Newark Slough Swing Bridge Old Train Bridges Of America

In this video i visit the Newark Slough Swing Bridge. Abandoned train bridge in Newark California. I give a brief history of the bridge and offer drone video. Exploring the bridge and the operators cabin with the use of a drone gives a really neat look at this piece of American history.

[@danielhoward755]

Nice video. I enjoyed the details you discuss and show.

[@andradebiscotti]

Yeah, passed it going over the Dunbarton. Lived 5 miles away for 10 years. It just sits there. Thanks for bringing the story to life.

[@InsightfulImagery]

thanks for watching and appreciating. it is quite neat for sure and lots dont even know its there

[@standingbear7851]

I was born n' raised out here' but barely just discovered this place on Google Earth, super cool video, thank you for making it!

[@InsightfulImagery]

np thanks for watching and appreciating

[@gingerbread6614]

We lived in Sunnyvale & now San Jose, ca. & never knew it was here. Thank you

[@flywrightdrones]

I love this one, I thought you were gonna fly through it 😁. If only those that built this bridge could see it 100 years later with a drone flying around it. We’re lucky to be alive right now to see this amazing technology.

[@InsightfulImagery]

yes I would have flown through it but I just couldn't see from my angle well enough to be comfortable doing it hahh I wanted too though

[@yrunaked4]

the builders plaque is still on the bridge, that will say who built it. Maybe the bridge was moved there from another location or re purposed because the span is designed for 2 tracks but clearly only one track is on that route. Maybe they planned on adding a 2nd track and it never panned out. looks as if it was built by American Bridge Co. and was a former Southern Pacific line. Great work, thanks for the tour.

[@InsightfulImagery]

Great ideas and thanks for commenting and viewing I love these old bridges for sure I appreciate your input

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

Yes. I think it was purposely built for a second track that never happened. There's a rail bridge on a line that is used once a year in Nutley, NJ that was built to take a second track. The second track was never built.

[@the_gold_canopy]

great video great explore!

[@InsightfulImagery]

ty i appreciate the view and comment!

[@davidknowledge4721]

I love the narrator delivery 💜

[@InsightfulImagery]

thanks for watching and commenting

[@scottkew6278]

A very similar operation that you can go see today in 2023 is at Ignacio on the new SMART TRAIN in East Marin County right next to the Marin County and the Napa County line. It was part of the the E H Harriman expansion of his railroad empire of the combined Southern Pacific Union Pacific. You can see that the line was intended to eventually be double tracked. No one would have been assigned to run the bridge. It would have been more like a call to the station at Niles to send an operator to that bridge to open it. The bridge was required to be kept in good working order and subject to marine inspections. But no one lived there I don t think.

[@InsightfulImagery]

Awesome info thanks

[@TheMrPeteChannel]

I followed the river it crossed on a map. By the time it got to Newark, California it's barely larger than a creek. Probably only deep enough for pleasure craft. I'm guessing the 6 times it opened was for survey/sounding boats.

[@InsightfulImagery]

Yes bet you are right thanks for watching i love these old bits of steal and rust.

[@williammcgeehan3424]

Is it possible this was used by Pacific Electric ?? Last used by Southern Pacific circa late 1970's ??

[@InsightfulImagery]

Not sure but I honestly don’t know except what I could find for the video railroad history seems a bit tough to trace at times lol they change so quickly it seems

[@davidjackson1268]

No. The Pacific Electric was in the Los Angeles area. This bridge at Newark Slough is the smaller of the two on the old Southern Pacific route across the southern San Francisco Bay; the other is the big train bridge that can be seen from the vehicle bridge. This rail line - known as the SP's Tracy Line - ran from Redwood Junction on the Peninsula across the Bay into Newark, then through Centerville (Fremont) on to Niles Canyon, then over to Sunol, Pleasanton, Livermore and Altamont, before arriving at Tracy.

[@scottkew6278]

This is the subject of the wishlist for Bay Area transit developers. I think that this is also part of the projected high speed rail project which will probably never happen.

[@deancj1]

Yes, the produced salt out there.... there were ponds and piles of salt all along that area up to hayward.

[@littlewingpsc27]

If the bridge is properly balanced on that pier, it wouldn't take much energy to rotate it, so a small engine could do it with a drive line like that. Built with rivets. Before the days of welding.

[@InsightfulImagery]

Awesome for sure when I got under the bridge you see the gear ring and the wheels pretty amazing for sure I love the old bridges

[@TexasRailfan2008]

If only you could get in the house at the top!

[@InsightfulImagery]

I did get up there on a trip before this one. before I had drones lol if you want bird bones bird poop and lots of dust that is the house to visit lol

[@TexasRailfan2008]

@@InsightfulImagery was that all that was in there?

[@InsightfulImagery]

@@TexasRailfan2008 yes no engine no no nothing but dust and poop ha

[@TexasRailfan2008]

@@InsightfulImagery intresting

[@Insertgenericusernamehere809]

why didn't they dismantle it for scrap metal? That would be some easy money.

[@Insertgenericusernamehere809]

they clearly went through the effort to remove the connecting causeway, so why not the span?

[@InsightfulImagery]

Who knows why the people in charge never seem to to do the most obvious lol. I’m sure it has to do with money as most things do. Thanks for watching

[@kornellred]

Taking the thing apart and transporting the pieces to a scrapper would cost far more than the steel is worth

[@InsightfulImagery]

@@kornellred​​⁠true and it’s not really hurting anything at the moment it’s not polluting or harming any wildlife so I don’t see any need to move it at the moment one day though they will need to figure it out because it’s always going to cost more to move than leave it

[@briansmith-l1q]

is that pronounced , slow, or slow, lol, ,, you say potato, i say potato

[@sunnyblackraider3053]

Nice video, boring voice though

[@InsightfulImagery]

Well it’s the one I was born with. Perhaps mute it next time