DIY Flatcar Bridge

Decommissioned flatbed rail cars make excellent low-volume bridges.

Building a bridge from a flatbed railroad car is the ultimate in recycling. These cars have, for the most part, been retired from the railroad, but are in perfectly good shape for a low-volume bridge. Most flatbed cars are 89 feet in length and 8-1/2 feet in width, with decking made from a steel plate, offering tremendous load capacity. Flatcar bridges are easy to install and maintain and are relatively low cost when compared to conventional bridges. As with any structure that will carry people, have your designs evaluated by a civil engineer and obtain the proper building permits.

Things You'll Need

• Large crane
• Flatbed railroad car
• Steel pilings driven into soil
• Welding equipment and proper eye gear
• Railings
• Asphalt overlay

Instructions

1. Drive steel or concrete pilings into each side of the span where the flatbed is to sit. If your proposed bridge is over water, you need to anchor the pilings 30 to 40 feet into the ground, depending on the type of soil. Check to see that each of the abutments is level.

2. Lower the flatbed railroad car into place on the pilings using a large crane to hoist it overhead. Each flatcar weighs about 44,000 pounds, so rent a crane that will be able to meet your needs, not just for heft, but also to be sure that it can span enough of an area to move the flatbed car from the truck to the site.

3. Weld the flatbed car into place on the pilings using welding equipment and the proper safety equipment. Add railings to each side for safety, welding the railings in place.

4. Add a layer of asphalt on top of the flatbed car if the bridge is to be used for vehicular traffic.

References

• Rail Mover: Railroad Flat Car Bridges
• Iowa DOT; Use of Railroad Flat Cars for Low-Volume Road Bridges; T.J. Wipf, et al.; August 1999
• Jim Dobbas Inc: Flatcars As Bridges
• Rails To Trails Conservancy; Moonville Rail-Trail Saves Money By Using Old Rail Cars As Bridges; Eric Oberg