Rall Bascule Lift
View Exhibit mapRall bascule bridges were invented by Theodor Rall. Exact design of a Rall bascule bridge can vary, but should include some of the characteristics in one of the two patents filed by Mr. Rall, which include patent #669,348 and #817,516. The key feature among all known surviving Rall bascule bridges is a trunnion that is set inside a roller that moves along a track during bridge operation. The rights to build Rall bascule bridges were held by the Strobel Steel Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois, which was a company that both designed and contracted for bridge projects. As such, most Rall bridges were both designed and built by Strobel Steel Construction Company. Currently, there are five known Rall bascule bridges: One in Chicago, Illinois, two in East Chicago, Indiana, one in Portland, Oregon, and one in Baltimore, Maryland. All five known examples are listed below.
B&OCT - Indiana Harbor Canal Bridge (Old) (Lake County, Indiana)
Built in 1909 ; replaced 1914Lost Warren through truss bridge over Indiana Harbor Canal on Baltimore & Ohio Chicago Terminal RailroadNo longer exists replaced with a Strauss bascule bridge now abandoned
Broadway Bridge (Multnomah County, Oregon)
Built 1912; rehabilitated 1927Rall-Bascule lift bridge over Willamette River on Broadway Street in PortlandOpen to traffic
CN - Collateral Channel Bridge (Cook County, Illinois)
Built 1914; intact but fixed, in use locked downDeck plate girder bridge over Collateral Channel on Chicago & Western Illinois RailroadOpen to traffic
Great Channel Bridge (Cape May County, New Jersey)
Built 1930; approach spans replaced 1984; rehabilitated 1992Bascule bridge over Great Channel on Stone Harbor Road (CR 657) in Stone HarborOpen to traffic
Hanover Street Bascule Bridge (Baltimore, Maryland)
Built 1916; rehabilitated 1971 and 1992Bascule bridge over Middle Branch of Patapsco River on Hanover Street in BaltimoreOpen to traffic
Illinois Terminal - McKinley Bridge (Peoria County, Illinois)
Built 1907, closed to traffic in 1951Lost Bascule bridge over Illinois River on Illinois Terminal Railroad in PeoriaNo longer exists
NYC - Indiana Harbor Canal Bridges (Lake County, Indiana)
Built ca. 1909Abandoned through truss bridges over Indiana Harbor Canal on Railroad (Abandoned New York Central)Derelict/abandoned
PRR - Miami & Erie Canal Bridge (Allen County, Ohio)
Built 1901Lost Deck plate girder Rall Bascule Lift bridge over Miami & Erie Canal on Pennsylvania RailroadReplaced by a new bridge