Low Cost Bridges Made With Railroad Cars

2010 - Volume #34, Issue #4, Page #04

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Noah Figueroa had a business recycling railroad freight cars and flat beds. When farmers started coming in to buy flat bed cars to make bridges, he saw a new business opportunity. He now runs Paragon Bridge Works.
"We saw some of the bridges that farmers had made with rail cars, and they turned out fantastic," recalls Figueroa. "We got some people together and analyzed the engineering. The bridges are safe."
Paragon Bridges turns rail cars into a wide variety of bridge sizes and styles. The company strips away the hoses, valves, brakes, running gears, and other components. What's left is the flat bed frame and decking.
"We can make a bridge as long or as short as you want," he says. "Our longest bridge was 6, 90-ft. spans end-to-end and 5 spans side-by-side for an oil company to cross a wetland. It had 100,000 lb. capacity."
More commonly Paragon sells single units, such as a 40 ft. long, 8 ft. wide span. They can be outfitted with a wide variety of decking and fixtures like handrails and other options.
A typical 40 by 8-ft. bridge starts at $9,000. Add $2,000 for painting, $1,000 in decking, and $2,000 to $3,000 in handrails. Paragon also will handle installation ($5,000 to $10,000 depending on the site) and footings ($4,000 to $6,500) or advise on installation using local crews and materials. Weight capacity is largely controlled by decking, explains Figueroa. Rail cars are structurally designed to hold 70 tons.
"For 40,000 lb. capacity and under, 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 decking is sufficient," he says. "If you need 70,000 lb. capacity, you will need 3-in. thick Douglas fir. More than 90,000 lbs. requires steel decking."
If building a bridge for a rural residence, Figueroa suggests checking with the local fire department for weight capacity needed.
"We need to know the length, width and weight capacity of the bridge; then we can see which package fits," says Figueroa. "We then send a computer model of the bridge and what it will look like. Once paint and other options are selected, we build it and send it out."
Structural engineering blueprints are available for an added charge. Company engineers are currently licensed in 35 states. The company is headquartered in northern Colorado, but maintains storage locations at 7 sites around the country.
Standard bridge spans include 20, 40, 55, 60 and 89 ft. lengths.
The Paragon website carries extensive information on location, abutments and available options.
Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paragon Bridge Works, P.O. Box 200753, Evans, Colo. 80620 (ph 970 737-1174; info@paragonbridgeworks.com; www.paragonbridgeworks.com).

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Low Cost Bridges Made With Railroad Cars MISCELLANEOUS EQUIPMENT Miscellaneous 34-4-4 Noah Figueroa had a business recycling railroad freight cars and flat beds. When farmers started coming in to buy flat bed cars to make bridges, he saw a new business opportunity. He now runs Paragon Bridge Works. "We saw some of the bridges that farmers had made with rail cars, and they turned out fantastic," recalls Figueroa. "We got some people together and analyzed the engineering. The bridges are safe." Paragon Bridges turns rail cars into a wide variety of bridge sizes and styles. The company strips away the hoses, valves, brakes, running gears, and other components. What's left is the flat bed frame and decking. "We can make a bridge as long or as short as you want," he says. "Our longest bridge was 6, 90-ft. spans end-to-end and 5 spans side-by-side for an oil company to cross a wetland. It had 100,000 lb. capacity." More commonly Paragon sells single units, such as a 40 ft. long, 8 ft. wide span. They can be outfitted with a wide variety of decking and fixtures like handrails and other options. A typical 40 by 8-ft. bridge starts at $9,000. Add $2,000 for painting, $1,000 in decking, and $2,000 to $3,000 in handrails. Paragon also will handle installation ($5,000 to $10,000 depending on the site) and footings ($4,000 to $6,500) or advise on installation using local crews and materials. Weight capacity is largely controlled by decking, explains Figueroa. Rail cars are structurally designed to hold 70 tons. "For 40,000 lb. capacity and under, 2 by 4 or 2 by 6 decking is sufficient," he says. "If you need 70,000 lb. capacity, you will need 3-in. thick Douglas fir. More than 90,000 lbs. requires steel decking." If building a bridge for a rural residence, Figueroa suggests checking with the local fire department for weight capacity needed. "We need to know the length, width and weight capacity of the bridge; then we can see which package fits," says Figueroa. "We then send a computer model of the bridge and what it will look like. Once paint and other options are selected, we build it and send it out." Structural engineering blueprints are available for an added charge. Company engineers are currently licensed in 35 states. The company is headquartered in northern Colorado, but maintains storage locations at 7 sites around the country. Standard bridge spans include 20, 40, 55, 60 and 89 ft. lengths. The Paragon website carries extensive information on location, abutments and available options. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Paragon Bridge Works, P.O. Box 200753, Evans, Colo. 80620 (ph 970 737-1174; info@paragonbridgeworks.com; www.paragonbridgeworks.com).

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