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Canton |
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New Haven train #170 the Colonial on the Viaduct, September 7th, 1968 Photo by Edward D. Galvin from his book, A History Of Canton Junction |
The Canton Viaduct is 615' long, 70' high above Canton River, 38' wide at the deck and it's built on a 1° curve (5,730' radius). The viaduct opened for regular passenger service on July 28th, 1835 and has been in continuous ever since.
The bridge will be 170 years old on Thursday July 28th, 2005.
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The Canton Viaduct is one of the two oldest surviving multiple arch stone railroad bridges still in active mainline use in the United States. The bridge is listed on the National Register of Historic Places in 1984 and designated a National Historic Civil Engineering Landmark by the American Society of Civil Engineers in 1999. |
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The Canton Viaduct is a very unique structure due to its continuous parallel walls, it's hollow inside with 21 individual chambers. For more information on the design criteria, read an extract of the specifications on the Construction page; to view more engineering plans go to the Renovations page. |
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The viaduct was built by the Boston & Providence Railroad Corporation and was the final link on the 41 mile railroad between the two cities. Architectural design for the bridge was provided by Dodd & Baldwin and construction was supervised by Chief Engineer, Major General William Gibbs McNeill, a graduate of West Point Military Academy. Major General George Washington Whistler, father of the famous artist James McNeill Whistler, served as assistant and consulting engineer on the project.
Where are the Canton Viaducts Russian Cousins?
There are two other bridges similar to the Canton Viaduct in the world, both designed by George Washington Whistler located on the October Railroad between Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia. Whistler was summoned to Russia in 1842 at the request of Tsar Nicholas I to consult on the construction of the 403 mile railroad, originally known as the Nicholas Railroad before the Russian Revolution in 1917. The names and exact locations of these two viaducts are unknown...
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The Canton Viaduct is located on the railroad
between Boston, MA and Providence, RI. |
The Canton Viaducts Russian cousins are located on the
railroad between Moscow and St. Petersburg in Russia.
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Here is a viaduct model similar to the Canton Viaduct at the October Railroad Museum in St. Petersburg, Russia (approximately 4,500 miles away). | |
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A placemat from Nick's Place restaurant near the Canton Viaduct mentions the Canton Viaducts Russian cousins. |
Lego model of the Canton Viaduct built by Ed Costanza in 2004 |
Photo courtesy of Peggy Coleman, Director of the Russian American Cultural Center of Boston |
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Read about the Russian Heritage Highway project between Moscow and St. Petersburg - parallel to the October Railroad: Stratco Global TourGuideUSA
Other resources: Whistler's Father by Albert Parry Journey from St. Petersburg to Moscow by Alexander Radishchev |
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