Old Railroad Bridge

Old Railroad Bridge (HMR6F)

Location: Sheffield, AL 35660 Colbert County
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Country: United States of America
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N 34° 46.818', W 87° 40.06'

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Inscription
(obverse)
In 1832, the Alabama legislature authorized the Florence Bridge Company to construct this bridge across the Tennessee River. In 1840, it opened as a toll bridge. Twice damaged by storms, it was reopened in 1858 as a double-decked bridge by the Memphis and Charleston Railroad. Additional piers were added to support the large wooden superstructure with trains using the upper deck while the lower deck served as a toll bridge. In April 1862, the Confederate army burned the bridge. Later in the Civil War, the piers were used to assist in ferry crossing and to anchor a pontoon bridge built by Gen. John B. Hood's Confederate Army of Tennessee in November 1864. After the war, both decks of the bridge were rebuilt and returned to service in 1870.
(Continued on other side)

(reverse)
(Continued from other side)
In 1892, an engine and five cars crashed through both decks into the river. The superstructure was replaced with steel spans which are still visible. A turn span crossed the navigation channel until 1962 when a lift span was installed and used until 1992. Trains used the upper deck until 1988, as did streetcars from 1904 to 1933. The lower deck served as a toll bridge until O'Neal Bridge opened in 1939. In 1993, the Norfolk-Southern Railroad Company donated the bridge to the Old Railroad Bridge company. The 1560-foot long lower deck was restored to serve as a walking trail. With the original piers a part of the present structure, it is the oldest river bridge in Alabama.
Details
HM NumberHMR6F
Tags
Year Placed2010
Placed ByThe Old Railroad Bridge Company, Colbert County Historical Landmark Foundation, Alabama Historical Association
Marker ConditionNo reports yet
Date Added Monday, October 13th, 2014 at 6:45pm PDT -07:00
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Locationbig map
UTM (WGS84 Datum)16S E 438911 N 3848882
Decimal Degrees34.78030000, -87.66766667
Degrees and Decimal MinutesN 34° 46.818', W 87° 40.06'
Degrees, Minutes and Seconds34° 46' 49.08" N, 87° 40' 3.60" W
Driving DirectionsGoogle Maps
Area Code(s)256
Closest Postal AddressAt or near 905 TVA Nature Loop, Sheffield AL 35660, US
Alternative Maps Google Maps, MapQuest, Bing Maps, Yahoo Maps, MSR Maps, OpenCycleMap, MyTopo Maps, OpenStreetMap

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