trains on the old Memel (Klaipeda) Dange river bridge near Janischken, Lithuania

 

"The railway bridge over Dangė river was built in 1874, during the construction of Klaipėda-Tilsit railway. The bridge was built by workers from Joniškis. Built of stones with five semi-circular arches, it looked rather stern and magnificent. Eventually the trains between Klaipėda and Tilsit became regular.

"The highest arch of the bridge was 13.25 metres wide and 8.5 m high above water. The bridge supports had ledges, which used to protect it against damage during the ice-drift. However, the bridge was inconvenient for ship traffic: ships had to lower their masts to pass through. Therefore, it was equipped with a special mechanism to raise the masts. The primary bridge was destroyed in 1944–1945, as the Red Army took over the city. The current metal bridge was reconstructed after the war. A fragment of the stonework of the old bridge can still be visible near the foundation of the new one." Source

See earlier posts on Memel.