Section 3 of 5
Load
Where the force goes, and what fails first. 4 guides, filed by what the structure is doing rather than by where the bridge is.
In this section
- Where the Force GoesFollowing a load from a wheel through the deck, into the floor beams, out through the truss and down to the abutment. The path that explains every member you can see.
- A Loaded Wagon Against a Modern TruckThese were designed for a different traffic. What posting a weight limit is actually doing.
- Treenails and Iron RodsWooden pins that swell to grip, and the iron that later took the tension. Two eras of fastening in one structure.
- What Fails FirstBearing points, the ends of chords, and anywhere water sits. Decay follows moisture, not age.
Every entry names the truss and what that truss solves. The roof is treated as the engineering decision it was: timber lasts decades dry and years wet.