Rating:
5 votes

KCS - Black Warrior River Trestle

Tuscaloosa County, Alabama

Photos 

Photo taken by Ben Tate in June 2011

Enlarge

BH Photo #200833

Map 

Street Views 

Description 

Historical Marker: "This wooden and steel truss bridge was constructed for the Mobile and Ohio Railroad in 1898 by civil engineer Benjamin Hardaway, and 1887 graduate of The University of Alabama and former Tuscaloosa City Engineer. Originally 135-feet high with a 110-foot clearance, it was once considered by many to be the country's longest trestle at 3600 feet. This bridge, along with Old Locks One, Two and Three, greatly improved transportation in West Alabama and heralded an era of economic development in the early 20th century. In later years the M & O Railroad became successively the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio; the Illinois Central Gulf; and the Kansas City Southern."

Facts 

Overview
Cantilevered Warren through truss bridge over Black Warrior River
Location
Northport, Tuscaloosa County, Alabama
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1896-9; Steel truss span replaced 1924
Builders
- American Bridge Co. of New York (1924 Truss)
- Dunn, Leland & Bros. of Birmingham, Alabama (Original Truss)
- George M. Quigley & Co. (Trestling & Grading)
- Hanover Construction Co. (Engineers)
- Watkins & Hardaway of Birmingham, Alabama (Masonry)
Railroads
- Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railway (GMO)
- Illinois Central Railroad (IC; ICG (1972-1988))
- Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS)
- Mobile & Ohio Railroad (M&O)
Design
Timber trestle with Cantilevered Warren through truss span over the Black Warrior River
Dimensions
Total length: 3,600.0 ft. (0.7 mi.)
Recognition
Posted to the National Register of Historic Places
Also called
M&O - Black Warrior River Trestle
IC - Black Warrior River Trestle
GM&O - Black Warrior River Trestle
Approximate latitude, longitude
+33.21359, -87.57649   (decimal degrees)
33°12'49" N, 87°34'35" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
16/446276/3675114 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Tuscaloosa
Inventory number
BH 48886 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (6,775)
Alabama (889)
American Bridge Co. (1,346)
Black Warrior River (8)
Built 1896 (247)
Built during 1890s (2,699)
Dunn, Leland & Bros. (1)
George M. Quigley & Co. (1)
Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railway (84)
Hanover Construction Co. (1)
Have street view (24,957)
Illinois Central Railroad (504)
Kansas City Southern Railway (202)
Mobile & Ohio Railroad (12)
 NR-listed (2,860)
Northport, Alabama (3)
Open (38,306)
Owned by railroad (10,906)
Railroad (14,216)
Through truss (13,776)
Total length over 2500 feet (805)
Truss (30,843)
Tuscaloosa County, Alabama (27)
Tuscaloosa, Alabama (6)
Warren through truss (1,529)
Warren truss (6,058)
Watkins & Hardaway (1)

Update Log 

  • September 30, 2014: New photos from Zachary S
  • June 9, 2011: Added by Ben Tate

Sources 

Comments 

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