Rating:
5 votes

Royal Gorge - Hanging Bridge

Fremont County, Colorado

Photos 

Michael Murphy, CC BY 2.0

View this photo at farm4.static.flickr.com

BH Photo #198784

Map 

Street Views 

Video 

Royal Gorge Route Railroad – Driver’s Eye View

Tourist train crosses Hanging Bridge at 27:33, and again on the way back at 1:05:50. Tip: Set playback to slow motion for a good look at the bridge structure.

YouTube user Timsvideochannel1

Play video

Facts 

Overview
Pony/through plate girder bridge over Edge of Arkansas River on Rock & Rail LLC/Cañon City & Royal Gorge Railroad
Location
Fremont County, Colorado
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1879
Builders
- Albert A. Robinson of South Reading, Vermont (Chief Engineer)
- Charles Shaler Smith of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Assistant Engineer)
Railroads
- Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF)
- Cañon City & Royal Gorge Railroad (CC&RG)
- Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (DRGW)
- Rock & Rail LLC
- Royal Gorge Route Railroad (CRRX)
- Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
Design
Riveted through plate girder with outer girders suspended and held in place by a-frame bracing with hangers.
Dimensions
Total length: 175.0 ft.
Also called
DRGW - Hanging Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+38.46296, -105.32832   (decimal degrees)
38°27'47" N, 105°19'42" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
13/471356/4257234 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Royal Gorge
Inventory number
BH 48739 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (8,055)
Albert A. Robinson (1)
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (461)
Built 1879 (105)
Built during 1870s (1,214)
Cañon City & Royal Gorge Railroad (1)
Charles Shaler Smith (8)
Colorado (723)
Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad (175)
Fremont County, Colorado (40)
Girder (10,888)
 Have street view (27,972)
Open (40,419)
Owned by railroad (13,218)
Pin-connected (4,331)
Plate girder (8,501)
Railroad (16,232)
Rock & Rail LLC (1)
Royal Gorge Route Railroad (1)
Through girder (4,068)
Total length 175-250 feet (4,382)
Union Pacific Railroad (2,407)

Update Log 

  • August 13, 2021: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
  • February 19, 2021: New video from Roger Deschner
  • March 7, 2019: New photo from Geoff Hubbs
  • February 19, 2018: New photo from Luke
  • October 2, 2016: New photo from Dana and Kay Klein
  • September 5, 2016: New Street View added by Dana and Kay Klein
  • September 5, 2016: Photo imported by Dave King
  • March 25, 2015: New photo from Luke
  • February 18, 2015: Photo imported by Dave King
  • March 8, 2014: Updated by Fmiser: Added category "Pin-connected", added a couple photos
  • January 23, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Updated entry: Added designer and categories
  • May 4, 2011: Added by Nathan Holth

Sources 

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Comments 

CRRX - Hanging Bridge
Posted March 8, 2014, by Fmiser (fmiser [at] gmail [dot] com)

This is an odd bridge! It almost can't be called a bridge as one side doesn't seem to be spanning anything. And I think it's the only pin-connected girder bridge know of. The A-frames are pin-connected and are supporting the girder.

I'd sure like to get a closer look and seem some engineering details.

Hanging Bridge
Posted May 4, 2011, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

This bridge is under the famous Royal Gorge Bridge and in my opinion is more interesting than the suspension bridge, from an engineering standpoint.