BNSF North River Bridge (Palmyra)

Name	BNSF North River Bridge (Palmyra) Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #9.46
Built By	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company of North Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Length	152 Feet
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Pratt Through Truss
Substructure Design	Stone Masonry Concrete
Date Built	1904
Traffic Count	5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
	Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #9.46
	BNSF Railway Bridge #9.46
Significance	Moderate
Documentation Date	6/16/2016

In 1851, the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad (H&StJ) began construction on 207 miles of new railroad, extending from Hannibal, Missouri to St. Joseph, Missouri. Work was sporadic and slow going, with work progressing from both ends. In 1857, a large segment from Hannibal to Hunnewell, Missouri was placed into service. In 1858, segments between Hunnewell and Brookfield, Missouri and St. Joseph, Missouri and Kidman, Missouri were placed into service. The same year, the Quincy and Palmyra Railroad (Q&P) began construction on a new line, extending 13 miles from Palmyra, Missouri to West Quincy, Missouri. The two segments of the H&StJ would meet at Chillicothe, Missouri in February 1859, and the Q&P would be completed the following year. The Q&P would be merged into the H&StJ in 1876. The H&StJ was heavily affiliated with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q), which utilized this route to run traffic to and from Chicago. In 1882, the Chicago, Burlington & Kansas City Railway (CB&KC) constructed 10 miles of new railroad, extending from Laclede to Sumner, originally graded between 1869 and 1871 by the Missouri Central Railroad. An additional 30 miles to Carrollton would be completed by 1885. The CB&Q took control of the H&StJ in 1883, and consolidated the H&StJ and CB&KC in 1901. The CB&Q had acquired and constructed a large railroad network throughout the Midwest, and this route served as a principal mainline of the railroad, connecting Chicago and Kansas City. At Cameron, Missouri; the route connected to another railroad to Kansas City, avoiding a lengthy bypass through St. Joseph.

The main drawback of the route was the lengthy route into Kansas City. The line between Cameron and Kansas City was single track, windy and not suitable for mainline traffic. During the early 1950s, the CB&Q constructed a lengthy cutoff, extending from Laclede to Kansas City. The new cutoff was completed in 1952, reusing a large portion of the Carrollton branch. The new route saved significant time on a trip from Chicago to Kansas City, and reduced the need for the line west of Brookfield. A portion of the line from Palmyra to Hannibal was abandoned in 1957. In 1970, the CB&Q was merged with the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). The St. Joseph to Meadville segment would be abandoned in 1985, followed by the Meadville to Laclede segment in 1993. In 1996, BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently operates the West Quincy to Laclede and Brookfield to Kansas City (cutoff) segments of this line as the western portion of the Brookfield Subdivision.

Located east of Palmyra, this through truss bridge carries the former CB&Q across the North River. The first bridge here likely utilized a timber trestle or timber truss span. In 1889, the bridge would be rebuilt with a 152-foot Pratt through truss span. In 1904, the bridge would be reconstructed with the present bridge. The bridge consists of a 152-foot, 7-panel pin-connected Pratt through truss span, set onto stone abutments which have been heavily modified with concrete. The truss was fabricated by Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company, which constructed a handful of spans for the CB&Q throughout the early 20th Century. The truss utilizes a design standard to the CB&Q during the late 1890s and early 1900s, using pinned connections, laced vertical members and the standard CB&Q portal. It is likely that the previous bridge utilized a lighter version of the exact same design. The portal bracing design utilizes a shallow lattice design, with angular heel bracing. This portal design appears to have been a CB&Q standard, and was used on truss bridges from the 1890s until the 1930s. It appears that there may have been some sort of decorative plaque above the portal, as evidenced by the brackets still visible. The Pratt through truss design was the most common through truss design during the late 1890s, due to the simple design and great economy. The design would be superseded by stronger riveted Warren truss spans by the early 1900s. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.

Build date	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Valuation Summary at the Newberry Library
Builder	Missing Wisconsin Bridge & Iron Company plaque
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

BNSF North River Bridge (Palmyra)

Palmyra, Marion County, Missouri