Built to be a swinger, yes
A Carcross VIP
It's no drudge, hasn't needed to budge
Since steamships you no longer see.
Excursion trains rumble over
Full of tourists seeking history
Golden-red, raises ironwork head --
'Tis a pleasing sight to me!
The White Pass & Yukon railway bridge was the site of the driving of the Golden Spike to celebrate completion of the railway on July 29, 1900. Though it doesn't swing any more, this truss bridge handles pedestrian and WP&YR excursion train traffic. It was restored in 1998.
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The White Pass & Yukon Route railway ran through Carcross from 1900
until 1982. The town site of Carcross was laid out and surveyed for the company in 1899 and the rails still run down the centre of the main street. A major fire destroyed the downtown core in 1906 and the present Carcross train depot was built in 1910. The depot is a designated Canadian Heritage Railway Station and operates as a Visitor Reception Centre with local history exhibits. A warehouse behind the depot stored freight that was carried by the sternwheelers and gas boats running on Tagish and Bennett lakes. The warehouse now houses the Koolseen Heritage Centre. The Carcross swing bridge was rebuilt in 1998 and the supports and pilings for the old swing
span were removed.
Great Scenic Railways Journey (
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The White Pass and Yukon Route rail bridge over the strait between Bennett Lake and Nares Lake in Carcross, Yukon The swinging or turning bridge at Carcross was only used a few times to let steamers out of Lake Bennett and has not opened since.
Rails North WP&YR Railroad - Bennett-Carcross Line (
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MP 67.2 - Rebuilding the Carcross Bridge (#67A) in August 1998. Wooden pilings were replaced with steel, new decking was installed, and the supports and pilings for the old swing span were removed.
Interesting notes on building the pedestrian bridge that runs along side can be found at (
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Structurae webpage/database (not a lot of info, but three additional pictures) (
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Carcross Railroad Bridge
Status: in use
Location: Carcross, Yukon, Canada
Structural Type: Truss Bridge
Function / usage: Railroad bridge [railway bridge]
More images can be found at (
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