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| Name | Fort Lincoln Trolley - Heart River Overflow Bridge Northern Pacific Railway Bridge #1 |
| Built By | Northern Pacific Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Fort Lincoln Trolley |
| Superstructure Contractor | Universal Construction Company of Chicago, Illinois Unknown |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 290 Feet |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Pratt Through Truss Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1898 c. 1900 1960 |
| Original Location (Truss Span) | Bridge #0; 1st Crossing Heart River; Mandan, North Dakota |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Closed to Traffic) |
| Current Status | Closed to all Traffic |
| Northern Pacific Railway Bridge #1 | |
| Significance | High |
| Documentation Date | 5/13/2017 |
In 1909, the Missouri River Railway Company (MRR) would begin construction on a 53-mile new railroad line, extending from the existing Northern Pacific Railway (NP) mainline at Mandan, to a point approximately six miles south of Cannonball, North Dakota. At the same time, the Western Dakota Railway Company (WDR) would begin construction on a line extending 35 miles from Cannonball to Mott, North Dakota. Both lines would be completed in 1912, and both companies purchased by the NP in 1914. The NP utilized these two lines as branches, serving sparely populated areas in south central North Dakota. At Mott, the railroad connected to a branch line of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road).
In 1966, the NP undertook a project to relocate the line between Flasher and Mandan, which would provide a savings of 27 miles. The new line would be completed in 1967, and the old line between Mandan and Flasher abandoned at that time. In 1970, NP would merge with rival Great Northern Railway and the
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy to form Burlington Northern Railroad
(BN). Them entire line would be abandoned in 1987. The Fort Lincoln Trolley preserved a small segment through Mandan, which is still in use by the Fort Lincoln Trolley.
Located on the south side of Mandan, this truss bridge carries the Fort Lincoln Trolley over an overflow of the Heart River. This bridge was built in 1960 as Mandan channelized the Heart River. The bridge consists of a 200-foot 8-panel pin connected Pratt through truss, approached by a 45-foot deck plate girder span on either end. The entire bridge is set onto concrete substructures. The truss span was originally constructed in 1898 at the 1st Crossing of the Heart River. The girder spans were originally fabricated in approximately 1900 at an unknown location. The truss was fabricated by the Universal Construction Company, and utilized a design supplied by the Northern Pacific. Other spans of the same size and similar design have been found to be fabricated by different builders. Little is known about this company, and this is currently the only known bridge on this website. This design of bridge was commonly used by the NP and other railroads throughout the United States to cross large obstacles. Truss bridges offered larger spans, but were often more costly and difficult to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. As of 2024, the Fort Lincoln Trolley is for sale, and the future of this bridge is unknown. The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the well preserved example of a truss span.
Citations
| Builder and Fabrication Date (Truss) | Universal Construction Company plaque |
| Erection Date | Fargo Division Bridge Book at the Northern Pacific Railway Historical Association Archives |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |