Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Lift Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Chesapeake & Delaware Canal Lift Bridge carries Norfolk Southern rail lines across the Chesapeake & Delaware Canal. Built by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers as part of a canal expansion project and opened in 1966, the Canal Lift Bridge, the only drawbridge on the C & D Canal (other lift bridges, carrying vehicular traffic, had since been replaced with high-level crossings) was owned and operated by the Pennsylvania Railroad
, Penn Central, and Conrail before Norfolk Southern acquired ownership of it in 1998. The bridge is used primarily by NS on its Delmarva Branch (which connects the Eastern Shore of both Maryland
and Virginia
with the Shellpot Branch
(a former electrified thru-freight line) and the Port of Wilmington
. It is also used by Amtrak
for special NASCAR
and Delaware State Fair
events held throughout the year, with the trains departing from 30th Street Station
in Philadelphia
and using Amtrak's Northeast Corridor
to the Bell Junction near Edgemoor
, then departing a short distance later on the Shellpot Branch
and later the Delmarva Branch.
The bridge carries a single track across the canal and is kept open to allow the free flow of shipping traffic underneath. If a freight train plans on crossing the canal in either direction, the engineer must contact the bridge operator at least 30 minutes before crossing, as to allow the bridge to be lowered. Most canal crossings occur at night when most of the shipping traffic (along with train traffic) is at a minimum. The northern approach to the Canal Lift Bridge bisects an abandoned section of the C & D Canal, which was bypassed in the 1960s with the current sea-level channel. The western section currently is home to a marina while the eastern section is an overflow lake and is one of few ponds in Delaware stocked with hybrid striped bass
(a striped bass interbred with a white bass
). Lums Pond State Park, a recreational park whose namesake lake was used to provide water for the old Summit Bridge canal locks, is north and west of the Lift Bridge.
Pennsylvania Railroad
The Pennsylvania Railroad was an American Class I railroad, founded in 1846. Commonly referred to as the "Pennsy", the PRR was headquartered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania....
, Penn Central, and Conrail before Norfolk Southern acquired ownership of it in 1998. The bridge is used primarily by NS on its Delmarva Branch (which connects the Eastern Shore of both Maryland
Maryland
Maryland is a U.S. state located in the Mid Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Virginia, West Virginia, and the District of Columbia to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and Delaware to its east...
and Virginia
Virginia
The Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
with the Shellpot Branch
Shellpot Branch
The Shellpot Branch is a former Pennsylvania Railroad/Penn Central through-freight railroad owned and operated by Norfolk Southern since its acquisition, along with CSX Transportation, of Conrail in 1999...
(a former electrified thru-freight line) and the Port of Wilmington
Wilmington, Delaware
Wilmington is the largest city in the state of Delaware, United States, and is located at the confluence of the Christina River and Brandywine Creek, near where the Christina flows into the Delaware River. It is the county seat of New Castle County and one of the major cities in the Delaware Valley...
. It is also used by Amtrak
Amtrak
The National Railroad Passenger Corporation, doing business as Amtrak , is a government-owned corporation that was organized on May 1, 1971, to provide intercity passenger train service in the United States. "Amtrak" is a portmanteau of the words "America" and "track". It is headquartered at Union...
for special NASCAR
NASCAR
The National Association for Stock Car Auto Racing is a family-owned and -operated business venture that sanctions and governs multiple auto racing sports events. It was founded by Bill France Sr. in 1947–48. As of 2009, the CEO for the company is Brian France, grandson of the late Bill France Sr...
and Delaware State Fair
Delaware State Fair
The Delaware State Fair is the annual state fair for the state of Delaware. It is held in Harrington. The fair is a ten-day event at the end of July.-History:...
events held throughout the year, with the trains departing from 30th Street Station
30th Street Station
30th Street Station is the main railroad station in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and one of the five stations in SEPTA's Center City fare zone. It is also a major stop on Amtrak's Northeast and Keystone Corridors...
in Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Philadelphia is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania and the county seat of Philadelphia County, with which it is coterminous. The city is located in the Northeastern United States along the Delaware and Schuylkill rivers. It is the fifth-most-populous city in the United States,...
and using Amtrak's Northeast Corridor
Northeast Corridor
The Northeast Corridor is a fully electrified railway line owned primarily by Amtrak serving the Northeast megalopolis of the United States from Boston in the north, via New York to Washington, D.C. in the south, with branches serving other cities...
to the Bell Junction near Edgemoor
Edgemoor, Delaware
Edgemoor is a census-designated place in New Castle County, Delaware, United States. The population was 5,992 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Edgemoor is located at ....
, then departing a short distance later on the Shellpot Branch
Shellpot Branch
The Shellpot Branch is a former Pennsylvania Railroad/Penn Central through-freight railroad owned and operated by Norfolk Southern since its acquisition, along with CSX Transportation, of Conrail in 1999...
and later the Delmarva Branch.
The bridge carries a single track across the canal and is kept open to allow the free flow of shipping traffic underneath. If a freight train plans on crossing the canal in either direction, the engineer must contact the bridge operator at least 30 minutes before crossing, as to allow the bridge to be lowered. Most canal crossings occur at night when most of the shipping traffic (along with train traffic) is at a minimum. The northern approach to the Canal Lift Bridge bisects an abandoned section of the C & D Canal, which was bypassed in the 1960s with the current sea-level channel. The western section currently is home to a marina while the eastern section is an overflow lake and is one of few ponds in Delaware stocked with hybrid striped bass
Striped bass
The striped bass is the state fish of Maryland, Rhode Island, South Carolina, and the state saltwater fish of New York, Virginia, and New Hampshire...
(a striped bass interbred with a white bass
White bass
The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass The white bass or sand bass (MoroneIt is the state fish of Oklahoma.- Range :White bass are distributed widely across the United States, particularly in the midwest. They are very abundant in Pennsylvania and the area around Lake Erie...
). Lums Pond State Park, a recreational park whose namesake lake was used to provide water for the old Summit Bridge canal locks, is north and west of the Lift Bridge.
See also
- List of crossings of the Cheasapeake & Delaware Canal