RAILROAD BRIDGES OVER THE PECOS

RAILROAD BRIDGES OVER THE PECOS
A MAJOR TRIBUTARY OF THE RIO GRANDE, THE PECOS RIVER WAS LONG
A BARRIER TO TRANSPORTATION, PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE DEEP GORGE
THAT ONCE MARKED ITS JOINING WITH THE RIO GRANDE.
CONSTRUCTION OF THE FIRST RAILROAD BRIDGE OVER THE PECOS TOOK
PLACE IN 1882 AS PART OF THE TRANSCONTINENTAL ROUTE OF THE
SOUTHERN PACIFIC RAILROAD ACROSS THE LOWER PORTION OF THE
UNITED STATES. ACCESS TO THE BRIDGE, WHICH WAS THEN DEEP IN THE
CANYON, WAS BY MEANS OF A CIRCUITOUS ROUTE AND TWO TUNNELS.
IN 1890, SOUTHERN PACIFIC OFFICIALS BEGAN PLANNING FOR A NEW
BRIDGE, ONE THAT WOULD CUT DIRECTLY ACROSS THE RAVINE BY MEANS
OF A HIGH-LINE VIADUCT THAT WOULD SAVE MILES AND STRAIGHTEN THE
ROUTE. WORK BEGAN IN LATE 1891 AND WAS COMPLETED WITHIN THREE
MONTHS AT A COST OF MORE THAN $250,000. SUPPORTED BY 24
TOWERS, THE BRIDGE WAS THE HIGHEST IN NORTH AMERICA AND THE
THIRD HIGHEST IN THE WORLD AT THE TIME OF ITS COMPLETION.
PASSENGER TRAINS SLOWED TO SIX MILES PER HOUR BEFORE CROSSING IT
AND STOPPED WHILE ON THE BRIDGE TO AFFORD TRAVELERS A VIEW.
DURING WORLD WAR , THE PECOS HIGH BRIDGE BECAME ESSENTIAL
TO THE TRANSPORTATION OF WAR MATERIALS. IN RESPONSE TO HEAVIER
TRAINS AND THE WAR DEMAND, A NEW BRIDGE WAS BUILT IN 1944, WITH
SPECIAL PERMISSION FROM THE WAR PRODUCTION BOARD TO USE
"CRITICAL MATERIALS IN ITS CONSTRUCTION. THE 1944 PECOS HIGH
BRIDGE REMAINS IN USE, ALTHOUGH THE GORGE IS NOT SO DEEP AS IT
ONCE WAS, DUE TO THE RISING OF THE RIVER WITH THE CONSTRUCTION
OF AMISTAD RESERVOIR.




Submitted by @JamesIsaak2