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| Name | Abandoned Fall River Bridge St. Louis–San Francisco Railway Bridge #F421.8 |
| Built By | St. Louis-San Francisco Railway |
| Currently Owned By | South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio |
| Length | 350 Feet Total, 164 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Pratt Through Truss and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Concrete and Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1905, Substructures and Approach Reconstructed 1934 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned) |
| Current Status | Abandoned |
| St. Louis–San Francisco Railway Bridge Number | F421.8 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 3/3/2017 |
In 1872, the Memphis, Carthage & Northwestern Railroad (MC&NW) constructed a 26 mile railroad line, extending from Pierce City, Missouri to Carthage, Missouri. The following year, an additional 20 miles was constructed to Brownsville, Kansas. The MC&NW would be sold to the Missouri & Western Railway (M&W) in 1877. The M&W would construct an additional 27 miles to Oswego, Kansas; before it was merged into the St. Louis and San Francisco Railway Company (Frisco) in 1879. In 1879, the St. Louis, Wichita & Western Railway (StlW&W) constructed 61 miles of new railroad to New Albany, Kansas; followed by 81 miles to Wichita, Kansas in 1880. The StlW&W would be sold to the Frisco in 1882. An additional 106 miles was constructed to Ellsworth by the Kansas Midland Railway, which would be acquired by the Frisco in 1900. The railroad reorganized as the St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad in 1896, and reorganized again as the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway in 1916. The Frisco would build and acquire a respectable railroad network in the south central United States, with significant connections through Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri, Oklahoma and Texas. This route served as the primary route through southern Kansas for the Frisco.
The Frisco was merged
into the Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) in 1980. This route became downgraded through the 1980s, as it paralleled other routes. In 1986, segments from Medora to Lyons and Lorraine to Ellsoworth were abandoned, followed by the Valley Center to Medora segment in 1994. A segment from Lyons to Lorraine would be sold to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) in 1994. BN merged with the ATSF in 1996 to form BNSF Railway. In 1997, BNSF sold the Columbus to Severy segment to the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad (SKOL), as well as the Lyons to Lorraine segment to the Central Kansas Railway. A portion of the line near Carthage was sold to the Missouri & North Arkansas Railroad (MNA) in 1998. The Central Kansas Railway became part of the Watco owned Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad in 2000. In 2000, the Augusta to Severy segment would be abandoned, followed by the Lyons to Lorraine segment in 2001, the Carthage to Columbus segment in 2002, the Wichita to Valley Center segment in 2003 and Fredonia to Severy segment in 2004. Today, BNSF operates a segment from Pierce City to near Carthage as
the Pierce City Industrial Lead. From that point to Carthage is
operated by the MNA. In addition, SKOL operates a segment from Columbus to Fredonia. A
portion of the line from Fredonia to Severy was abandoned in 2004. Portions of this line have been railbanked for future trail use.
Located west of New Albany, this through truss bridge carries an abandoned railroad over the Fall River and 1450 Road. The previous bridge at this location was likely a wooden or light iron truss. In 1905, the bridge would be replaced by the current 164-foot, 7-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss span, reusing the old stone substructures. In 1934, the bridge would again be rebuilt, this time with a new concrete abutment and pier, and a new timber pile trestle approach on the west side of the truss. It appears that erosion caused the old stone substructures to fail. The truss span utilizes a standard King Bridge Company design, and several trusses of this design were manufactured for the Frisco. These trusses use laced members, pinned connections and a bubble portal. The plaque, which was affixed above the portal, has since been stolen. The Pratt design was one of the most common railroad truss designs, as it was easy to construct, provided a simple design, and was durable. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair condition, with significant deterioration seen throughout the approach. The truss itself appears to still be in good condition. The bridge is now abandoned, and the future is uncertain. It appears that trail use was at one time negotiated, but was never agreed. If this bridge were to be reused as a trail, significant upgrades would be required to the west approach, including likely replacing the approach with new spans. The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.