"One Of The World's Largest Aerial Lift Bridges ( Railroad Bridge ) Is Located In Buzzard's Bay, Massachusetts

"It Is The Only Railroad Link To Cape Cod..."

The Cape Cod Canal Railroad Bridge is the world's largest salt water aerial vertical lift bridge. It was started by the Work Progress Administration in 1933 and finished by the Army Corps of Engineers in 1935. Prior to that a jackknife drawbridge was used. There were two of them over the canal and when the new fixed bridges were completed, the drawbridges were demolished

It's lift span totals an amazing 544 feet. When the bridge is at it's highest position there is a clearance of 136 feet to allow marine traffic to pass under the bridge.

In the summer, a passenger tourist train traverses the bridge. Most of the traffic over the bridge consists of the "Trash Train" which carries trash from the Cape Cod to the SEMASS power plant in Rochester, Massachusetts which converts the trash into energy.

The Bay Colony Railroad has been operating the railroad for twenty years. At one time the railraod was operated by a number of different railroad companies including the New Haven and Conrail companies.

The passenger service to Cape Cod once ran all the way to Provincetown from Boston on the Old Colony Railroad system. This was eliminated in 1959. Now you can go as far South as Lakeville on the MBTA over rails that extend back into the 19th century - when railroads were king.

The automobile killed the passenger rail service to Cape Cod.

Some call this progress.

One man's progress is another man's folly.

Here's a trash train video...