Home > Illinois > Chicago > Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, Bridge No. Z-2, Spanning North Branch Canal at North Cherry Avenue, Chicago, Cook County, IL
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Item Title
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway, Bridge No. Z-2, Spanning North Branch Canal at North Cherry Avenue, Chicago, Cook County, IL
LocationSpanning North Branch Canal at North Cherry Avenue,
Chicago, IL
Find maps of Chicago, IL
Created/Published
Documentation compiled after 1968.
Notes
Survey number HAER IL-143
Unprocessed field note material exists for this structure (N645; N964).
Building/structure dates:
1901 initial construction
Significance: The Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway's Bridge No. Z-2 is not only one of a few remaining swing bridges in Chicago, but is also of a rare asymmetrical or "bob-tail" type. The pivot pier is on shore rather than at mid-channel, with the resulting asymmetric truss balanced by a concrete counterweight, an early use of that material on a movable bridge. Aligned with Cherry Avenue, the bridge once carried limited vehicular traffic in addition to freight trains, making it perhaps the only surviving bridge in Chicago that once served that combination of modes. The bridge was crucial to the development of Goose Island, carrying the only rail line serving the industries and freight yard there.
Subjects
Railroad BridgesSwing BridgesTransportation
Related Names
Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
Canadian Pacific Railroad
Spivey, Justin M., Historian
Lowe, Jet, Photographer
Kranjcevic, Domagoj, Delineator
Collection
Historic American Engineering Record (Library of Congress)
Contents
Photograph caption(s):
1. AERIAL VIEW, LOOKING WEST ALONG NORTH AVENUE. BRIDGE No. Z-2 AT CENTER LEFT OF FRAME.
2. AERIAL VIEW, LOOKING SW. TIP OF GOOSE ISLAND AT TOP LEFT OF FRAME.
3. AERIAL VIEW, LOOKING ESE. TIP OF GOOSE ISLAND AT TOP RIGHT OF FRAME.
4. WEST ELEVATION OF BRIDGE No. Z-2, LOOKING ACROSS NORTH BRANCH OF CHICAGO RIVER.
5. SOUTH PORTAL ELEVATION.
6. PERSPECTIVE VIEW OF CONCRETE COUNTERWEIGHT, LOOKING SW ACROSS NORTH AVENUE.
7. PERSPECTIVE VIEW, FROM ROOFTOP ACROSS NORTH AVENUE.
8. DETAIL OF COUNTERWEIGHT ARM, EAST ELEVATION.
9. LOOKING UP AT CONCRETE COUNTERWEIGHT.
10. PERSPECTIVE, LOOKING NE.
11. BARREL VIEW, LOOKING NORTH TOWARD COUNTERWEIGHT.
12. NORTH PORTAL ELEVATION, LOOKING ACROSS NORTH AVENUE.
13. DRIVE GEAR AND TURNTABLE DETAIL.
14. DETAIL OF ROCKER BEARING GEAR AT SOUTH ABUTMENT.
15. DETAIL OF ROCKER BEARING AT SOUTH ABUTMENT. NOTE LOCKING MECHANISM AT LEFT OF FRAME.
16. AERIAL VIEW OF GOOSE ISLAND, LOOKING SOUTH, CIRCA 1960. BRIDGE No. Z-2 AT LOWER LEFT OF FRAME.
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