17 April 2010

Hardy Bridge Can Make a Comeback

Peterborough Ontario - Re:  "Boy charged in bridge fire" (14 Apr 2010)
 
The Maria St./Point St. Charles bent trestle bridge that burned likely is not the original, which was built in the 1880s. It is likely the third or fourth version, given the wooden construction.
 
Because the structural strength of such a basic design was so well engineered by some unknown engineer in the Canadian Pacific Railway's main office, it has served Peterborough very well for more than a century. (Though there are some indications the design might have been used by one of the New England railways and borrowed by the CPR engineering office.)
 
The bent trestle follows the identical design from the CP-owned Credit Valley Railway. Many of those trestles still exist.
 
It will be nice to see the bridge rebuilt. As there are so many of them in Ontario, it will be very easy to get the necessary engineering specifications.
 
This might be the opportunity to make the new one a tad wider without losing the overall original design and structural integrity. It would also be nice to identify the engineer who designed it so we could properly thank his family for such a wonderful bridge.
 
Gord Young.