Railroad Bridge Support

- C. Shoup

“Standing in the Kankakee River, just west of Warner Bridge, are a series

of old railroad bridge supports. I spent my childhood driving across the

Warner Bridge, looking at the supports, and I daydreamed about the

steam locomotives that must have traveled over them…

“I later learned that no—not a single train ever passed atop the

supports. Why? Because the company that intended to build the train

line from Chicago to St. Louis had a fire in its Chicago warehouse ; the

company went bankrupt; the train bridge across the supports was never

erected…

“But they’re such fascinating structures—like Mayan ruins. One

October, when the river was at its lowest point, I strapped my camera

equipment to my back, waded to the middle support, climbed the 25

feet to its top, and I photographed it from the top down.

“Here are two tiled pieces that resulted from that day.”

Railroad Bridge Support #1

Sixteen 35mm photographs; framed in cherry

Collection of Carol Chatburn

Railroad Bridge Support

Railroad Bridge Support #2

Sixteen 35mm photographs; framed in cherry

Railroad Bridge Support