for through bridges, narrowness, and fracture-critical design notwithstanding)
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I definitely think that the old timers knew more than we think they did. It is impressive what their bridges will support, and how long they will stay in fantastic shape with just paint being added when necessary. But at the same time, I wish that people would observe the posted weight limits. I have seen a lot of problems created by those overweight loads (not to mention the number of times I have been underneath a posted bridge and a huge load goes over it. A couple of times were nerve wracking watching the bridge temporarily deform under the weight). Mostly I blame the increased size of semi-trucks on the dull new bridges. They have to build them like that to survive the truck driving onto it at 60+ mph. Fortunately, new train bridges can still be relatively aesthetically pleasing and not just slapping down some prestressed concrete beams.
As a side comment, have you seen any thermoplastic bridges? I have gotten to walk a couple of them. Something pleases me about them. Super strong, recycled material, long lasting, cheap construction. Good stuff.
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No doubt. It's incredible, comparing the spalling you'll see on even a new concrete bridge versus the only very minor section loss on properly maintained old steel bridges. Even the abandoned ones that sit in the woods for eons, wooden decks long rotted, still in amazing shape. And yeah, it's frustrating when people refuse to acknowledge the speed or weight limits on old bridges; I go through the categories on Bridgehunter and read the horrible tales of massively overweight trucks on low weight limit bridges to get the blood boiling every once in a while. Usually to save 5 or 10 minutes on a shortcut...
I think in the future the railroads may have some of the ONLY aesthetic bridges we'll see being built or maintained, as really there seem to be far more really old truss bridges still in service AND modern trusses being built on the rails rather than on the road. Not to mention the glorious stone viaducts still dotting the New England countryside.
There's a recycled plastics walkway at Russell Cave near the Tennessee line from here, which I've walked, but I don't believe there are any actual thermoplastic bridges around here! Very interesting concept though, I love it.
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I agree. Decades old structures do have a more pleasing look to them. After 1950, new structures struggle to have any character up close and little of it from less than 1000 yards away.
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They really built 'em to last back then, didn't they? Although with that kind of deterioration I'm pretty sure I'd be too afraid to cross it even on foot! 
The shot and the title reminds me of something that would appear on The Twilight Zone - what if was a portal to back in time somewhere?
-cue intro music-
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Hah! No doubt. You'd be amazed how many concrete bridges HALF as old as this one are already falling apart, yet all the steel members on this one are in good shape despite being abandoned. And the wooden deck on this bridge is indeed rather treacherous to cross... I think I have a video of me goose-stepping across this one somewhere. XD
LOL, now I wanna go back and take a video with that in mind :'D ON TONIGHT'S EPISODE...
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Haha you took a video of you goose-stepping across that very bridge? 
Pft, you would take a video of the past? If I went, I don't think I'd come back! If you see missing posters of me, you know I've found the promised land!
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Chyeah, I just gotta look it up :'D
HAHAHAHA!!! Omg. X3
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