Union Pacific Vertical Lift Rail Bridge

The vertical lift rail bridge in Saint Paul is a rusty yet enduring monument to what seems to be a total lack of paint.

However it still works, albeit with a reduced lift imposed on it by the tiredness of the lift mechanism. The original 45 feet lift was reduced to 37 feet in 1973.

It was built in 1913 by the  Chicago Great Western Railroad and it serves the Saint Paul Union Depot yard. One of the most amazing things about it is the way in which the Robert Street Bridge, built in 1925, had to be carefully designed around the existing rail bridge. There hardly seems room for both at the North side of the river.

For fans of railroad engineering this is a must-see but for everyone else this old rusting bridge and its Robert Street neighbor seem to have their own beauty.