Ome Line "well-known military field iron bridge"

[velotrain]

http://hkuma.com/rail/okutetsu02.html

 

I ran across this photo of a ED16 hauling a string of limestone cars and my immediate thought was, "What's a Japanese train doing on an American bridge".  No doubt this type of construction may be used around the world, but I'm quite certain that it's a distinctly North American design, used particularly in the American and Canadian west.

 

http://k-miyata.com/ed16/honbun/winter-p.html

 

Looking at this site, his description of the bridge made me think that perhaps it was built by American Army field engineers at some point after the war, using imported parts.  I gather the river is somewhere under the middle of the train, as that's where the longest span is, although the heaviest (strongest) span is between the two towers.  I can't decide if the concrete elements are free-standing piers, or the abutments at the ends of the bridge.  If the former, they appear to be very close to the actual terminal points of the bridge.

 

I'd like to find some other photos of this bridge, but so far have been unable to - no doubt due to using the wrong search phrase.  Just wondering is anyone here has info on this, or suggestions for better search terms - thanks.

 

[tossedman]

Some more pics here I think.

 

http://sl-taki.blog.so-net.ne.jp/archive/c2300550602-1

 

http://utanilog.blog.so-net.ne.jp/2009-02-23 If it's the same trestle bridge it was completed in 1929, the length is 105 m.

[kvp]

You could try this for more photos: 軍畑の鉄橋にて

Edited December 24, 2016 by kvp

[velotrain]

Thanks guys.

 

tossedman - that first link has some interesting B&W images near the bottom, including a shot of the limestone train, and one of some period baggage cars at parcel loading platforms.

 

kvp - you got the search string right on.  I tend to like saturated colors, but I'm not sure about that red they apparently painted it in recently.  I had to check to make sure it was real, as it seems to be shown in as many renderings as photographs ;-)  I think I like the bridge better during the ED / limestone era - but then I'm defiantly retro.

[velotrain]

I found an interesting page - apparently it was Japanese built, but patterned after western US bridges.

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://www.asahi-net.or.jp/~cn3h-kkc/tokyo/okusawa.htm&prev=search

 

At the bottom, he says something that perhaps indicates there are plans to replace it?  Either that, or the translation isn't very good ;-)

 

"Although it is a magnificent bridge, it will be missed only because it was also a tourist attraction" - Google translation.

 

 

 

Another retro person wrote,

 

" やっぱりED16が唸りながら走ってた頃が一番良き時代ですかね。 I guess it is the best time when the ED 16 was groaning and running."

 

https://translate.google.com/translate?hl=en&sl=ja&u=http://gold.ap.teacup.com/line/561.html&prev=search

[velotrain]

Before seeing the top photo (link), I hadn't been aware of any bridges of this type in Japan.  However, I've discovered that there was a far longer one, the Amarube Viaduct - now replaced with a modern structure.  The span sections of this seemed overly long to me until I noticed that it is actually a low-profile suspension bridge.

 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amarube_Viaduct

 

The Background info clearly has a typo, as I know it didn't take 203 years to construct ;-)  Not to mention this technology not being available in 1709.

 

Just looking at the photo of the original bridge under construction, it was obviously a very wide valley, but I failed to interpret the flatness as indicating that the sea was so near.

 

 

I've also learned that "military field" is so-called for two major battles that took place nearby, but I haven't found any details so have no idea what era(s) they might have taken place in.