2020 - BC-AB Road Trip - 20 of 214 - Kamloops BC - CNR South Thompson River Bridge
On the CNR branch line to downtown Kamloops, three bridges have been built over the South Thompson River at this location.
The first structure was a temporary wooden trestle erected in 1913 to move construction supplies between the CPR and CNR yards.
The first permanent structure went into use in 1919 and was a wooden truss bridge with a central swing span. It was intended to be used for a short period.
In 1927 it was replaced with this steel girder bridge with a 208 foot swing span of through truss design. This span rotates on a center circular pier and provides two openings, each of 90 foot width.
The bridge span was built by Coughlin Steel Ltd, a Vancouver firm that fabricated steel used for merchant ships during World War 1.
The bridge is designed to be swung manually, with an arrangement somewhat akin to winding a mantlepiece clock. A four sided stem or shaft rises vertically to track level and presumably a capstan bar was attached to this and two or four men rotated it.
Today a compressor is trundled onto the swing span and creates the turning power.
No passenger train ran over this bridge from 1963 until 1988 when the thrice-weekly summer train, the "Rocky Mountaineer", began operation.
In recent times the swing span was used regularly, allowing the Wanda Sue paddlewheeler, a tour boat, to pass on its tours of the South Thompson. These tours ended in 2005.
Most recently the swing span was opened in early July 2011 to allow a private boat to pass. With the era of commercial traffic on the river long gone, the only boats plying the waters today are small private craft which pass easily under the bridge except in times of extremely high water.
2020 - BC-AB Road Trip - 20 of 214 - Kamloops BC - CNR South Thompson River Bridge
On the CNR branch line to downtown Kamloops, three bridges have been built over the South Thompson River at this location.
The first structure was a temporary wooden trestle erected in 1913 to move construction supplies between the CPR and CNR yards.
The first permanent structure went into use in 1919 and was a wooden truss bridge with a central swing span. It was intended to be used for a short period.
In 1927 it was replaced with this steel girder bridge with a 208 foot swing span of through truss design. This span rotates on a center circular pier and provides two openings, each of 90 foot width.
The bridge span was built by Coughlin Steel Ltd, a Vancouver firm that fabricated steel used for merchant ships during World War 1.
The bridge is designed to be swung manually, with an arrangement somewhat akin to winding a mantlepiece clock. A four sided stem or shaft rises vertically to track level and presumably a capstan bar was attached to this and two or four men rotated it.
Today a compressor is trundled onto the swing span and creates the turning power.
No passenger train ran over this bridge from 1963 until 1988 when the thrice-weekly summer train, the "Rocky Mountaineer", began operation.
In recent times the swing span was used regularly, allowing the Wanda Sue paddlewheeler, a tour boat, to pass on its tours of the South Thompson. These tours ended in 2005.
Most recently the swing span was opened in early July 2011 to allow a private boat to pass. With the era of commercial traffic on the river long gone, the only boats plying the waters today are small private craft which pass easily under the bridge except in times of extremely high water.