The History of Timber Trestles — Why America Built 20-Story Bridges Out of Wood

#TimberTrestles #RailroadHistory #AmericanHistory Why would a railroad knowingly send passenger trains onto a wooden tower that swayed in the wind, high above a canyon? For the better part of a century, America built hundreds of giant railroad bridges out of nothing but timber — and this is the story of why. Often built in weeks and always meant to be replaced, timber trestles carried America's railroads over mountains, gorges, and even twelve miles of the Great Salt Lake. Then fire, rot, and steel caught up with them. Most were burned, blown up, or buried inside the very hills they once crossed. But one giant still stands in a remote desert canyon — and there's a reason it survived. Subscribe for more forgotten stories about the machines and structures that built the modern world. Which forgotten bridge, railroad, or piece of infrastructure should we cover next? Tell us in the comments. #WoodenBridges #TranscontinentalRailroad #EngineeringHistory #IndustrialHistory #ForgottenHistory #HistoryDocumentary #UnionPacific #CentralPacific #LucinCutoff #GoatCanyonTrestle #LoggingHistory #CivilEngineering #trains