Vance Creek Viaduct
Photos
File:Vance Creek bridge.JPG
Photo taken by Dog Walking Girl
License: Creative Commons Attribution-Share-Alike (CC BY-SA)
View this photo at en.m.wikipedia.org
BH Photo #276070
Description
At over 800ft long and standing 347ft tall, this massive steel trestle is the second tallest railway arch ever built in the United States, and is one of the tallest railroad bridges in North America.Facts
- Overview
- Massive steel arch bridge over Vance Creek on Simpson Railroad
- Location
- Mason County, Washington
- Status
- Abandoned
- History
- Built 1929 by American Bridge Co. for Simpson Timber rail logging operations, abandoned 1985
- Builder
- - American Bridge Co. of New York
- Railroad
- - Simpson Railroad (STC)
- Design
- Steel arch
- Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 422.0 ft.
Total length: 827.0 ft.
- Recognition
- Posted to the National Register of Historic Places on July 16, 1982
- Also called
- STC - Vance Creek Viaduct
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +47.33459, -123.32121 (decimal degrees)
47°20'05" N, 123°19'16" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 10/475733/5242396 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Vance Creek
- Inventory numbers
- NRHP 82004266 (National Register of Historic Places reference number)
BH 57379 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- December 3, 2019: New photos from Geoff Hubbs
- February 12, 2019: New photo from Luke
- August 29, 2018: New Street View added by J.P.
- November 13, 2017: New Street View added by Clark Vance
- November 12, 2017: Updated by Luke: Noted that decking has been removed.
- March 29, 2017: New Street View added by Luke
- April 26, 2015: New video from Will Truax
- March 3, 2014: Photo imported by Luke Harden
- March 2, 2014: New photos from Nathan Morton
- February 26, 2014: Photo imported by Dave King
- January 17, 2014: Updated by Luke Harden: Updated status: Bridge is part of a trail.
- July 27, 2013: Updated by Dylan VanAntwerp: Added categories "Simpson Logging Co.", "Simpson Timber Co.", "railroad"
Sources
- Dylan VanAntwerp - dylan_vanantwerp [at] live [dot] com
- HighestBridges.com - by Eric Sakowski
- Vance Creek Bridge at Sunset - Photographers Panorama
- Luke
- Nathan Morton - morton890 [at] yahoo [dot] com
- Clark Vance - cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com
- Will Truax - Bridgewright [at] gmail [dot] com
- J.P. - wildcatjon2000 [at] gmail [dot] com
- Geoff Hubbs
Comments
Good news. According to https://www.theolympian.com/news/local/article216692430.html... the bridge is not doomed, as the company deemed it too expensive/too environmentally destructive to do so.
The last log train crossed this bridge in 1985, not 1950. I rode over it in the cab of a locomotive in about 1982.
Just like one of my favorite Eagles songs, "The last Resort", actually the last song on the 1976 "Hotel California" LP.
"They called it paradise, I don't know why
You call some place paradise, kiss it goodbye"
... About people flocking to a place of interest, and destroying what made it special...
Oh, and IPA-swilling? LOL
IPAs are like opinions - everyone's got one, don't wanna hear about it.
I swill Scotch ales & stouts and Belgian ales, among others. 8^D
I wish I could say this was shocking news, but having witnessed firsthand the "intellectual fortitude" of some members of the "adventure culture" that made this bridge famous on instagram and tumblr, I'm surprised it hasn't been demolished already due to some IPA-swilling simpleton's family suing the forestry company that owns it for "wrongful death".
Bridge is doomed according to this story:
https://www.npr.org/2017/11/12/563398606/instagram-crowds-ma...
In my experience, lack of awareness of historic bridges does far more damage than awareness. Vandals do damage bridges, however, far more numerous and destructive are the owners of historic bridges, who seek to demolish the bridges they own. The Forest Service probably would like to demolish this bridge. The only way this can be prevented is by preservationists being aware of the bridge and fighting to save when an attempt to demolish the bridge is made.
This bridge is one of a few I chose out of personal reasons not to add.
One is that they, being forest service and private timber company DO NOT WANT people on it for safety reasons. A rail buff club sought and received permission to enter on the Simpson side for photographing.
Of course many people do indeed venture out there regardless. The deck has singe marks from lightning strikes and on at least one occasion purposely set fire mid span. There has been attempts to knock off the spacings and the railings for the side area.
That's the nature of society though ... vandals will eventually find and destroy these diamonds in the rough regardless of how many roadblocks placed to get there. Another reason I did not add, why draw more attention? There once was mention of repairing, making it into a trail system but ... money is an issue.
I'd volunteer to take you there Mike, other bridges ... I'm sure you'd enjoy. Perhaps one day the yearly Bridgehunter's event will be held in the Pacific Northwest.
I am glad to see this bridge was added. It is one of the many notable bridges in Washington State and finally has a spot on bridgehunter.
I keep thinking I will get up that way and visit these two massive structures, but still have not had any luck.
Nice work Dylan!
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/wa/mason/bh57379/
Just added a google street view that shows an amazing. overview shot from a drone.