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Solomon Rail Bridge

Quadrangular Through Truss Bridge over Solomon River
Solomon, Saline County, Kansas

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Name Solomon Rail Bridge
Built By Union Pacific Railroad
Contractor Unknown
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 218 Feet Total, 138 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Type Quadrangular Through Truss and I-Beam
Substructure Type Stone Masonry, Concrete and Steel Pile
Date Built Ca. 1902
Traffic Count 3 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
UP Bridge Number 173.62
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date October 2017


This single span Quadrangular Through Truss bridge crosses the Solomon River near the town of Solomon.
The bridge features a single span with riveted connections. The bridge originally featured trestle approaches.
While similar to other trusses on this line, this design of truss is relatively rare in Kansas and Missouri.
Built in approximately 1902, the bridge has had little alteration since construction. However, it appears that the original approach spans were replaced with I-Beam spans. The one alteration is the replacement of the original portal bracings to be able to accommodate larger trains.
The bridge rests on stone substructures, and is easy to access from the parallel road.
The bridge remains in great condition and is well maintained, although is not part of the busiest mainline across Kansas.

The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the low number of Quadrangular Trusses in the region.
The photo above is looking east across the bridge.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Date Estimated based on identical spans
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele