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| Name | Prairie Spirit Rail Trail - Deer Creek Bridge Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge #105B |
| Built By | Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Kansas Department of Wildlife and Parks |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 265 Feet Total, 70 Foot Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Steel Stringer |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry and Concrete |
| Date Built | 1898, Rehabilitated 1947 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is a Trail) |
| Current Status | Open to Trail Traffic |
| Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Number | 105B |
| Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Number | 105.5 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 3/3/2017 |
In 1867, the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston Railroad (LL&G) began construction on a 143 mile railroad, extending from Lawrence to Coffeyville, Kansas. The new line would be completed in 1871. The railroad would be reorganized as the Lawrence & Galveston Railroad in 1878, and again reorganized as the Kansas City, Lawrence & Southern Railroad (KCL&S) in 1879. The KCL&S would be merged into the Southern Kansas Railway in 1883. The Southern Kansas Railway would be leased by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) in 1899, and entirely consumed by the ATSF in 1901. The ATSF had acquired and constructed a large number
of railroad lines throughout the western United States, particularly in
Kansas and Oklahoma. This line initially served as a mainline, connecting the main lines at Lawrence, Ottawa and Chanute with various branch lines. The segment between Lawrence and Baldwin would be abandoned in 1968, and the Ottawa to Baldwin segment sold to the Midland Railway in 1988. The Ottawa to Humboldt segment would be abandoned in 1990, and acquired for trail use. The Humboldt to Coffeyville segment would be sold to the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad in 1990. Today, SKOL continues to operate the southern portion of this line, while the Ottawa to Humboldt segment has become part of the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail. The Midland Railway was a tourist railroad, which ceased operations in 2023. It is currently unknown what the future holds for the Ottawa to Baldwin segment of this line.
Located south of Carlyle, this deck plate girder bridge carries the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail over Deer Creek, South Dakota Road and Adams Street. Originally built in 1898, the bridge consists of three standard "Class A" 70-foot deck plate girder spans, approached by a 26-foot steel stringer span on either end, set onto stone substructures. In 1947, the bridge would be rehabilitated, and portions of the substructures reconstructed with concrete. It appears that the superstructures were repaired but not extensively rebuilt during the 1947 rehabilitation. No plaques could be found on this bridge. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, due to the durability and ease of construction. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build dates | Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway bridge records, located at the Railroad & Hertitage Museum Fred M. and Dale M. Spring Archives; Temple, Texas' |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |