Photos
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Chambers Railroad Bridge Chambers Railroad Bridge. Near Cottage Grove, Oregon. Photo taken by Larry Matthews |
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Chambers Covered Bridge Photo taken by Michael Goff on January 30, 2010 |
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Chambers Covered Bridge Photo taken by Michael Goff on January 30, 2010 |
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Side Elevation from E. Harrison Ave. Bridge Photo taken by Michael Goff on January 30, 2010 |
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West Portal Photo taken by Michael Goff on January 30, 2010 |
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West Portal Photo taken by Michael Goff on January 30, 2010 |
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Rot in Bottom Chord Connection Photo taken by Michael Goff on January 30, 2010 |
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Bottom Chord of Truss Photo taken by Michael Goff on January 30, 2010 |
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Chambers Covered Bridge Piers after demolition Photo taken by Michael Goff on July 22, 2010 |
Map
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Description
The Chambers Bridge is the last covered railroad bridge in Oregon. It was built by the Oregon, Pacific and Eastern Railroad for a logging spur which brought logs to the Frank Chambers Mill in Cottage Grove. The actual use for the bridge was short, as the sawmill burned in 1943 and rail traffic no longer crossed the bridge. Although the bridge trusses are now exposed, at one time the siding completely enclosed the structure to afford maximum protection for the timbers. In the typical construction for railroad spans, truss members of herculean proportions were necessary to support the moving weight of rail payloads. The hand hewn trusses in the Chambers Bridge, like others, were preferred over millsawed timbers because the wood fibers crushed by saw teeth allowed moisture to more readily enter the axe-formed surfaces.The western approach to the bridge has been removed to make way for the easement of South River Road. Abandoned for years, the bridge has been a frequent target of arsonists, as the charred timbers attest. Fortunately, the bridge has not succumbed to fire.
Built to accommodate steam engines pulling logging trains, the sides of the Chambers Bridge reach much higher than highway covered spans and give the bridge an appearance of being much longer than its actual length.
The bridge was inspected under the 1993-95 Covered Bridge Program. The bottom chords show extensive decay, and in some places three of the four members are rotted. In several places all three members of the floor beams are rotted. Corbels are decayed and crushed, which makes the house lean as much as 12 inches to the upstream side.
(Reference: Roofs Over Rivers, by Bill and Nick Cockrell)
Facts
- Overview
- Abandoned bridge on Railroad Bridge
- Location
- Cottage Grove, Lane County, Oregon
- Status
- Demolished for reconstruction
- Future prospects
- The Chambers Covered Bridge was demolished in early 2010, and will be reconstructed during 2010 and 2011. The restoration is scheduled for comletion in Fall of 2011.
- History
- Used to transport logs to J.H. Chambers Mill. In disuse since 1951. Last remaining covered RR bridge in Oregon.
- Builder
- - J. E. Chambers
- Dimensions
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Span length: 78 ft.
Total length: 78 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on November 29, 1979
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +43.78937, -123.06969 (decimal degrees)
43°47'22" N, 123°04'11" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 10/494393/4848481 (zone/easting/northing)
- Elevation
- 644 ft. above sea level
- USGS topographic map
- Cottage Grove
- Inventory numbers
- NRHP 79002081 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 36274 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- February 22, 2010: New photos from Michael Goff
- March 14, 2009: Updated by Curtis Lee
- February 17, 2008: Added by Larry Matthews
Sources
- Larry Matthews
- Oregon Department of Transportation Covered Bridge Guide - Chambers Railroad Covered Bridge
- Curtis Lee - clee47ford [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Michael Goff - michael [dot] goff [at] odot [dot] state [dot] or [dot] us
- Wikipedia - Chambers Covered Bridge
- Cottagegrove.net - Chambers Covered Bridge
- Chambers Covered Bridge Project - City of Cottage Grove Rehabilitation Webpage - (Excellent demolition photos)