Tonawanda swing bridge.

Anyone know the history behind the small swing bridge right where the Erie Canal (Tonawanda Creek) meets the Niagara River?
(there are actually two swing bridges in this area..the northern bridge goes to Tonawanda Island, and was used by the Tonawanda Island Railroad..im referring to the southern bridge, on the Erie Canal)

The bridge appears to be too small, light and spindly to be a railroad bridge..
(also too short in height..the metal structures across the top look too low for a "regular" train to pass under)
was it perhaps a trolly/streetcar line?
I tried googling it, but cant come up with anything..except a photo:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/kctanker/3344313563/

I know its Tonawanda Creek going into the Niagara River..
but isnt Tonawanda Creek *also* the Erie Canal right there?

I walked by this bridge yesterday..on a walk with the wife..left the camera in the car!

thanks,
scot

That's not the bridge to the old Tonawanda Island Railroad, is it?

Both are railroad bridges. One went onto Tonawanda Island. The other went to the City of Tonawanda right along the river. There was a spur that went to an industry in the city. You can find the tracks on old topographical maps. Both were used by the NYCRR, actually NYC&HRRR in those early days.

When out on my boat and I pass along side it, I want to climb on it so bad to check out the time stamp on the rails. Maybe someday I'll ask the police dept down the street for permission to "crawl" on it. They'll probably say no.

If you get hassled (doubtful) just have some fishing gear with you and tell them you're looking for a new spot to catch walleye.

The bridge must have been out of use for a long time - probably had weight restrictions too.

thanks guys..
wow..im honestly amazed it was a railroad bridge!
it seems FAR too light and small for that!
must have been a lightly used branchline..
and of course freight cars were smaller back in the day..(im thinking it was mostly used pre WWII probably)

thanks,
Scot

you meant this one, right? (i hope the link will work..)

http://tiny.cc/EGNUY

sd80mac wrote:you meant this one, right? (i hope the link will work..)

http://tiny.cc/EGNUY

yep!
thats the one!

how did you get the Bing link?
I have tried making "push pins" but I cant find a way to link to the pushpin..
(I understand "tiny url" just not how to get the link in the first place..)

thanks,
Scot

The Tonawanda Creek section from downtown Tonawanda to the Niagara River was not the original Erie Canal. The original reach of the Erie Canal from downtown Tonawanda to Downtown Buffalo is now burried under Niagara St. in Tonawanda and the rest of the right of way can be seen as a ditch-like depression running along River Rd down to Buffalo. The Tonawanda Creek section was just a larger & deeper area of the canal to allow lake freighters into downtown Tonawanda from the Niagara River while the barge canal traffic stayed in the protected water of the Erie Canal to the South. When the section of the Erie Canal to Buffalo was abandonded & filled, Tonawanda Creek became the Western end of the New York state Barge Canal by default. Interperative signs in place at this time all around that area along the sidewalk show street views of the way it used to be set up down there and they also show the old NYC main line & bridge that ran right through the area before they swung the tracks over to the current lift bridge set up, and along the streets there. (The old bridge abutments are also still visible).


-B in B

Otto Vondrak wrote:That's not the bridge to the old Tonawanda Island Railroad, is it?

This is the bridge used by the TIRR:
http://www.bing.com/maps/?v=2&cp=r54071 ... vl=1&sty=b

The bridge in question is South of this bridge by only a quarter mile or so.

It appears likely that both bridges were contructed by the same company at the same time since they appear to be identical.

While I sit here and re-read these posts,I seem to recall seeing a map/chart with this line on it. Unfortunately, I don't remember where or when for sure. I do remember seeing some incredible maps at the Cheektowaga library on Union Rd just north of Frontier. They go back into the 1800's. I bet the Tonawanda Historical Society [Ex-NYC depot] has maps too. Looks like I have something to do this coming weekend.

scottychaos wrote:
how did you get the Bing link?
I have tried making "push pins" but I cant find a way to link to the pushpin..
(I understand "tiny url" just not how to get the link in the first place..)

thanks,
Scot

yeah apparently they changed the layout of the website. It took me a while to figure out how to get correct link of certain location. If you have toggle task area open (left side bar), you can see email icon at the bottom of task area. Hit it. The link will show up and do your routine stuff (copy and paste)

Scot's bridge is on the left. TIRR is not shown (off map on upper left). Bridges from L-R are NYC, road, NYC, road/trolley, NYC, Erie/Int RR.
Charles

I forgot all about that bridge until Scot started this thread.

I remember there was some type of building along the river, south of the creek and behind the police station, and a RR siding that ran up to it. I think it was a steam heating plant and recieved shipments of coal via the siding.

And a comment on the map Charles posted: the right-most bridge is the Erie; the International RR crossed the canal a bit further east where the 425 bridge now is.

The right most bridge has two tracks crossing it. The track on the right is labeled "International RR Co." and the left track is labeled "Erie RR". This is just below the chunk of the map I copied. This makes sense as the two shared the ROW to Lockport.

The overall Town of Tonawanda maps shows no additional bridges east of the right one on the map I posted. The posted map covers all the bridges in the Town of Tonawanda over Tonawanda Creek in 1909.

Charles

JoeS wrote:And a comment on the map Charles posted: the right-most bridge is the Erie; the International RR crossed the canal a bit further east where the 425 bridge now is.