Transporter Bridge, Buenos Aires

This was one of three transporter bridges in Buenos Aires, Argentina, and the only survivor.

It is also known as Puente Transbordador de La Boca, Puente Transbordador Nicolás Avellaneda, Antiguo Puente Nicolás Avellaneda or Transbordador del Riachuelo.

Not to be confused with the Nicolás Avellaneda Lifting Bridge!

On September 25, 1908 the Buenos Aires Great Southern Railway was authorised to build a transporter bridge uniting the city of Buenos Aires with Buenos Aires Province south of the Riachuelo River.

The bridge was in use from its completion in May 1914 until 1960. Following a successful campaign to save the bridge, restoration started in 2011, and operation recommenced in 2017.

Various sources credit the production of the steel structure to the Earl of Dudley's Round Oak Iron & Steel Works. In fact the steelwork was produced and trial assembled by the Patent Shaft and Axletree Co at their Old Park Ironworks in Wednesbury. Livesey, Son and Henderson were the consulting engineers.

Note: The Metropolitan Carriage, Wagon and Finance Co or Metropolitan Amalgamated Railway Carriage and Wagon Co have also been mentioned in connection with this bridge. In fact Patent Shaft & Axletree and the Metropolitan Co had amalgamated by this time. The name of Round Oak Steel Works doubtless appears on the bridge as a producer of some of the steel sections, rather than being involved in construction work.

See also Puentes Transbordadores webpage, and here for links to a wealth of information about the bridge.

The design and construction of the bridge were described and illustrated in a series of articles by P. J. Risdon in 'Engineering' in 1922, and these provide much of the following information.

In comparison with transporter bridges of the suspension/cable-braced type, this appears to be an unusually rigid structure, even though the bridge does not have a particularly long span. Part of the explanation comes from the fact that the typical wire rope back stays were avoided because of the availability and high cost of the land which would have been required to accommodate the anchorages. In addition, the capacity of the car, at 100 tons, was relatively high.

The clear width of waterway is 175 ft 6", and the girder span between tower centres is 254 ft 3". The main girders are 300 ft 9" long, and are set 55 ft 9" apart. The height from the high water level to the underside of the girders is 137 ft 9.5". A 45 HP motor drove the car across in 1 minute. The car incorporated a tram track of 4 ft 8.5" gauge, with provision for another track if required. However a photograph in the 1922 article shows bo tramline approaching the car. The car was suspended by a rigid, trussed frame of light design, from overhead trolley bogies, which run upon rails supported on special rail bearer girders hung from the cross-girders of the super structure. The overhead trolleys are hauled by a steel wire rope led over pulleys at the ends of the main girders, from the winding drum in the machinery house. Powerful brakes are provided, and overhead buffers at each end which come into play simultaneously with those which stop the transporter car. Although the main girders are constructed with a camber of 4.5", the overhead track rails are horizontal from end to end.

See Also

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Sources of Information

• Wikipedia