Here is another image from Mid July 2020. I've used the Milky Way to silhouette the Waldrip Bridge. After snapping the picture and looking at the screen of my DSLR camera, I knew I was in for a treat. That was just a magical night under the stars and a Texas Sky.
For the photographers out there: 20mm f/1.8 lens, 20.0 s. ISO 1600.
My IG account is Matt4jpeg.
In case the Person is interested, I would like to nominate this pic for the Bridgehunter's Awards for 2020. :-) JS
Awesome! That one deserves to be in the running for Jason's bridge photo award.
The stars at night are big and bright ...
Awesome! That one deserves to be in the running for Jason's bridge photo award.
The stars at night are big and bright ...
Neat pic!
It’s Wheelie Wednesday – September 13, 2017
I had the opportunity to spend a little time at this beautiful nostalgic bridge over the Colorado River in Coleman County. It’s known as the Waldrip Bridge, due to it being close to Waldrip Texas, population 15. The bridge has an incredible story to go along with its incredible beauty. It’s a 698ft through-truss-bridge featuring a 170ft main span using a steel-and-wooden-deck. It underwent numerous obstacles getting built as the original contract for construction was awarded in 1894. After a couple of floods, one reaching 65 feet above normal levels, the bridge was finally opened in September of 1911. The bridge closed a few years ago for restoration and renovation and opened back up for traffic in September 2011.
Thank you for tagging along. As I continue to travel around and celebrate 50 years on motorcycles with the Doug Domokos Tribute, I am so fascinated with creation - - - it screams of the creator God Himself. I am in awe that He continues to enable me to go and do what I do and see hearts and souls changed for the Glory to God.
Many more beautiful things to come.
Special thanks to my wife Tina Jackson for capturing these memorable moments through the lens, Dwayne Dove for finding this little gem and sharing it with me, and Dusty Messenger of Fry'D Rice Cycles in Olden Texas for keeping all these wheelie units going. You dream it – He can build it.
Full photo shoot online at https://www.facebook.com/bryan.jackson.186/media_set?set=a.1...
This wonderful bridge was closed again because the company who restored it did not restore it properly. After two years of fighting with them and it has been reopened to traffic once again. My great-grandfather would walk the rails of that bridge when he was a young boy as did my grandfather and my father! We love that bridge and it has sure helped our community since it has been reopened.
My family helped settle the community of Waldrip and my great-grandfather Joseph E. Powell was the Doctor in the area who delivered most of the children of that era.
i remember that bridge, i dropped rocks off that bridge 20 years ago as a child. during hunting trips i would ride my 4wheeler out to the middle and look over. it was pretty scary because the wood planks across the bottom where rotten or missing in some places. looks great now, might have to go check it out when im out there for dove season
How high is the bridge above the riverbed?
This bridge is very interesting from a construction standpoint. The small center panel on the main span uses a mix of round tension rods and the rectangular bars, but the bars look custom-made and involve welding the ends of two bars together with a one yard overlap to get the right length. Excellent restoration, though, and unusually high weight limit for a bridge of this type.
Hey, if it helps...feel free...
I coin a good one every now and then...
Bridgehunter Nation.....can I use that title for the documentary series. working up story ideas. texas is on a path forward....economics drive restoarations....see a lot in the nexy few years.
Beautiful rehab on this impressive structure!
If other states would follow Texas and Indiana and their commitment to historic bridge preservation... Bridgehunter Nation would be such a happy place!!
What an incredibly neat and massive historic through truss bridge a county decided to rehabilitate for what it was built for. There have been several, but not too many of this type over 400+ feet remaining. Especially what for what they were built for, and also that the bridge is unusual with a 170 foot main span and all the other spans are a different length. This is far from where I live but I see this bridges restoration as an example of what can be done.
Good to see that this bridge will be maintained. Very few states can match Texas for commitment to historic bridge preservation.
This bridge is also known as the Waldrip bridge. A buddy and I discovered this bridge on an exploratory trip in search of Texas ghost towns. It became the highlight of our weekend and placed the search old trestle bridges at the top of our annual trips.
I was surprised when after discovering bridgehunter.com, it was so difficult to find and didn't have any pictures. It isn't listed on map view in either Coleman or McCullough County, TX. I recently saw where they have decided to restore it and make it traffic-worthy again.
http://billiesays.blogspot.com/2009/08/waldrip-bridge-locate...
October 7th, 1937, in the Coleman County Chronicle newspaper, a celebration was held and they stated the bridge was reconstructed using a 200 yard span of the old Milburn Bridge which was also washed away during the flood of 1936.
Here's a link, thought it may be of interest to some of you. The pilings are left on the old Milburn bridge but that's it, and it's on private property and generally inaccessible.
I can link to it on Google Maps if there's any interest.
https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth732580/m1/5/z...