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DM&E Deer Creek Bridge

Pratt Pony Truss Bridge over Deer Creek
Carpenter, Mitchell County, Iowa

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name DM&E Deer Creek Bridge
Built By Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway
Contractor Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago
Currently Owned By Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad
Length 110 Feet Total
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Pratt Pony Truss
Substructure Type Stone Masonry
Date Built 1899
Traffic Count 4 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
MILW Bridge Number S-514
Significance Moderately Significant
Documentation Date November 2017


Located near the tiny town of Carpenter, this pony truss bridge crosses Deer Creek.
Built in 1899, the bridge features a 6-panel, pin connected Pratt Pony Truss, set onto stone abutments. This bridge uses a standardized design, often fabricated by Lassig Bridge & Iron Works.
Trusses like this were common as spans to cross all sized waterways. Considerably easier to assemble than through trusses, this particular design was the favorite of Milwaukee Road for nearly 20 years, between 1890 and 1910.
Currently, the bridge is owned by Canadian Pacific (DM&E). It has had little alterations since construction, other than new headwalls, installed in approximately 2016.
Overall, the bridge appears to be in good condition, with little major deterioration noted.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Based on identical nearby trusses
Contractor Missing Lassig Bridge & Iron Works plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele