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| Name | RCP&E Bad River Bridge #15 Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #1507 |
| Built By | Chicago & North Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Rapid City, Pierre & Eastern Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 400 Feet Total, 140 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Quadrangular Lattice Through Truss and Through Plate Girder Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Steel Caisson and Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1924 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 1507 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 7/15/2017 |
In 1879, the Chicago and Dakota Railway (C&D) completed 46 miles
of new railroad from Tracy, Minnesota to Elkhorn, South Dakota. At
Tracy, the line connected to an existing railroad owned by the Winona
and Saint Peter Railway (W&StP), which was being leased by the
Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW). At the same time, the
Dakota Central Railway (DC) completed an additional 25 miles from
Elkhorn to Volga, South Dakota in 1879. In 1880, 184 additional miles
would be completed by DC to Pierre. The C&D would come under
control of the Chicago & North Western Railway in 1881, and the
C&D, DC and W&StP would all be merged into the C&NW in 1900.
In 1905, Native American land west of the Missouri River opened to
settlement and development. The C&NW immediately began working on a
new line to reach the Black Hills. In 1906, 76 miles would be
completed from Ft. Pierre to Philip by the Pierre, Rapid City and North
Western Railway (PRC&NW), with 44 additional miles were completed by
the same company between Rapid City and Wasta that year. In 1907, the
bridge across the Missouri River at Pierre and 3 miles of track would be
completed by the Pierre & Ft. Pierre Bridge Railway, and the
remaining 44 miles would be completed from Philip to Wasta by the
PRC&NW. The PRC&NW and Pierre & Ft. Pierre Bridge Railway
were both funded and controlled by the C&NW, and would later be
fully incorporated.
The C&NW operated the route between Winona and Rapid City as the
main line of the Dakota Division, eventually operating the passenger
train the "Dakota 400" over the route. As the line became less
profitable in the 1970s and 1980s, the C&NW was considering
abandoning the route. In 1986, the line between Winona and Rapid City
would be sold to the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad. The
DM&E would be purchased by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) in 2008.
In 2014, the DM&E entered into an agreement with the Genesee &
Wyoming owned Rapid City, Pierre and Eastern Railroad (RCP&E) to
sell 670 miles of track. Today, RCP&E operates the segment between
Pierre and Rapid City, South Dakota as the PRC Subdivision.
Located on the south side of Fort Pierre, this quadrangular through truss bridge is the fifteenth crossing of the Bad River along this line. The previous bridge here was likely a wooden truss bridge. In 1924, it was decided to reconstruct the bridge with a new steel bridge. A 140-foot riveted quadrangular lattice through truss and a 75-foot through plate girder span were installed on steel cylinder caisson piers, and timber pile trestle spans constructed as approaches on either end. The west end once utilized a lengthy trestle approach, which has since been completely filled. The quadrangular lattice design was the favorite truss design of the C&NW. While a few other railroads, such as Union Pacific, Rock Island and Erie all used the design at various times, no railroad relied on the design as much as the C&NW. Between 1878 and 1930, most trusses constructed by the C&NW were of the quadrangular lattice design. This span is typical of later generations of the design, as evidenced by the heavy members and A-frame portal. Significant bridge improvements were made to this line between 1924 and 1935, including replacing numerous bridges with steel spans. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
Citations
| Builder and build date | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |