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NY&NH - Devon Bridge (1st)
Description
This structure was completed in September 1848 and was replaced on January 10, 1872 by a cast iron Whipple truss. The 7 covered Howe Truss spans were 1,293 feet long with a draw of 134'. It was the world's longest covered bridge when it was built and was the longest ever built in the state of Connecticut, even longer than the 1870 Shore Line Railway bridge at the mouth of the Connecticut River. On September 15, 1849 a Naugatuck Railroad passenger train and a NY&NH passenger train collided at the east entrance to the bridge and caused damage to some timbers that was repaired the next day. Another derailment took place at the eastern end on December 4, 1849 with a NY&NH passenger train derailing. The engine and tender went down the river bank but no damage was done to the bridge. On September 9, 1852 a New York bound NY&NH passenger train derailed due to a misplaced switch, ran into the bridge causing the engine & tender, and the first 125' section of the bridge to fall into the river. Fortunately the passenger cars did not follow and the engineer & fireman were able to jump clear without injury. (From lostbridges.org)
Facts
- Overview
- Lost Covered Bascule Howe through truss bridge over Housatonic River on New York & New Haven Railroad
- Location
- Stratford, Fairfield County, Connecticut, and New Haven County, Connecticut
- Status
- Replaced by a new bridge
- History
- Built 1848; Replaced 1872
- Railroads
- - Naugatuck Railroad (NAUG)
- New York & New Haven Railroad (NY&NH)
- Design
- Howe through truss
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 150.0 ft.
Total length: 1,293.0 ft.
- Also called
- New York & New Haven Railroad Covered Bridge
07-01-22 / 07-05-24x
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +41.20532, -73.10950 (decimal degrees)
41°12'19" N, 73°06'34" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
- Approximate UTM coordinates
- 18/658503/4563273 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Milford
- Inventory numbers
- WGCB 07-01-22 / 07-05-24x (World Guide to Covered Bridges number)
BH 60660 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- April 13, 2014: Added by Dave King