Again, we have to realize that we’re talking a time when trains weren’t very big or long. A typical 1880-90 passenger local was commonly engine and 2 to 3 cars. Typically a combine For the light freight, and a passenger car was all. And the passenger cars were only 30-32 ft long. The old 4-4-0s just couldn’t pull much more then that up much of a grade.
Yeah the picture of the Barge on the Columbia only had a small loco tender combine and coach. Not long nor heavy but still impressed that it was daily operation. Much different times. I want to see it done with four Dash 9s up front and 75 loaded tank cars. Of course the barge long enough to do that could be considered a bridge because it would be strung shore to shore.(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
I am always amazed out how things “get done” us humans are not deterred easily until we allow regulation to bog us down.
Here is how they cross waterways in Italy by train. We did the same trip as this the last time I went to Italy. This ferry is to cross the Straits of Messina from the mainland to Sicily…
Well there you go that’s how you do it. I doubt the process was much different, maybe a bit more crude, but I could see how a temporary set could easily work