Talk:Bell Ford Bridge

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A fact from Bell Ford Bridge appeared on Wikipedia's Main Page in the Did you know column on 30 August 2008, and was viewed approximately 2,847 times (disclaimer) (check views). The text of the entry was as follows:

Did you know... that the Bell Ford Bridge was the last Post Truss covered bridge to still stand, collapsing in January 2006?

A record of the entry may be seen at Wikipedia:Recent additions/2008/August.

Wikipedia

Can someone explain what a post truss is?[edit]

I assume it has no relation to the king post truss or queen post truss. Was it designed by someone named Post? --NE2 19:29, 29 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Agreed. Perhaps a link to Truss#Truss types and another entry in nits list of truss types? --Tagishsimon (talk) 20:47, 29 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Well, it would be a link to post truss which would redirect to the appropriate section, but that section needs to be written. --NE2 21:52, 29 August 2008 (UTC)[reply]

This reference here gives a diagram of what it calls a Post truss. (Look about mid-way down the right-hand column.) It says this type was built from 1865 until the late 1800's.

I note that the National Register names the bridge as Bell Ford Post Patented Diagonal "Combination Bridge". Searching on those terms led me to the reference found here which says that the Cornell library has a plan sheet for "Post's patent diagonal truss combination bridge". Google patent search shows patent numbers 81406 and 81817 to Andrew J. Post and that they are bridge related. The latter patent is for diagonals in a truss that is a combination of wood and steel. But this patent does not look like the one shown in the picture given in the first reference.

At any rate, this gives me confidence that this is probably a Post truss, where Post is the last name of the truss inventor. - ¢Spender1983 (talk) 00:49, 4 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

Oops, I looked at the drawings in HABS/HAER. It definitely looks like the Post Truss shown in the first reference I gave. The HABS/HAER record says the inventor is Simeon S. Post, and that the design was patented in 1863. However, this reference says on page 92 that Post never obtained a patent.

There is a lot of good information in the HABS/HAER record that can be incorporated into the article. - ¢Spender1983 (talk) 01:25, 4 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]

OK. Added Truss bridge#Post truss with a diagram of the truss. - ¢Spender1983 (talk) 02:47, 4 September 2008 (UTC)[reply]