The Big Joggins Bridge

Mile 16.5 Yarmouth Subdivision
44°36'3.85"N, 65°44'36.15"W
One of The Joggins Bridges near Digby, just east of the Little Joggins Bridge and just west of the Smith's Cove Station, one of the difficult and expensive bridges along with the Bear River Bridge and the Clementsport Bridge of the "missing link" which delayed the Digby-Annapolis connection for years. Over the years the bridge spans and pile trestle were progressively replaced by fill, eventually becoming a long embankment with a few short spans.

Structure

1914: The old wooden trestle and wooden swing span have been replaced by a 120 ft. d.s. swing span; filled 785 ft. of the trestle approaches, renewing entirely the remaining 180 ft. of trestling. ^[1]
1969: 285 feet long, two deck plate girder spans and with timber trestle approaches.^[2]

Track plan section showing the bridge.
The First Big Joggins Bridge with Digby in the background, circa 1900.
The First Big Joggins Bridge with Digby in the background, date unknown, but before 1914.
Engineering drawing of proposed new pivot pier for approval in 1915.
The Big Joggins Bridge in 1925, now considerably shorter.
Train No. 98 with Engine No. 2617 over the bridge at The Joggins on July 3, 1954.
No. 1015 after collision with No. 1111 at Digby, with Big Joggins Bridge in the background July 19, 1956.
No. 1272 on an eastbound freight at The Joggins Bridge in the winter of 1988.
Eastbound snowplow extra at The Joggins Bridge in the winter of 1987. Locomotive is No. 1272 and the snowplow is No. 401032.
The Joggins Bridge September 1, 2011.