Rating:
3 votes

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Lift Bridge

Washington County, Maryland

Photos 

Lift Bridge

Photo taken by Jodi Christman 10/23/10

Enlarge

BH Photo #183118

Map 

Street View 

Description 

A lot of information can be found here http://memory.loc.gov/cgi-bin/query/r?ammem/hh:@field%28DOCI...

Facts 

Overview
1923 Girder and truss lift bridge over C&O Canal
Location
Williamsport, Washington County, Maryland
Status
Closed to all traffic
History
Currently owned by Chesapeake and Ohio Canal National Historical Park
Builders
- Fancus Machine Co. (Lift Machinery Fabricator)
- New York Central Ironworks (structural Steel Fabricator)
- Westinghouse Electric Corporation of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania (Electrical Equipment)
Railroads
- Hagerstown & Frederick Railway (H&F)
- Interurban
- Potomac Edison Co. (PECO)
- Potomac Public Service Co. (PPSCO)
- Western Maryland Railway (WM)
Design
Steel plate-girder span with steel truss vertical lift structure
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 37.5 ft.
Deck width: 16.3 ft.
Vertical clearance above deck: 15.0 ft.
Also called
WM - Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Lift Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+39.59958, -77.82669   (decimal degrees)
39°35'59" N, 77°49'36" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
18/257292/4387134 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Williamsport
Inventory number
BH 46634 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Built 1923 (641)
Built during 1920s (10,254)
Closed (2,756)
Fancus Machine Co. (1)
Girder (11,159)
Hagerstown & Frederick Railway (2)
Have street view (28,872)
Interurban (997)
Maryland (826)
Movable (3,114)
Navigable waterway (2,204)
New York Central Ironworks (1)
 Owned by National Park Service (488)
Owned by federal government (1,287)
Potomac Edison Co. (1)
Potomac Public Service Co. (1)
Railroad (16,443)
Span length 25-50 feet (16,217)
Vertical lift (428)
Washington County, Maryland (102)
Western Maryland Railway (92)
Westinghouse Electric Corporation (2)
Williamsport, Maryland (5)

Update Log 

  • December 16, 2020: New photos from Josh Schmid
  • August 25, 2016: New Street View added by Dave King
  • December 5, 2015: New Street View added by Douglas Butler
  • July 9, 2014: New photo from Andrew Raker
  • August 30, 2013: New Street View added by Douglas Butler
  • December 26, 2010: New photo from Jodi Christman
  • October 24, 2010: New photos from Jodi Christman
  • October 23, 2010: Added by Jodi Christman

Sources 

  • Jodi Christman - masterofchaos [at] outlook [dot] com
  • Douglas Butler
  • Andrew Raker
  • Dave King - DKinghawkfan [at] hotmail [dot] com
  • Josh Schmid
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Comments 

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Lift Bridge
Posted October 22, 2017, by Nathan Delaplaine (ndelaplaine [at] gmail [dot] com)

This bridge actually still operates even though trains no longer are on the train tracks. I like to this lifting drawbridge operate in person.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Lift Bridge
Posted October 22, 2017, by Nathan Delaplaine (ndelaplaine [at] gmail [dot] com)

I have never seen an elevated railway drawbridge in Western Maryland. It’s rare to see an elevated drawbridge in Washington County.

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Lift Bridge
Posted October 22, 2017, by Nathan Delaplaine (ndelaplaine [at] gmail [dot] com)

I have a question. Even if it no longer operates, has it been tested?

Chesapeake & Ohio Canal Lift Bridge
Posted October 22, 2017, by Nathan Delaplaine (ndelaplaine [at] gmail [dot] com)

I have never seen an elevated railway drawbridge in Western Maryland. It’s rare to see an elevated drawbridge in Washington County.