CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Chicago, IL
June 2020

Kodak Portra 400 (shot at IS0-200)

Camera - Canon EOS 1v with lenses - EF 16-35mm f/4L IS and EF 70-200mm f/2.8L IS II
Processing and scanning by North Coast Photography Services of Carlsbad, CA

The Canal Street railroad bridge (or Pennsylvania Railroad bridge) is a vertical-lift bridge across the south branch of the Chicago River in Chicago, Illinois. It was designated a Chicago Landmark in 2007.

Canal Street railroad bridge by Paul Sager, on Flickr


The present bridge was constructed for the Pennsylvania Railroad in 1913 to replace a two-track swing bridge at the same location. The necessity to allow both continued use of the swing bridge and unimpeded river traffic during building work complicated construction of the bridge. The chosen solution was to construct the bridge in the raised position above the old bridge, then demolish the old bridge once construction was completed.

Canal Street railroad bridge


In the Spring the several bridges along the Chicago River are raised on the weekends to allow boats in storage to travel back out to Lake Michigan.

Canal Street railroad bridge


When completed in 1914, the 1500-ton main span was the heaviest of any vertical lift bridge in the United States. The bridge is the only vertical-lift bridge across the Chicago River.

Canal Street railroad bridge


The film is scanned to a high pixel resolution of 5035 x 3339 (17MP) JPEGs, then processed in Adobe Lightroom 6.

Canon Street railroad bridge


These images are sized to fill your wide-screen display. Try using <F11> to maximize your browser window for the full effect. If the images overshoot your display, such as a laptop, just click on the image or the URL link and they'll resize to your screen from the host Flickr site. You can click a bit further into the image details on the Flickr page, if desired. EXIF data is available from the host Flickr pages as well. On the Flickr site, use your <L>key for Large and the <F11> for the full-screen.

Longshadow Loc: Audubon, PA, United States

Cubanphoto

Beautiful. I am not an expert, but the composition is great - the old and new!
I have seen the bridges in Chicago as I lived there for a long time. Thank you for sharing.

47greyfox Loc: on the edge of the Colorado front range

Maybe if the right folks see your post, a paint job might be included in the budget. Although, the rustic look would be lost. Nice series, Paul, and the narratives are always a plus! Thanks for sharing.

anotherview Loc: California

Your photos have an eye-appealing, sumptuous quality to them.

Picture Taker Loc: Michigan Thumb

Neat

junglejim1949 Loc: Sacramento,CA

I have always enjoyed bridges and their unique designs. You have given us a special showing and narrative... thanks Paul

cedymock Loc: Irmo, South Carolina

Paul; great as always, and if you are not making coffee table books of your photographs and stories behind them you should be you do an excellent job.
Charles

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Cubanphoto! These images are a result of probably 3 hours of watching, waiting and shooting when the light changed. At one point, I was leaving with everything completely packed up and then I saw the sun was going to clear the clouds again, and back I went to the same spot and set up again. Glad you enjoyed.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you 47greyfox! As far as I can remember over the past 30 years, this is how this bridge has ever looked in a patina of rust.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Bill, Cubanphoto, 47greyfox, anotherview, Picture Taker, junglejim1949, Charles! Most of my time living in Chicago these last 30 years have been very northside focus. Then, I had a job in the far SW suburbs that involved driving past this bridge on the interstate that heads toward St Louis. My entire perspective of the city changed and opened a whole new world of photography ideas. Thank you for your kind comments.

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Charles! My father has asked what the purpose is too ...

kpmac Loc: Ragley, La

Very nicely composed and exposed, Paul.

imagemeister Loc: mid east Florida

Looks like a good place for an "accident" .....thanks for sharing

CHG_CANON Loc: the Windy City

Thank you Larry! The 'end of the line' is just beyond the grey building on the left. Not that I've been there more than 5 ish hours total, but there's always several workers around the bridge. I think the slowness of traveling through this area will tend to diminish the risk of an accident, either collision or running off track (or into the river).