https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/tr ... story.html

Disregard the ever-present tendency of the Washington Post to turn everything into "minorities and women to suffer most" angst. Look at the bridge itself:

http://bridgehunter.com/md/montgomery/bh71996/

The reports I have heard, but have yet to confirm with a first-hand visit, is that the main girders of the central span were originally a turntable bridge installed at one of the two Martinsburg, WV B&O roundhouses, or a previous turntable elsewhere. But, granted, they sure LOOK like turntable girders.

This bridge is proposed for demolition soon. I don't see much chance that this bridge will be preserved in situ as proposed by those interviewed in the article.

If a seriously interested party is interested enough to propose reclamation/salvage of these girders for a turntable project, I will assist in any reasonable manner I can. They must contact me back-channel with their interest, intentions, proposal, etc.

Here is another bridge that appears to be using inverted turntable girders. This one was over the B&O mainline in Rankin, PA.

I will be in the Silver Spring area around Thanksgiving. I might just stop by this bridge and take a look. If those spans were used on a turntable there should be some extraneous components and/or punched holes left over from its former use as a turntable.

At least one former turntable bridge remains in active use as a railroad bridge, and on a "preservation" line, no less:

One of the trestles on the Arizona Central/Verde Canyon RR in central Arizona was built using the former turntable bridge from the Santa Fe (Santa Fe, Prescott & Pacific) turntable from nearby Prescott.

The Cripple Creek and Victor Railroad has a turntable bridge for their 24" railroad too.

The Georgetown Loop Railroad in Colorado has a turntable bridge over Clear Creek.

Not for almost 20 years now. It was replaced with a steel truss bridge.

I visited this bridge today.

I'm now a little dubious about the alleged turntable heritage of this bridge. I could find no remaining evidence that this had been a pair of turntable girders, such as remnants of the center pivot mounting.

In addition, it appears that about 75-80% of the original rivets have been replaced with large nuts and bolts in a 1995 rehabilitation. We may be dealing with the proverbial "George Washington's hatchet" seven heads and 23 handles ago.

But if you really want a 60' turntable.........

The Northern Pacific used old turntables for bridge spans as well.

Were you ever able to find any photos of the original turntable at Martinsburg to compare it to the bridge? Not all turntables had center pivots, though most did. Also, it would be interesting to see if it looks similar.