Western Railroad Discussion > Tacoma Sounder Bridge Walk

On Monday 2/20/17, I was invited to tour the new Sounder bridge in Tacoma, WA with the Structure Superintendent.   This was in the midst of the transition from the historic Milwaukee Road S-Curve trestle to the new bridge.  At the point of my tour, the connection to the new bridge had been made at the east end, and all the work was focused on the west end.  Bringing in the rail across the new steel bridge over G street, installing a new switch between main 2 (for Tacoma Rail's use) and the platform, and a few other odds and ends.

The bridge is accessible from a set of temporay stairs at the west end of the double track section of the bridge.  Once the trestle is removed (in process now), the second half of the double track bridge will be built, tieing in to the short section of double track that was built as part of the first half.

1) Bridge Walk – Looking east from mid-span
2) Builder’s plate for the Steel span over the Beer Spur, reported to be part of the original 1908 trestle for the crossing of G street.  Plate Reads:  1908 Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Co. Milwaukee WIS.
3) Another East looking view the includes the Beer Spur steel span.

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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4) Ballast Regulator and Tamper.  Also note the switch removed that connected Main 1 (and the coach yard) to Main 2, and the new alignment of Main 2.
5) Looking West from mid-span. Note that the guard rails are not yet spiked in place.
6) Looking at the work on the steel bridge over G street.  Note the cast iron drainage system and the waterproofed bridge deck.
 

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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7) SpeedSwing shoving the last piece of rail across the bridge.
8) Last piece of welded rail being shoved across rollers to its final resting place. Looks like quite a mess in the background.
9) Last piece of welded rail almost in place.
 

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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10)  Looking east from the steel bridge over G street, with the SpeedSwing operator waiting for instructions.
11)  The old trestle and the temporary stairs to access the new bridge.
12)  Some of the connection points for the second half of the pier cap.
 

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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13)  This was to be the west end of the double track structure, but the upper right piling was too close to the bent (A-13) of the trestle, so it was left with 3 out of 4 pilings driven.
14)  Side-by-side comparison of the structures.  Note all the connections for the second half of the new bridge and the recently replaced wood on one of the bents of the trestle.
15)  More side-by-side comparison of the structures.  Note all the connections for the second half of the new bridge and the recently replaced wood on one of the bents of the trestle.

That's all for the bridge walk, more construction photos to come. 
 

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

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Wow!  I've been waiting five days for this installment.  Thanks for sharing.
Steve, it appears that the new structure, when finally completed, will carry two tracks (an overhead view from Google Earth shows two tracks on either side of the old Milwaukee Road trestle), but the viaduct carrying the second track can't go in until the trestle gets torn down.  Is that assessment correct?  Thanks again for posting and for your reply.
Cheers!!
 

I would ask the construction crew to cut out the original plaque from the trestle you showed us as a souvenir. Great photos. The beer spur I assume goes to a brewery?

Posted from iPhone

Steve:

I have been following the story and construction pictures avidly!  But...this edition has captions for Picture #s 13, 14, and 15 but no images embedded to go with those captions.  Or am I having senior moments and have lost (more of) my mind?

Bruce 
Columbia MO

Yes, two tracks when completed.  Where the new design allowed, the first "half" was built as the two track structure, but that was only about 5 spans (guessing at the moment).  If I understood correctly, construction will start on the west end and work east, as the demo company removes the trestle working west to east.   

billio Wrote:
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> Wow!  I've been waiting five days for this
> installment.  Thanks for sharing.
> Steve, it appears that the new structure, when
> finally completed, will carry two tracks (an
> overhead view from Google Earth shows two tracks
> on either side of the old Milwaukee Road trestle),
> but the viaduct carrying the second track can't go
> in until the trestle gets torn down.  Is that
> assessment correct?  Thanks again for posting and
> for your reply.
> Cheers!!
>  

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

There are actually two builder's plates and that request has been made.

I'm also facilitating an effort to save pieces of the steel girder bridge beams that were painted with the MIlwaukee Road herald..  Looks like those could go to two local preservation orgs.

CPRR Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> I would ask the construction crew to cut out the
> original plaque from the trestle you showed us as
> a souvenir. Great photos. The beer spur I assume
> goes to a brewery?
>
> Posted from iPhone

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography

No, that was me.  Too tired to double check my post.  Fixed now.

BCutter Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Steve:
>
> I have been following the story and construction
> pictures avidly!  But...this edition has captions
> for Picture #s 13, 14, and 15 but no images
> embedded to go with those captions.  Or am I
> having senior moments and have lost (more of) my
> mind?
>
> Bruce 
> Columbia MO

Steve Carter
Gig Harbor, WA
My Photography



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/17 08:13 by DelMonteX.

Thanks for shooting/posting.

Very interesting post.
John

I second (or third) the comment on saving the bridge builder's plate.  Those have a tendency to end up cracked and in the scrap pile if care isn't take when removing the structure.   A few minutes with a torch would be all it take to get it off.

And thank you very much for the photos and story.  I love seeing construction work.

CV the civil E in NJ



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/27/17 10:02 by cjvrr.

Thanks for the 15 images!  Awesome documentation of this.  Mixed feelings about seeing the end of this series in the future!  I really like your images and the story telling that accompanies the images.

Bruce

I also enjoy following the updates on this project.  

Excellent coverage, thanks for sharing!

Steve, do you or anyone else know, roughly, when this will be completed and start being used by Amtrak trains? I would like to plan a trip on the Cascades or Coast Starlight while they are still using the current route along Puget Sound and under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Thanks for any feedback.

StarlightRider Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Steve, do you or anyone else know, roughly, when
> this will be completed and start being used by
> Amtrak trains? I would like to plan a trip on the
> Cascades or Coast Starlight while they are still
> using the current route along Puget Sound and
> under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Thanks for any
> feedback.

Could be as early as end of September.

TAW

TAW Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> StarlightRider Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Steve, do you or anyone else know, roughly,
> when
> > this will be completed and start being used by
> > Amtrak trains? I would like to plan a trip on
> the
> > Cascades or Coast Starlight while they are
> still
> > using the current route along Puget Sound and
> > under the Tacoma Narrows Bridge. Thanks for any
> > feedback.
>
> Could be as early as end of September.
>
> TAW

Thanks, TAW. So, a little bit of time to plan a trip or three. I doubt it, but I wonder if there will be any sort of alert on Amtrak.com or any where else when the switch over takes place?