Sanford Railroad Bridge

This Bridge Has Been Restored!

Here is a rare case where they actually put paint on a bridge that was converted to a rail-trail. Usually they just throw up ugly guardrails and leave the bridge all rusty. This time, they put the ugly railings up and painted the bridge! Actually, the railings are not the most ugly I have seen, they are much nicer than wooden railings or cyclone fencing, so I guess I should not complain too much. Regular visitors to this website would be disappointed if I did not complain about modern railings, however! They are a pet peeve of mine.

This bridge is a five panel Pratt through truss with riveted connections. Portal bracing is a lattice design. The bridge sits on concrete abutments, and would have carried a single set of tracks on its deck. It is now part of the Pere Marquette Rail-Trail. V-lacing is present only on the away bracing, while latticework is present only under the top chord.