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| Name | BNSF Crooked River Bridge Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge #406B |
| Built By | Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Length | 291 Feet Total, 150 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Pratt Through Truss and Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete and Stone Masonry |
| Date Built | 1901 (Westbound Track Girders) 1906 (Truss and Eastbound Track Girders) |
| Traffic Count | 60 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Number | 406B |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 406.7 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 8/26/2017 |
In 1873, the Chicago, Pekin & Southwestern Railway (CP&SW) began construction on 52 miles of new railroad, extending from Pekin to Pekin Junction, Illinois and from Eureka, Illinois to Ancona, Illinois. At the same time, the Chicago & Illinois River Railroad (C&IR) began construction on a 28 mile spur from Coal City, Illinois to Streator, Illinois, but work was soon ceased. The CP&SW purchased the incomplete line from Gorman to Streator, and connected it to Ancona. The CP&SW was purchased by the Chicago, St. Louis & Western Railroad in 1881, which constructed an additional 60 miles into Chicago, opening in 1884. The railroad was reorganized into the Chicago & St. Louis Railway (C&StL) in 1886. By the mid-1880s, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) was contemplating on extending their network from Kansas City, Missouri to Chicago, where the railroad could interchange with other large railroads. In 1887, the Chicago, California & Santa Fe Railway (CC&SF) began construction on 350 miles of new railroad, extending from Ancona to Sugar Creek Junction, near Kansas City. Work would be completed in 1888. The portion of the line from Ancona to Chicago would be reconstructed at this time to meet new standards.
The new line featured the most direct railroad route between the two cities, crossing the Mississippi River at Fort Madison, Iowa; and the Missouri River at Sibley, Iowa. The new line was leased to the ATSF in 1888, and fully absorbed into the ATSF in 1900. The line immediately became a core line for the ATSF, serving as part of the principal mainline (Chicago to Los Angeles) for the ATSF. During the first decade of the 20th Century, the Kansas City to Chicago line was extensively rebuilt for double track use. Due to dwindling traffic, the route from Ancona to Pekin was abandoned in 1983 and 1984. In 1996, the ATSF was merged into Burlington Northern Railroad to form BNSF Railway. Today, BNSF operates this line as the Chillicothe Subdivision and the Marceline Subdivision. The line continues to be one of the heaviest used railroad routes in the Midwest.
Located west of Hardin, this large through truss bridge crosses the Crooked River. The first bridge at this location was likely a light pin connected truss. In 1901, the bridge would be rebuilt with a single track truss and a pair of 70-foot deck plate girder spans. In 1906, the ATSF was working to construct a second track between Chicago and Kansas City. As a result, the bridge would be reconstructed. The current bridge consists of a 149-foot 6-inch, 7-panel pin-connected Pratt through truss span, set onto concrete piers, with a 70-foot "Class B" deck plate girder span on either end, supported on a concrete abutment. The two 1901 deck plate girder spans were reused as part of the north track, and the old truss was likely reused elsewhere along the ATSF system. The truss span utilizes a standard ATSF design, with heavy members, pinned connections, an M-frame portal bracing and a channel style ballast floor. This design of bridge was the most commonly used type of through truss in the 1890s and 1900s, as it provided an easy to design, durable and economical span. In addition, this design of bridge was the standard truss span for the Santa Fe from the early 1900s through the 1930s, with the ATSF being one of the last railroads to extensively use pin-connected truss bridges. These truss bridges are gradually being replaced along all major rail lines, as many have begun to outlive their useful service life. It is hoped that these types of truss bridges are offered for reuse upon replacement. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date | Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Records; Part of Railroad & Heritage Museum Fred M. and Dale M. Springer Archive; Temple, Texas |
| Builder | Missing American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |