DAR Bridges

[Dan Conlin]

There was a news annoucement last Wednesday on CTV that Nova Scotia's Dept of Natural Resources will be demolishing the big abandoned DAR bridges this summer as they are a safety hazard - expected to cost about $10 million!

If you haven't got you photos of the Annapolis, Clementsport and Bear River bridges, you'd better take 'em soon.

Dan Conlin

[downeastrailfan]

Can't say I'm surprised Dan. A couple of the brackets have come loose on the Bear River bridge. Seems to me the Province should have taken them down when steel prices were high. Hopefully the locals can keep us posted as to when demolition starts.

[Dan Conlin]

An archaeological summary of the Bear River, Moose River and Sissiboo Bridges is featured on this website:
http://davismacintyre.com/Featured_Proj ... idges.html
Some neat pictures.

Dan Conlin

[stem]

I didn't know the bridge at Clementport was called the Moose River bridge.

[Dan Conlin]

Demolition has started on the DAR bridges at Weymouth, Bear River and Clementsport, starting with Weymouth.
Here's the story in the Digby Courier:
http://www.digbycourier.ca/News/2011-08 ... -trestle/1

Dan Conlin

[stem]

Just as the DAR on MSTS is coming to life, it's real world counterpart is coming apart.

I still think the 100 highway system is an uneconomical and poor replacement for the railway in Nova Scotia.

[hollyhanes]

Holly has a picture of the half destroyed Shubenacadie Bridge. Should a copy be placed here?

[stem]

You are most welcome.. and encouraged... to upload anything and every DAR from any time period.

Thank you Heather.

[Tedsgrandson]

There are some good pictures of the Bear River Bridge on this website:

http://ns1758.ca/rail/dar-bridge-bearriv.html

The demolition is now underway. There are recent pictures taken about a year ago, as well as some pictures taken during the demolition process.

Jim Joyce
Dartmouth, N. S.

[stem]

Oooh.. Ivan Smith has a great scan of both the wooden trestle and the new steel span under construction in 1912. Would love this one on the wiki but of course, that won't happen unless someone else has this same photo and would give permission!

http://ns1758.ca/rail/dar-bridge-bearriv-ph22.html

Thanks for the heads up Jim. Are the rest of the demolition photos yours too? Some of the real detail shots of the spans would be nice for modelling purposes. Anyone have any dimensions or a drawing of the bridge?

[Tedsgrandson]

Hi Steve:

None of the pictures on this site are mine. Some of the pictures shown here of the bridge prior to the start of the demolition are similar to the ones that I took this past summer (pure coincidence) but these are not mine. However, I'm hoping to get back down there very soon to try to get some more pictures before the demolition is complete, and if I can do this, I will definitely post them here.

Jim Joyce
Dartmouth, N.S.

[stem]

Thanks for the info Jim. Can you imagine a model of that bridge? Would look nice! The whole stretch from Annapolis Royal through to Digby with allthe bridges would make a fine straight stretch against the back wall of any layout.

Can hardly wait until the day when Paul Charland ends up with the MSTS DAR finished to Digby.

[PEIR]

It's a shame that the bridges have to come down but with funds limited it would probably cost a lot more to bring them back to safe standards. How long has this stretch of railway been abandoned?

Stephen

[downeastrailfan]

It was abandoned in 1990 and the tracks were removed the following year.