UP Fall River Bridge (Neodesha)

Name	UP Fall River Bridge (Neodesha) Union Pacific Railroad Bridge #435.6
Built By	Missouri Pacific Railroad
Currently Owned By	Union Pacific Railroad
Superstructure Contractor	Phoenix Bridge Company of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania
Length	150 Feet Total, 75 Foot Spans
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	20 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Through Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	1902
Traffic Count	10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Missouri Pacific Railroad Bridge Number	4356
Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number	435.6
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	3/3/2017

In 1879, the St. Louis, Kansas & Arizona Railway (StLK&A) constructed a 58 mile railroad line, extending from Paola, Kansas south towards Le Roy, Kansas. In 1880, the railroad was consolidated into the Missouri Pacific Railway (MP). In 1886, the Verdigris Valley, Independence & Western Railroad (VVI&W) completed an additional 81 miles to Dearing, Kansas; west of Coffeyville. The same year, the Kansas City & Southwestern Railway (KC&SW) and the Kansas City & Southwestern Railway of Missouri (KC&SWM) constructed an additional 68 miles of railroad from Paola to Kansas City, Missouri. VVI&W would be merged into the MP controlled Kansas & Colorado Pacific Railway (K&CP) in 1891, and all three railroads would be merged into the Missouri Pacific Railway in 1909. MP had amassed a large collection of railroad lines, particularly in Missouri and Kansas. This line served as a mainline, serving as the primary route through eastern Kansas. Significant line changes south of Kansas City were made in 1956, to improve grades and curves along the line. The railroad reorganized to the Missouri Pacific Railroad in 1917. The MP was merged into the Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in 1982. Today, Union Pacific continues to operate this line as the Coffeyville Subdivision.

Located south of Neodesha, this through girder bridge carries the former Missouri Pacific across the Fall River. The previous bridge here was likely an iron truss. In 1902, two 75-foot through plate girder spans would be installed on new concrete substructures. These two through girder spans used a standard Missouri Pacific design, including rounded edges and an open deck. This bridge was built as part of a large order of 34 various bridge spans in 1902, all from the Phoenix Bridge Company. The bridge was fabricated in 1902, but erected in 1903. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with some repairs noted to the substructures. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Builder and build date	22nd Annual Report of the Missouri Pacific Railway
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

UP Fall River Bridge (Neodesha)

Neodesha, Wilson County, Kansas