Norfolk Southern Railroad Calumet River Bridge

Gazing up at the Norfolk Southern Railroad Calumet River Bridge, have you ever wondered about its twin siblings that once stood proudly beside it? These steel giants, the Lakeshore and Michigan Southern Railway bridges, now stand frozen in time, a testament to a bygone era. The Norfolk Southern Railroad Calumet River Bridge itself, a survivor of the trio, still carries the echoes of its bustling past. This bridge, originally part of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway, stands as a central symbol of Chicago’s railroading legacy. The Historic American Engineering Record recognizes its significance in North America’s railroad capital. Built between 1912 and 1913, the Norfolk Southern Railroad Calumet River Bridge is a Waddell and Harrington Lift Bridge. A plaque on the bridge proudly proclaims this fact, also crediting the Pennsylvania Steel Company as its builder. It shares a common foundation with the remnants of its twin companions, the Lakeshore and Michigan Southern Railway Bridges. They were completed slightly later, between 1912 and 1915. These bridges, also designed by Waddell and Harrington, shared the same vertical-lift design but met different fates. In 1965, one of the original Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne & Chicago Railway bridges was demolished. This leaves the current Norfolk Southern Railroad Calumet River Bridge as the sole representative of this initial trio. The Lakeshore and Michigan Southern Railway bridges, abandoned and locked in a raised position, serve as silent witnesses to their active years. A fascinating repair project in 2012 highlights the intricate mechanics of the Norfolk Southern Railroad Calumet River Bridge. A faulty shaft, holding a 60,000-pound cable drum, required immediate attention. The Coast Guard, ever vigilant over the Calumet River’s navigation, allowed a tight 112-hour window for the repair. The repair involved a week-long crane rental to carefully remove and transport the massive drum for off-site repairs. Another cable drum was even fully replaced during this period. Interestingly, the original drum was later found in an Indiana railroad yard, just across the state line. These bridges, originally designed to accommodate the flow of goods and people, now stand as monuments to engineering ingenuity and Chicago’s powerful railroad history.