"The Art of Historic Preservation"

9th Annual Preservation Week 2007 Photo-Essay Competition

First Place: Natalie G. Sams, 5th Grade, Louisville Collegiate School

Title:  Conrail Railroad Bridge

The Louisville Collegiate School fifth graders went on an all day field trip to explore the Falls of the Ohio.  When our bus crossed the Ohio River from Kentucky to Indiana, in the distance I saw the massive Conrail Railroad Bridge crossing the Falls of the Ohio.  Upon arriving at the Falls, we divided into team groups and searched for fossil specimens in the exposed bedrock of the river ledges.  Our teacher, Mr. Kenneth Karem, then asked us to follow him along the sandy slope of the river bank in the direction of the McAlpine Dam.

If you looked up while you were walking, you could see the imposing Conrail Railroad Bridge stretching from river bank to river bank. As we approached the bridge from below it appeared enormous.  The massive limestone pillars towered over the surrounding area, dwarfing trees, boulders and the churning river.  Even the pillars building stones had easily seen fossils embedded in their surface.  Upon the pillars rest the iron trusses that span the turbulent river.  I was awed by the immense structural presence of the bridge.

We walked up the grassy hill that leads from the river bank to the railroad approach ramp and stood atop of the Conrail Railroad Bridge.  Looking down the tracks, southward toward Kentucky, you could see how long it really was.  Suddenly a train whistle sounded, ringing in my ears like an echo in a cave.  A long train with many freight cars approached and clattered across the bridge.  It takes a well designed and solid built structure to be able to support all that weight.  It is amazing that it was built over 135 years ago and still in operation today.

The bridge itself was finished February 18th, 1870 and celebrated with tremendous fanfare.  Politicians and officials of every type were present to celebrate and take credit for this amazing new bridge.  It was the first bridge to span the Ohio at the Falls, linking north with south commerce and promoting the local economy..

Its design and building had taken many false starts due to the Civil War, political and financial problems.  When finally built, this stately bridge comprises 27 spans, and used 30,000 cubic feet of limestone.  The bridge has two chutes that were originally intended to allow for clearance for boats traveling the river and a lift span at the south end for clearance to the Portland Canal.  The bridge is 5,274 feet long and at the time of its completion it was the longest iron bridge in the country.  This bridge cost over two million dollars to build and the lives of several workers!

The bridge was designed and built by Chief Engineer, Albert Fink.  Fink drew the plans and personally oversaw the construction.  The unique superstructure design was known as the Fink Truss Pattern.  Overall the design was extremely successful handing tremendous volume of traffic for many years for several different owners.  When it was rebuilt prior to World War 1, the limestone pillars were reused without modification keeping its original appearance.

I love the design; it has the look of a different time.  It is imposing yet has fine details in the limestone pillars of fossils and quarry marks.  I am amazed of the fact that the limestone was quarried within a mile of both my home and school.

The Conrail Railroad Bridge should be saved because it is a time portal to another age.  It allows us to see how transportation has evolved.  The limestone pillars are just marvelous and are a fixture that is not included on any “new” bridge.  This bridge is used daily by Conrail Railroad to transport freight north and south.  I am glad it is so well built because it is likely to be with us for many years to come.

This essay and photograph(s) are the property of Preservation Kentucky, Inc. and Kentucky Heritage Council and that any use of the photo or essay must be approved by PK and KHC.