Title
Mobile and Ohio Railroad Bridge: Two Views, circa 1910 and circa 1950
Subject
Railroad bridges
Black Warrior River (Ala.)
Railroads
Trestles
Mobile and Ohio Railroad Company
Description
Two views of the Mobile and Ohio (M&O) trestle over the Black Warrior River near Tuscaloosa.The colored photo was taken around 1910 and the black and white circa 1950. The bridge for cars can be seen behind the trestle in the circa 1950 photo. The railroad bridge appears unchanged in the 40 years between the two photos.
The M&O Railroad trestle is a wooden and steel truss bridge that was constructed across the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa for the M&O Railroad in 1898. Civil engineer Benjamin Hardaway, an 1887 graduate of the University of Alabama and former Tuscaloosa city engineer, designed the trestle. Originally 135 feet high with a 110 ft. clearance, it was once considered by many to be the country's longest trestle at 3600 feet. The designed included a passage for steamboats. The M & O ran between Columbus, Miss., and Montgomery. Until the M & O arrived, the Alabama and Chattanooga (known after 1878 as the Alabama Great Southern or AGS) was the area’s only railroad link.
In the 1930’s M&O Railroad became the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad and then the Illinois Central Gulf and then the Kansas City Southern.
The M&O Railroad trestle is a wooden and steel truss bridge that was constructed across the Black Warrior River in Tuscaloosa for the M&O Railroad in 1898. Civil engineer Benjamin Hardaway, an 1887 graduate of the University of Alabama and former Tuscaloosa city engineer, designed the trestle. Originally 135 feet high with a 110 ft. clearance, it was once considered by many to be the country's longest trestle at 3600 feet. The designed included a passage for steamboats. The M & O ran between Columbus, Miss., and Montgomery. Until the M & O arrived, the Alabama and Chattanooga (known after 1878 as the Alabama Great Southern or AGS) was the area’s only railroad link.
In the 1930’s M&O Railroad became the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad and then the Illinois Central Gulf and then the Kansas City Southern.
Source
Personal Collection of Jason Townsend
Date
circa 1910 and circa 1950
Contributor
Betty Slowe (Description)
Type
Postcard
Identifier
97
Coverage
Black Warrior River (AL)