Rail Bridge, Northfield, Massachusetts

Infobox Bridge
bridge_name=rail bridge at Northfield, Massachusetts


caption=
official_name=
carries=New England Central Railroad and Amtrak Vermonter
crosses=Connecticut River
locale=Northfield, Franklin County, Massachusetts
maint=
id=
designer =
design=Deck truss bridge
material = Metal truss, on masonry piers
spans = 4
pierswater = 3
mainspan=
length=
width=
height=
load=
clearance=
below=
traffic=
begin=
complete=1903
open=
closed=
toll=
map_cue=
map_

map_text=
map_width=
coordinates= Coord|42|42|22.40|N|72|27|33|W|region:US-MA_type:landmark|display=inline,title|format=dms|name=Northfield V&M Railroad bridge
lat=
long=

The rail crossing at this location originates from the Vermont and Massachusetts Railroad. The V&MRR was chartered in 1844 and completed an extension between Millers Falls, Massachusetts and Brattleboro, Vermont by 1850. Alvah Crocker, a paper and railroad magnate and U.S. Representative, was the first president of the V&MRR. [cite book | last = Wheelwright | first = William Bond | title = Life and Times of Alvah Crocker | origyear = 1923 | url = http://books.google.com/books?id=PEvLpHD1Zs0C | year = 1981 | publisher = Ayer Publishing | isbn = 0405138229] Initially, the V&MRR was operated by Crocker's Fitchburg Railroad.

This rail bridge is currently used by Amtrak's Vermonter passenger service.

Notes

Cnote|B|United States Geological Survey topographic map showing the bridge as the New London Northern Railroad bridge. [Cite web
title=USGS 15 minute Warwick, Massachusetts topographic map (North-West corner)
date=1887-1894, reprinted 1915
publisher=University of New Hampshire Library
url=http://docs.unh.edu/MA/wrwc94nw.jpg
format=JPEG
accessdate=2008-07-29] Cnote|C|United States Geological Survey topographic map showing the bridge as the Central Vermont Railway bridge. [Cite web
title=USGS 7.5 minute Northfield, Massachusetts topographic map (South-West corner)
date=1936, printed 1941
publisher=University of New Hampshire Library
url=http://docs.unh.edu/MA/nfld41sw.jpg
format=JPEG
accessdate=2008-07-29]

References

General references

* USGS Warwick, Massachusetts-New Hampshire-Vermont Quadrangle Map, March 1894, reprinted October 1915. [http://docs.unh.edu/nhtopos/nhtopos.htm Historic USGS Maps of New England & New York] , University of New Hampshire Library Digital Collections Initiative.

Crossings navbox
structure = Crossings
place = Connecticut River
bridge = rail bridge
bridge signs =
upstream = Schell Bridge
upstream signs =
downstream = Rt. 10 Bridge
downstream signs =