Near Avery in Shoshone County, Idaho — The American West (Mountains)
The Traveler
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 22, 2011
1. The Traveler Marker
An astonishing contraption called “The Traveler”, a giant rolling crane, erected Kelly and Clear Creek Trestles in record time.
The Milwaukee decided to build Kelly and Clear Creek Trestles out of steel right From the beginning.
Horse and mule teams had already hauled in the concrete for the foundations of the two bridges during the early construction period in 1908.
Pre-fabricated steel bridge pieces, shipped from the eastern United Slates, arrived just as the railroad tracks were laid up to the sites.
Then the Traveler was delivered unassembled by work trains to the bridge site. It took nine days to put the 150-ton, 120-foot long behemoth together and get it working.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Bridges & Viaducts • Railroads & Streetcars. A significant historical year for this entry is 1908.
Location. 47° 20.673′ N, 115° 37.444′ W. Marker is near Avery, Idaho, in Shoshone County. Marker can be reached from Cliff Creek Road (Federal Road 506) 1.8 miles north of Loop Creek Road. Located along the Route of the Hiawatha Trail. Touch for map. Marker is in this post office area: Avery ID 83802, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker. Electrified (approx. ¼ mile away); Milwaukee Road Muscle (approx. ¼ mile away);
this page online
More about this marker. On the right is a photo with the caption, "Worked by a 25-30 man crew, it only took the Traveler from December 9, 1908 to January 10, 1909 to erect the Kelly Creek Trestle, above.
The machine had two steam donkey engines pulling heavy cables over and through a cantilevered boom-jib. The system w«s counter balanced by a load of rails weighing over 30 tons." Photograph courtesy, Montana Historical Society
Also see . . . Route of the Hiawatha Rail Trail. (Submitted on August 5, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.)
Photographed By Bernard Fisher, July 22, 2011
2. The Traveler Marker at Kelly Creek Trestle
Credits. This page was last revised on June 16, 2016. It was originally submitted on August 5, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia. This page has been viewed 709 times since then and 10 times this year. Photos: 1, 2. submitted on August 5, 2011, by Bernard Fisher of Richmond, Virginia.
