Niagara Cantilever Bridge

The Niagara Cantilever Bridge or Michigan Central Railway Cantilever Bridge was a cantilever bridge across the Niagara Gorge. An international railway-only bridge between Canada and the United States, it connected Niagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls, Ontario. It was replaced by the Michigan Central Railway Steel Arch Bridge in 1925.

Niagara Cantilever Bridge
1895 guidebook engraving
Coordinates43°06′29″N 79°03′31″W / 43.108135°N 79.058604°W / 43.108135; -79.058604
CarriesMichigan Central Railway/Canada Southern Railway and successors
CrossesNiagara Gorge
LocaleNiagara Falls, New York, and Niagara Falls,
Official nameMichigan Central Railway Cantilever Bridge
Maintained byMichigan Central Railway
Characteristics
DesignCantilever bridge
Total length906 ft (276 m)
WidthDouble standard gauge (4 ft 8.5 in) track
Clearance aboveDeck cantilever truss, unlimited clearance
Clearance belowappx 200 ft (60 m) above river
History
Opened1883
Closed1925
Location
Map

History

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Michigan Central Railway commissioned the Niagara Cantilever Bridge as a more cost effective alternative to leasing from the Lower Arch Bridge.[1] Charles Conrad Schneider, the architect, chose a cantilever design due to the geography of the Niagara Gorge.[2] Construction began in 1883. Boston cement was used for the foundation.[1] The bridge was completed within months as a deadline was imposed by the railway: the steel sections gained approximately 3.8 meters each day and the central section was built in a total of five days.[3] When the bridge was finished, a crowd watched the final tests conducted by engineers and this was reported on by The New York Times.[4] The bridge could handle two trains crossing simultaneously.[5] The Niagara Cantilever Bridge became less useful as locomotives became heavier. Another steel arch was added in 1923 as an intermediate measure, with plans to replace the bridge entirely. When deconstructing the bridge, significant damage to the girders were noted, and the materials were scrapped.[4]

References

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  1. ^ a b Lewis 2008, p. 47.
  2. ^ Lewis 2008, p. 46.
  3. ^ Lewis 2008, p. 48.
  4. ^ a b Lewis 2008, p. 50.
  5. ^ Lewis 2008, p. 49.

Sources

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  • Lewis, Paul (2008). Niagara's Gorge Bridges. Looking Back Press. pp. 45–51. ISBN 978-1-55068-925-9.
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