From the quaint wooden trestle to the graceful arched viaduct, the railroad is the quintessential aspect of North American scenery - and is an essential part of the railroading landscape. What rail image is as classic as a train crossing a bridge, be it wood, stone, steel, spanning a river or canyon?This photographic history plays tribute to the railroad bridge as both icon of Americana and the engineering marvels they are. Brian Solomon discusses the major types of construction, from viaducts - both stone arches and steel construction - cantilever, suspension and truss bridges, and explains why certain construction suits certain different situations. He describes the origins and construction of famous structures - Hell Gate in Queens, New York, Hill Bridge Minneapolis - plus less well-known but no less interesting ones. Accompanying this fascinating account are historic black-and-white photographs and modern color images depicting railroads large and small hauling traffic over bridges across an entire continent.