Google Arts and Culture Bridge Tour Guide: The Bridges and Viaducts along the Kalka-Shimla Railway

Bridge Nr. 226, the tallest viaduct along the Railway. Source: A.M.Hurrell via Wiki Commons

The railroad line is 96km, it has 107 tunnels, 900 sharp turns and around 850 bridges!!! It was first brought up by a journalist of a newspaper in Delhi in 1847, but it took 66 years, including the actual construction of eight years before it became a reality and opened to traffic in 1903. The line crosses rugged mountains and forests, crossing steep valleys and giving rail passengers with the most awesome views but at the same time the biggest whiplashes because of its sharpest curves of up to 48° angles! Nevertheless, the journey is worth the experience if you want to travel on the wild side.

The Kalka-Shimla Railroad is a narrow-gauge railway located in the Himachal Pradesh Province in northern India, located two hours by bird flight south of Kashmir. Connecting Kalka with the province’s capital, the railroad line has one of the highest density of bridges in the world, with one crossing every kilometer, predomonantly built of brick and including one of the world’s highest bridges, The Art Gallery Bridge (known as Bridge Nr. 226), a 91-foot tall bridge built in five layers of arches. Its height competes with the four brick viaducts in the Vogtland Region in Saxony.

The Darjeeling Himalayan Railway Society has put together a tour guide of the bridges and tunnels along the Kalka-Shimla Railway to provide you with an insight of the structures that exist in this mountainous region laden with forests and deep valleys. It looks at some of the best structures one can see while traveling the route or hiking in the region.

Click on the link below to access this guide and enjoy reading about the structures. 🙂

Link: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/FQWh_NO5CalCIQ

You can also watch the documentary on the history and tour of the railway, where you will see the bridges while on the journey of a lifetime.

It includes a short segment on the trains crossing Bridge Nr. 541:

Enjoy the journey and remember: Your bridge matters! 🙂 ❤

More Pennsylvania Historic Truss Bridges to be Rehabbed

Expanding the Program: More Metal Truss Bridge Rehabilitations on the Way

According to PennDOT, at least four truss bridges- two through and two pony- are set to be rehabilitated this summer. Each one is over 125 years old and eligible for the National Register. Details here in the article.

Postcard Friday Nr. 28

This week’s Postcard Friday feauture takes us to the city of Timmendorfer Strand, located along the Baltic Sea coast, northeast of Lübeck, the third largest city in Schleswig-Holstein. It is also located NE of Hamburg. We spent a few days in one of the most overpriced, rich man’s community in northern Germany, which is laden with a mixture of colonial and modern houses, large properties built-up and beaches where only Strandkörbe are allowed- no tents or beach tents (Strandmuschel) on the beaches, period. More on that will be mentioned in the Flensburg Files in due time.

During our stay, apart from a good swim in the icy-cold waters, a visit to a book store focused on Japanese culture in a house that follows that country’s typical architecture, and photographing some of the architecture in the resort town- it looked nice, given the high value of the property- there was a flea market that took place in one of the houses that was owned by an old lady who had passed away weeks before we arrived in July. One of the first things I did was find postcards, only to find old photos which depicted her during her life that consisted of journeys to some of the most exotic places in the world.

It included this aqueduct, which dates back to the Roman times. There were over a dozen pictures, with and without her, at this unique crossing:

It definitely showed her enjoying the scenery in this rather rocky area. She had a great life as a traveler. 🙂

Now over to you: Using the hints given, where do you think this aqueduct is located? Country and city location are needed. Wishful thinking are the name of the bridge and its history. Feel free to comment in the section below and in the Chronicles’ social media page.

Your bridge matters! ❤

Pony Bridge on Route 66 in Oklahoma to Reopen

Photo by Ken Turmel

Grand Re-Opening Ceremony to take place on May 10th

BRIDGEPORT, OKLAHOMA (USA)- 38 spans and 3900 feet. The total length of the Pony Bridge spanning the South Canadian River. Originally scheduled to reopen in 2025, favorable weather conditions, combined with fast-tracking on the work, has led to the bridge to reopen much earlier than expected. As you can see in the most recent photo by Ken Turmel, the bridge has been reassembled with a new coat of paint, new decking and new railings. Now it’s just a question of marking the road and getting ready for the big celebration.

May 10th is the date you should mark on the calender. It’s that day that the grand re-opening will take place at the bridge. According to Route 66 News:

The gathering starts at 3:00 with music, food, and tours from the Oklahoma Department of Transportation to show the public how this bridge was rebuilt, keeping the historic trusses to emulate the visual impact this bridge has had for the last 90+ years.

At 5:00, several speakers will talk about the project and the upcoming Route 66 Centennial in 2026. Afterwards, they will lead the first crossing over the new span as it is opened for all to use.

The Pony Bridge was built by the Kansas City Bridge Company in 1933-34, using the standardized truss design by the Oklahoma Department of Transportation. The truss design was Camelback with riveted connections. At 3944 feet, it’s the second longest bridge along Route 66, which was created in 1926 and ran from Chicago to Los Angeles, via St. Louis, Tulsa and Santa Fe. It was discontinued in its entirety by 1979 when it was supplanted by the Interstate Highway. The Chain of Rocks Bridge in St. Louis is the longest bridge along the route. It has been a posterboy, used in media, including the Grapes of Wrath (filmed in 1939).

The bridge was disassembled with each truss span having been sandblasted and repainted. The roadway was widened and the trusses were reassembled afterwards. Judging by the photo of the restored bridge, there’s little difference to see except for the widened decking:

Cars traveling on the Pony Bridge before its restoration. Photo taken by Nathan Holth in 2016

The reopening of the bridge will coincide with the opening of the Chain of Rocks Park, which occurred last weekend, and work is ongoing to make points along Route 66, known by many as the Mother Road, fit by the time 2026 comes around. That year will mark not only the 250th anniversary of the United States; it will also mark the 100th anniversary of the US Highway system, of which Route 66 was one of the first highways that was designated, along with the Lincoln Highway (US Hwy. 30).

For many, the bridge’s return will be a godsend, as it will reserve Bridgeport after a shorter than expected absence. For many highway and bridge enthusiasts, the Pony Bridge will reopen to its old glory as it will continue to serve traffic for generations to come. It’s one of the key fixtures along the highway that one must see once in a lifetime.

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Event:

Reopening of Pony Bridge

May 10th 3:00- 5:00pm; Bridge to reopen to traffic after 5:00pm

Venue: Pony Bridge along Route 66 in Bridgeport, OK

Info: https://oklahomaroute66.com/events/cfg7bd1xiuaxttfi48v9po3o5mt1vy

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Mystery Bridge Nr. 215

Marty Smith brought this mystery bridge up to my attention recently when he submitted a pair of photos via Messenger. They were taken by his great-uncle from a long time ago, who originated from Patolka in Marion County, Illinois. These pics were from 80+ years ago. According to him, this may have spanned the Wabash River, even though the river is located much towards the middle than in the western part of the state, towards St. Louis. It’s closer to the Mississippi River. There are two rivers that flows past Patoka: the Kaskaskia River to the west and Deer Creek to the north. The Carlyle Reservoir is five miles west of the town of 340 inhabitants. Smith also indicated that his great-uncle had visited his brother (the grandfather) in Indianapolis, which is why the Illinois River should also be included in the mix of clues to finding more about the bridge.

As far as the bridge is concerned, the structure has a Warren through truss design and featured a continuous cantilever span with a single through truss span each on the outer end as approaches. Judging by the riveted connections, it was most likely built after 1920. The bridge has more likely been extant, having been replaced with a modern span.

Now it’s over to you: The question is where this bridge was located, apart from the fact that it was within a 100-mile radius of Patoka, IL. Yet we should keep the Illinois River under the radar. And what do we know about its story- when it was built (and by whom) and when it was replaced.

Feel free to research and comment about it. Your bridge matters! ❤

The Bridges of Valencia

Beneath the Bridges of Valencia

While we’re on the topic of bridges in Spain, I came across a tour guide done by a local from Valencia that focuses on the city’s bridges- from ground level! Each one has some interesting facts about the history and unique design, including one built by world-renowned engineer, Santiago Calatrava.

Enjoy the tour guide! 🙂

BHC Pic of the Week Nr. 286

Pittsburgh has one of the highest number of bridges in the world, ranking it up there with Hamburg, Berlin (Germany) and Venice (Italy), with over 2000 structures. It is also a treasure chest when it comes to structures originating from different eras, each one having a history. But each bridge is a photographer’s dream as it can be photographed from different vantage points and at any time of the day.

And this is where this week’s Bridge Pic comes in. This was photographed by Todd Wilson, who has an Instagram page on Pittsburgh’s unique structures. And it shows one of the Three Sister Bridges reflecting on the clear waters of the Allegheny River. Built in 1926-28, the the spans featured self-anchored suspension bridges with signature gold-colored arch towers. They were renamed after Rachel Carson (this photo), Roberto Clemente and Andy Warhol, three prominent celebrities who left a mark in American history who has roots in the Steel City. Most recently, they were renovated from top to bottom, which included new decking and paint, plus modern LED lighting- for the towers and for the ornamental street lamps. It started in 2009 and concluded with the rehab of the Rachel Carson in 2020.

Nevertheless this bridge’s beauty, reflecting off the river, got me into writing a poem about reflections from the bridge, asking about the meaning of life, the what-ifs and whether it is too late to change or not. One should remember the implications changes have on the people around you. Have a look at the poem and enjoy! 🙂

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Reflections from the Bridge

Standing on the Bridge

In the late afternoon

At the foot of ridge

Behind it rises the Moon.

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I look back at my time

And ask some tough question.

What was the purpose of my time here?

What has God sent me to do here?

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But the answers of life I sought

Became nothing more but questions.

What have I done to be here?

What should I have done to be there?

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Is this the Life that I expected?

Or was it something that disappointed?

Was this Life like a Hollywood film,

Where there is an everlasting story in the end?

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But perhaps not everything in Life is a Given.

Life sometimes has to be Earned.

We are what we put in,

No matter the obstacles.

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We are who we are.

And it’s like the bridge I stand on.

It was built by many to last a lifetime

And enjoyed by many for all the time.

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Is this the bridge we want?

That’s just what life is about.

Like the bridge, I can change it in contempt,

Or leave it as is, to be contempt.

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But if I change, I must be aware

It is for my purpose and mine only.

And the bridge that I’m on

Will be different from yesterday.

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Some food for thought as we start the week. 🙂

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Google Arts and Culture Tour Guide: Plazaola Greenway

Ameraun Acqueduct spanning the Leitzaran: One of the sites to see along the Plazaola Greenway. Photo in WikiCommons

With a length of 68 kilometers and connecting the towns of Sarasa and Andoain, the Plazaola Greenway follows the former railway line that linked Pamplona with San Sebastian in the Navarre River valley in the Basque Country in Spain. The line served train service from 1914 to 1958, before it was abandoned. Since 2007, the route has reopened but as a combination hiking and biking trail, passing through beautiful landscapes along the Navarre Valley, cute small historic villages- each one with its own unique culture and heritage- and lastly, bridges and tunnels, like in the photo above.

Dozens of tunnels as well as stone arch bridges and viaducts can be found along this route. Some of which you can pass bay, others you can cross. This includes a 2.7 km Utzi Tunnel, considered the longest of its kind in Europe. Some of the historic bridges along the path are enriched with histories, including haunted stories of witches who reside there. Big or small, these crossings are what make this trail unique and a must-see if you are into historic bridges, photography or just want some adventure along the way.

There are two different Arts and Culture Tour Guides that were created by Google which shows you the trail and everything one can see along the way. There’s a general one that includes video of the trip and contains a map and general information about the trail and what a person can see. A link to the guide you can find here:

General Information: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/the-plazaola-greenway-navarre-basque-country-fundacion-de-los-ferrocarriles-espanoles/1QURI_wRz58gKA?hl=en

The second one focuses on the viaducts and tunnels that exist along the trail. Each one contains some information and stories behind them.

Tunnels and Viaducts: https://artsandculture.google.com/story/awUxqxeaCD3tBQ

Both guides feature a gallery of photos which will awake your interest and motivate you to see, while in the Basque Country in Spain. From a personal point of view, when I discovered it and saw both guides, I automatically added this to my Places to Visit List and received a backing from the rest of the family. The trail has everything for everyone, young and old. Family friendly and something that you will learn from as you travel the length of the trail.

Enjoy the guides and happy trails, everyone! 🙂

Mystery Bridge Nr. 214

We decided to combine a Mystery Bridge and a Postcard Feature into one in this article, even though the latter is a day late. But better late than never. 😉

Our next Mystery Bridge takes is to the village of Silberhütte. The town is located 45 km NE of Nordhausen (Thuringia) in the southern part of Saxony Anhalt in eastern Germany. It’s located on the Selke at the foot of the Harz Mountains. The town has a population of 155 inhabitants, yet at one point, it had over 400. The town had a fireworks manufacturer that had employed over 1200 workers at one time before the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989. That plus a saw mill were the anchors that kept the town alive and prosperous, all the way up until the East German dissolved and became part of a united Germany in 1990. Today, the village features several recreational possibilities, ranging from hiking to swimming.

But going back to this mystery bridge, I found this postcard recently as a nearby flea market, which featured one of the shortest, and most. interesting Marsh Rainbow Arch Bridges I have ever seen. The bridge was between 10 and 20 meters long and was equally wide as the Selke is just a stream passing through. The bridge resembled the Rainbow Arch Bridge that was designed and patented by American bridge builder James B. Marsh in 1912, yet it may have been based on previous design experiments in Europe by Austrian engineers, Josef Melan and Fritz von Emperger. Our assumption is a build date between 1890 and 1930. There’s no information on who built this structure.

The bridge today has long since been replaced. A culvert is now in service providing traffic to the main road, which is the only throughway passing through a place that is slowly becoming a ghost town because of its dwindling population and it’s relicts of the past growing and becoming part of nature.

Now it’s your turn. What do we know about this small, unique Rainbow Arch Bridge? You know what to do. Provide some comments below or feel free to send a message. Your bridge matters. ❤️🌉