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Postcard: Side view |
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Postcard: Oblique view |
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Photo taken by Robert Elder |
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Atchison Rail Bridge Gap in swing span bridge Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Swing Span opening Swing span st angle with one end of swing span aligned with Amelia Earhart Bridge pier Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Barge Pasing Atchison Rail Bridge with Barge Passing Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Swing Span Bridge interlocked in open position Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Completely Open Bridge ready barge to pass Photo taken by David B. Haun |
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Looking down river Swing span nearly in open position looking down river Photo taken by David B. Haun |
No, the 1875 bridge was replaced by the current one in 1900.
This bridge can not be the orignal for two reasons,
1. The Chouteau bridge in Kansas City, Missouri was built in 1887, according to the Kansas City Star in 2001 (at the time of its replacment) it was the oldest bridge spanning the Missouri River.
Had the orignal 1875 bridge been here, the Chouteau bridge would be the second oldest.
2. A 1875 bridge probably would not have spans like this, but more of a round design.
I hope this can answer your question
Was the entire bridge replaced in 1900 such that none of the original spans remain today? The locals have told me differently, saying that one or more of the original spans is still in place.
Some Photo show it with a barge and tow boat passing.
Show swing span on Atchison RailRoad Bridge open or moving.
The current Atchison Railroad Bridge is not the 1875 bridge, but the 1900 replacement done by George S Morison.
View of the bridge from the bluff near the Amelia Earhart Historic Home in April 2007. The Amelia Earhart Highway bridge is in the background.
Here is a picture i took of it while traveling across the road bridge between Kansas and Missouri.
Is the current Atchison Railroad Bridge the same bridge as the original Atchison Railroad Bridge that opened in 1875? I can't seem to pin that down. If so, then I believe this bridge is the oldest existing bridge over the Missouri River in any state.
This bridge is still in use by the Union Pacific Railroad and the Burlington Northern Santa Fe Railroad on a daily basis.
Correction. The photo was taken in November 2002, not October, 2004
