Farmington River Railroad Bridge facts for kids
Quick facts for kids |
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Farmington River Railroad Bridge
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 Location in Connecticut
Location in the United States
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| Location | Spans Farmington River and Pleasant St. W of Palisado Ave., Windsor, Connecticut |
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| Area | less than one acre |
| Built | 1867 |
| NRHP reference No. | 72001334 |
| Added to NRHP | August 25, 1972 |
The Farmington River Railroad Bridge is a super old and strong bridge in Windsor, Connecticut. It crosses the Farmington River and helps trains travel between Hartford, Connecticut and Springfield, Massachusetts. This amazing stone bridge was built way back in 1867.
It's known as one of the best examples of a stone arch railroad bridge in Connecticut. Because it's so special and important, it was added to the National Register of Historic Places in 1972. This list keeps track of places that are important to American history.
About the Bridge
The Farmington River Railroad Bridge is found just north of the center of Windsor. It stretches across the Farmington River, which flows east. The bridge runs from north to south, right near Pleasant Street.
How the Bridge is Built
This bridge is made from strong stone. It is about 464 feet (141 meters) long. The builders used local sandstone to create it. The bridge has seven big arches. These arches rest on strong stone supports called piers and abutments.
The stones used are rectangular blocks of different sizes. The sides of the piers look like flat columns, with a special stone cap on top. Above each cap is a stone railing. The parts of the piers facing upstream have pointy, triangle shapes. These shapes help protect the bridge from damage when ice floats down the river.
Bridge History and Use
The Hartford and New Haven Railroad built this bridge in 1867. Since then, it has been a very important part of the main train line. This line connects the cities of Hartford and Springfield.
It's really cool that this old bridge is still used today! Modern trains are much heavier and faster than trains from 1867. But the Farmington River Railroad Bridge was built so well that it can still handle them. The bridge was also designed to let barges pass underneath it on the river.
