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THE MOUNTAIN QUARRIES RAILROAD BRDGE, nicknamed the No Hands Bridge, was finished March 23, 1912, at a cost of $300,000. A steel reinforced concrete bridge, it was 20 percent cheaper than a steel truss bridge would have been. The bridge was part of a seven-mile-long standard gauge railroad built by the Portland Cement Co. to connect the limestone quarry in Cool with the Southern Pacific Railroad in Auburn. It continued operating until 1940. The bridge survived the Hell Hole Dam burst in 1964, which wiped out two modern bridges upstream, and it survived a 1986 flood that wiped out the proposed Auburn Dam's coffer dam downstream. Democrat file photo by Dan Burkhart
By Jerry L. Pozo, Anniversary Committee Member/Cool resident
Ever cast a gaze at the wonderful arched bridge over the American River as you pass by the confluence headed for Auburn? Wonder how it got there and what it took to build it?
Well, come join us on Aug. 15 at 7 p.m. at the American River Pizza and Grill in Cool for a presentation by Supervisory Ranger Mike Lynch of the Auburn State Recreational Area as he presents a PowerPoint history and summary of significance of this quarry and bridge.
Hear how the limestone quarry and railroad began, the three quarry pits, extensive tunneling, Hawver Cave, a crushing plant, seven miles of railroad, 17 trestles and one substantial concrete bridge with rolling stock and several locomotives operated.
The more significant and enduring structure was our “beloved” Mountain Quarries Railroad Bridge affectionately called the “No-Hands Bridge.”
Lynch also offers his newly published American River Canyons book, an amazing journey into the little-written-about past of the canyon. There are hundreds of photos depicting some of the 24 bridges built in the 50 miles of canyons.
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