Skansen Bridge
Encyclopedia
Skansen Bridge is a 52 meter span bascule
railway bridge located at Skansen in Trondheim
, Norway
beside Skansen Station
. The bridge was opened on March 22, 1918 allowing trains on Dovrebanen
access to Trondheim Central Station
while also being able to open to allow ship
s on the Trondheim Canal access to the Trondheimsfjord
. It was built at the same time Dovrebanen
was rebuilt from narrow gauge (1067 mm) to standard gauge
(1435 mm) and the stretch between Marienborg
and Trondheim Central Station was double track
ed.
The bridge was designed by Joseph Strauss, who among other things also constructed the Golden Gate Bridge
in San Francisco, USA
. In 2006 the bridge was conserved
by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
, since Skansen Bridge is unique in Norway and only one of a few of its kind left in the world. The conservation includes the entire bridge including construction and technical equipment, the guard cabin and the transformer building
. The conservation does not include the railway track, signal equipment or the overhead wires.
Bascule bridge
A bascule bridge is a moveable bridge with a counterweight that continuously balances the span, or "leaf," throughout the entire upward swing in providing clearance for boat traffic....
railway bridge located at Skansen in Trondheim
Trondheim
Trondheim , historically, Nidaros and Trondhjem, is a city and municipality in Sør-Trøndelag county, Norway. With a population of 173,486, it is the third most populous municipality and city in the country, although the fourth largest metropolitan area. It is the administrative centre of...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
beside Skansen Station
Skansen Station
Skansen is a railway station located at Ila in Trondheim, Norway on Dovrebanen, 1.20 kilometers from Trondheim Central Station. Service to the station is provided though the commuter train service Trønderbanen operated by Norges Statsbaner and regional trains to Røros. It was opened in 1893.The...
. The bridge was opened on March 22, 1918 allowing trains on Dovrebanen
Dovrebanen
The Dovre Line is the main line of the Norwegian railway system between Oslo and Trondheim. The 64 km section south of Eidsvoll has been replaced by the Gardermo Line, the only high-speed line in the country. The line between Eidsvoll and Dombås is from old times the Eidsvoll–Dombås Line. The line...
access to Trondheim Central Station
Trondheim Central Station
Trondheim Central Station or Trondheim S is the main railway station serving the city of Trondheim, Norway. Located at Brattøra in the north part of the city center, it is the terminus of the Dovre Line, running southwards, and the Nordland Line, which runs north...
while also being able to open to allow ship
Ship
Since the end of the age of sail a ship has been any large buoyant marine vessel. Ships are generally distinguished from boats based on size and cargo or passenger capacity. Ships are used on lakes, seas, and rivers for a variety of activities, such as the transport of people or goods, fishing,...
s on the Trondheim Canal access to the Trondheimsfjord
Trondheimsfjord
The Trondheimsfjord , an inlet of the Norwegian Sea, is Norway's third longest fjord at long. It is located in the west central part of the country, and it stretches from Ørland in west to Steinkjer in north, passing the city of Trondheim on its way...
. It was built at the same time Dovrebanen
Dovrebanen
The Dovre Line is the main line of the Norwegian railway system between Oslo and Trondheim. The 64 km section south of Eidsvoll has been replaced by the Gardermo Line, the only high-speed line in the country. The line between Eidsvoll and Dombås is from old times the Eidsvoll–Dombås Line. The line...
was rebuilt from narrow gauge (1067 mm) to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
(1435 mm) and the stretch between Marienborg
Marienborg Station
Marienborg is a railway station located at Marienborg in Trondheim, Norway. The station is located on the Dovre Line at the point where the Stavne–Leangen Line branches off from the Dovre Line. The station has two platforms, one on each of the railway lines, the one track electrified and the other...
and Trondheim Central Station was double track
Double track
A double track railway usually involves running one track in each direction, compared to a single track railway where trains in both directions share the same track.- Overview :...
ed.
The bridge was designed by Joseph Strauss, who among other things also constructed the Golden Gate Bridge
Golden Gate Bridge
The Golden Gate Bridge is a suspension bridge spanning the Golden Gate, the opening of the San Francisco Bay into the Pacific Ocean. As part of both U.S. Route 101 and California State Route 1, the structure links the city of San Francisco, on the northern tip of the San Francisco Peninsula, to...
in San Francisco, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. In 2006 the bridge was conserved
Architectural conservation
Architectural conservation describes the process through which the material, historical, and design integrity of mankind's built heritage are prolonged through carefully planned interventions. The individual engaged in this pursuit is known as an architectural conservator...
by the Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage
The Norwegian Directorate for Cultural Heritage is a government agency responsible for the management of cultural heritage in Norway. Subordinate the Norwegian Ministry of the Environment, it manages the Cultural Heritage Act of June 9, 1978....
, since Skansen Bridge is unique in Norway and only one of a few of its kind left in the world. The conservation includes the entire bridge including construction and technical equipment, the guard cabin and the transformer building
Transformer
A transformer is a device that transfers electrical energy from one circuit to another through inductively coupled conductors—the transformer's coils. A varying current in the first or primary winding creates a varying magnetic flux in the transformer's core and thus a varying magnetic field...
. The conservation does not include the railway track, signal equipment or the overhead wires.