This is a 4 part post due to the limited amount of photos available per post. 1st part Log Pile Trestles, 2nd part Timber Framed Trestles, 3rd part Log Crib Trestles and part 4 most notably combination of Log Pile Trestles and Crib Log Trestles with some Get Her Done with what you have, trestles, may not look perty but does the job! Part 1 In order for the logging companies to open the doorway to the vast resources that lay in the inaccessible lands, all logging companies had a plan to encompass their various aims, in order to complete their operations which included the waterways and steep terrain crossing that had to be completed. The 3 main crossings trestle utilized by the majority of the logging companies were, Log Pile trestle Hamilton Logging Company Washington State trestle over Red Cabin Creek 1916 Robertson’s Camp Trestle Clallam CountyWashington Building the Cedar River Trestle Cedar River logging trestle, 203 feet high & 843 feet long, Washington State, 1917.
Part 2 The Engineering, Design and Building of a Timber Trestle Framed Timber Trestle Kensol Trestle Shawnigan Lake, Vancouver Island B.C. September 16, 1958 - Extra 2149 West on the Kinsol trestle heading north Myra Canyon Trestle Bridge near Kelowna, British Columbia. Constructed by Kettle Valley Railway
Part 3 The Engineering, Design and Building of a Timber Trestle Log Crib Trestles Trestle accross McBride Creek just north of Columbia City
Part 4 The Engineering, Design and Building of a Timber Trestle Most notably there are some trestle designs that include both Pile and Crib designs together. Log bridge (crib trestle) on the Columbia and Nehalem Valley Railroad, Columbia County, Oregon. In cases where financial problems for smaller companies arose, a “Getting Done” of what we have to work with was employed. May not look fancy but does the job! The below link is from Bob Hyman’s RGS Trestles, there are 2 parts to this, part one deals with the Engineering and Design of Timber Trestles of the Rio Grand Southern Railway Trestles the 2nd part is for model train enthusiasts, he provides jigs and building instructions to replicate the design. TRESTLES – RGS STYLE WOODEN TRESTLE CONSTRUCTION ON THE RIO GRANDE SOUTHERN RAILROAD by Bob Hyman https://www.nhgrs.org/bob-hymans-rgs-trestles-part-1/ More design drawings of Pile and Framed trestles with components that will show the details of the trestles will follow this post shortly.
The kinsol Trestle is still there. It has been restored and is part of a walking trail near Duncan BC. Well worth a look. Its an easy walk as being old RR grade it is basically flat. Nice weekend walk with the family. Kids love it. d.d.https://www.cvrd.ca/1379/Kinsol-Trestle
lol I see I have a few spelling mistakes in my post, sorry for that. I was in Qualicum last month attending a Robert Turner presentation of the history of Railroad Logging on Vancouver Island. He mentioned the Kinsol Trestle in his presentation, saying there was only 1 occurrence of logs rolling off a loaded train, due to the train not going across the trestle at the calculated determined speed required for safe passage over the trestle. I imagine that the first crossing of any trestle would be a bit of a sphincter pucker, when the trestle flexed under load of the train! There was a mathematical calculation to determine the flex angle of the trestle when the train weight load entered, as well as set speed was established for the train to travel across the trestle. There was a lot of mathematical calculation involved, to ensure the train weight and speed against the trestle flex under load would ensure a safe passage over the trestle. Here is are a few links to the rebuild of the Kinsol Trestle https://www2.gov.bc.ca/assets/gov/d...south-coast/kinsol_trestle_reconstruction.pdf https://islengineering.com/project/kinsol-trestle-bridge-rehabilitation/ https://kinsol.ca/how-will-the-trestle-be-fixed/
Buckley MI
The beginning of a great looking covered bridge. Where are you planning to place it?
It's there,,, it's a trestle for the little train at the Buckley Old Engine Show. 3rd weekend in Aug, one of the best in the country.
Very cool project, looking forward to seeing more of this!
Here are a few Design diagrams of the Standard Trestle Bents use in the construction of the Denver Rio Grande Trestle Deck Standard Trestles Bridge Standard Pile Trestle Standard Framed Trestle Framed Bents & Longitudinal Bracing Standard Framed Trestle
Denver Rio Grande Pile Bents for Standard Trestle Denver Rio Grande Framed Bents for Standard Trestle Wolf Creek Trestle Trestles - RGS Style Wooden Trestle Construction on the Rio Grande Southern Railroad by Bob Hyman https://www.nhgrs.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/03/Bob-Hymans-trestle-clinic-58A-B6.pdf
In 1976 Weyerhaeuser opened a gravel pit at what you see as the far end of the trestle. We rocked all the RR ROW turning them into truck roads. Weeyerhaeuser re-logged it starting in 1978 just as I left the woods. Some of the bents were still there and you could climb down to the river and see the footings for the inverted "V" still there. The trestle was built for the Pacific States mill in Selleck WA.
Spirit of Traverse City Looking like a lot of fun and very impressive set up. Congratulations on getting things done, love the scale of the train set up, great detailed engine and rail cars. You are going to have to show more pics when your trestle is in place.
Sound like an interesting place to have a look around, would like to see a photo or 2 of what is remaining of the trestle.
It's been in service 2 years. That is where it sits. Simply crosses a little valley. I prolly have finished pic, maybe but that was a donated crane boom for the structural. The train is really old and has had generations of riders. Was at the local zoo/park and when that closed the train was up. Seems that some outfit from Cali or Ariz offered some astronomical amount for it , 60 or 80 large maybe but the owners wanted it to stay local so they donate to Buckley.
Here are a few design drawings of the Great Northern Railway Trestle The below link is some history of the trestle and the builders. http://www.fhabc.org/documents/Culliton-Bros-Pacific-Northwest-Railway-Trestle-Builders-202011.pdf
Thats a good read on the Culliton Brothers. I live near some of thier past work on the E&N Railway.
Glad that you found the article on Culliton Brothers interesting. It’s nice to have some insight into the workers who were behind the building of the trestles. The engineering behind the design of the trestles is amazing but the building of the trestles, where they were built and by the workers, was astonishing.
A few more Trestles Designs Coal Trestle Coal Trestle Timber Trestle Bridge Ballast Desk Trestle
Wharf Design Pile Bent Construction Wood Framed Trestle Trestle Components
Rail Placement Design Standard Framed Trestle & Rail Design Open Deck Timber Bridge Deck Span
Rail Sleeper Spacing Framed Trestle with Rail Deflection Rail Deck Layout CPR Standard Pile Trestles
CPR Layout for Curved Track Common Standard Double Track Ballasted Deck Trestle Pile Cap Connection Splices for Butted Piles The link below is a complete analysis of all aspects of building a Railroad. Surveys, structural analysis, wood types and length of longevity, rail components and everything else you could consider to complete it. If you are into Engineer, you will find this a vault of information. RAILROAD CONSTRUCTION THEORY AND PRACTICE Railroad construction, theory and practice; a text-book for the use of students in colleges and technical schools, and a hand-book for the use of engineers in field and office : Webb, Walter Loring, 1863-1941 : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : xvii, 847 p. 18 cm archive.org
Sorry for being so challenged finding stuff. There was another word used in days past to describe this and it wasn’t ‘challenged’. There was a link to something like a pocket reference manual for building RR trestles, laying out routes, surveying…anyone know what I’m talking about or did I just make it up? Rusty brown pages. Late 1800’s to early 1900’s. I was amazed at the trestle pictures. Thanks for sharing.
Also probably used in an engineering school. Possibly the class textbook or at least reference material.
Again my apologies. The one raised by the village found what he was looking for. Apparently the page didn’t load or didn’t load properly as now, it’s in plain sight.
I noticed the book has almost a thousand pages….so likely not a pocket reference manual! Just thinking out loud.
Yes it is a very deep technical analysis of the railway construction.
Seems I forgot to add this side note to the Railroad Construction link; explaining the trestle designs heights and other specifications. Simple answer. The trestle bent spacing is dictated by the length of the stringers. These are the big timbers that the ties sit on. The stringers are grouped in sets of three or four centred under each rail. The stringers are usually 32 feet long. The joints for the stringers are staggered to ensure that not all of the stringer ends line up. The stringer then has a trestle bent support at each end and one in the centre. This means that the trestle bents are at 16 foot centres or 1.2 inches in N scale. The one obvioius question is why are the stringers 32 feet long? Very simple, most saw mills had saw benches with 32 foot maximum travel. Made this discovery many years back when building my HOn3 Rio Grande southern layout.
If anyone remembers the Charles Bronson film entitled Breakheart Pass, there is a trestle in the film that can be seen on Hwy. 95 in Idaho near Culdesac. I believe it is still standing.
The Half Moon Trestle https://boisedev.com/news/2025/01/29/camas-prairie-railroad/
That's it!
A Treatise on Wooden Trestle Bridges and Their Concrete Substitutes According to the Present Practice on American Railroads Abstract IN the present edition of this work, which was first published in 1891, will be found a very full account of the construction, erection, maintenance, and preservation of timber trestle bridges. The book is profusely illustrated, and contains working drawings showing the details of the standard trestles used on the principal American railroads. Wooden trestles may be disappearing gradually from main lines of heavy traffic, but the increased growth of branch lines, or feeders, and of trestles at manufacturing plants and for electric railways, have probably more than kept pace with its abandonment on main lines. There is. on the average, about 100 ft. of bridges and trestles to each mile of railroad in the United States. The wearing out of wooden trestles and the increasing cost and scarcity of timber suitable for their replacement has taxed the ingenuity of railroad officials to find suitable structures to take their place. In some cases iron or steel structures have been employed, but there are numerous districts where local conditions make these methods so expensive as to be prohibitive. A Treatise on Wooden Trestle Bridges and their Concrete Substitutes. By Wolcott C. Foster. Fourth revised and enlarged edition.
And the link to the Treatise on Wooden Trestle Bridges A treatise on wooden trestle bridges and their concrete substitutes, according to the present practice on American railroads : Foster, Wolcott C. (Wolcott Cronk) : Free Download, Borrow, and Streaming : Internet Archive Bibliography: p. 397-430 archive.org
The Trestle Builders A tribute to all the people involved, in the complete build, from the surveying of the R/W to the building of the grade and the construction of the Trestles. With their fortitude to overcome where they had to work, what they had to work with, how they had to supply their materials to the sites they were able to erect these magnificent structures! The beginning of the Trestle Almost Completed Trestle Finished Trestle Mother Nature
Historic Logging Reference Photos Geared Steam, Milwaukee Road, Montana, Trains, Milwaukee Road, Model Railroad, railroads, photos gearedsteam.blogspot.com
Look at how the used that stump as a footing!