RCP&E Bad River Bridge #10

Located in rural Stanley County near the ghost town of Wendte, this bridge is the tenth crossing of the Bad River along this route. The first bridge at this location was likely a wooden truss bridge, constructed when the line was first built. In approximately 1928, that bridge would be replaced by the current truss bridge. The current bridge utilizes a 140-foot 8-inch riveted quadrangular lattice through truss span, set onto concrete piers and approached by timber trestle on either end. The truss span was originally fabricated in 1886 as part of Bridge #708 across the Mississippi River at Winona, Minnesota. 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. The truss span is typical of mid to late 1880s quadrangular trusses fabricated by Lassig Bridge & Iron Works, featuring a pedimented lattice portal, with standard cutout heel bracings. The piers of the bridge were constructed as steel cylinder caissons in 1927, but were apparently reconstructed with concrete at a later date. The truss was also initially 142-foot 2-inches long, but was shortened to 140-feet 8-inches at the time the piers were reconstructed.

Railroads often reused steel and iron spans, as it provided a cost effective way to upgrade branch line bridges without spending large amounts of money on new spans. There are numerous secondhand trusses on the Pierre-Rapid City route, mainly reused from the Winona bridge, as well as five spans believed to be reused from Bridge #228 across the Cedar River at Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The Winona bridge utilized five 159-foot 8-inch spans, fabricated in 1885; as well as seven 142-foot 2-inch spans, fabricated in 1886. Six of the seven 142-foot spans and three of the 159-foot spans were reused along the Pierre-Rapid City route between 1927 and 1931. As of 2024, four of the 142-foot spans and all three of the 159-foot spans are still in service, with the fifth 142-foot span (Bridge #1643) filled and placed along the railroad. The remaining 142-foot span and two 159-foot spans were reused at Arapahoe and Hudson, Wyoming; and were removed in the 1970s. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The truss span has been strengthened, with new floor beams installed. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unique history and older age.