BNSF Grand River Bridge (Sumner)

Sumner, Chariton County, Missouri

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Name	BNSF Grand River Bridge (Sumner) Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #119.97
Built By	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	American Bridge Company of New York
Substructure Contractor	List & Weatherly Construction Company of Kansas City, Missouri
Length	600 Feet Total, 200 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	20 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Subdivided Warren through truss and Through Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	1951
Traffic Count	10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number	119.97
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	119.97
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	8/26/2017

In 1851, the Hannibal & St. Joseph Railroad (H&StJ) began construction on 207 miles of new railroad, extending from Hannibal, Missouri to St. Joseph, Missouri. Work was sporadic and slow going, with work progressing from both ends. In 1857, a large segment from Hannibal to Hunnewell, Missouri was placed into service. In 1858, segments between Hunnewell and Brookfield, Missouri and St. Joseph, Missouri and Kidman, Missouri were placed into service. The same year, the Quincy and Palmyra Railroad (Q&P) began construction on a new line, extending 13 miles from Palmyra, Missouri to West Quincy, Missouri. The two segments of the H&StJ would meet at Chillicothe, Missouri in February 1859, and the Q&P would be completed the following year. The Q&P would be merged into the H&StJ in 1876. The H&StJ was heavily affiliated with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy (CB&Q), which utilized this route to run traffic to and from Chicago. In 1882, the Chicago, Burlington & Kansas City Railway (CB&KC) constructed 10 miles of new railroad, extending from Laclede to Sumner, originally graded between 1869 and 1871 by the Missouri Central Railroad. An additional 30 miles to Carrollton would be completed by 1885. The CB&Q took control of the H&StJ in 1883, and consolidated the H&StJ and CB&KC in 1901. The CB&Q had acquired and constructed a large railroad network throughout the Midwest, and this route served as a principal mainline of the railroad, connecting Chicago and Kansas City. At Cameron, Missouri; the route connected to another railroad to Kansas City, avoiding a lengthy bypass through St. Joseph.

The main drawback of the route was the lengthy route into Kansas City. The line between Cameron and Kansas City was single track, windy and not suitable for mainline traffic. During the early 1950s, the CB&Q constructed a lengthy cutoff, extending from Laclede to Kansas City. The new cutoff was completed in 1952, reusing a large portion of the Carrollton branch. The new route saved significant time on a trip from Chicago to Kansas City, and reduced the need for the line west of Brookfield. A portion of the line from Palmyra to Hannibal was abandoned in 1957. In 1970, the CB&Q was merged with the Northern Pacific Railway and the Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). The St. Joseph to Meadville segment would be abandoned in 1985, followed by the Meadville to Laclede segment in 1993. In 1996, BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway. BNSF currently operates the West Quincy to Laclede and Brookfield to Kansas City (cutoff) segments of this line as the western portion of the Brookfield Subdivision.

View an article discussing the construction of the Centennial Cutoff

Located near the small town of Sumner, this large through truss bridge carries the former CB&Q Centennial Cutoff across the Grand River. The first bridge at this location was constructed in 1884, and likely consisted of a wooden truss bridge, set onto iron cylinder piers. In 1912, the bridge would be rebuilt with three lightweight 154-foot pin-connected Pratt through truss spans, built in 1885, 1888 and 1892. These spans were apparently reused from other locations, typical of CB&Q bridge construction along branch lines. These trusses utilized standard CB&Q designs, including light members, light portals and shorter spans. Currently, it is unknown where the trusses may have come from.

In 1950, construction began on the Centennial Cutoff, and a new bridge was constructed immediately south of the previous bridge. This new bridge would consist of a 200-foot, 8-panel riveted subdivided Warren through truss span, approached by two 100-foot through plate girder spans on either side. The entire bridge would be set onto concrete substructures. Upon completion of the new bridge in 1951, the old bridge was removed, and the trusses likely scrapped. By the mid 20th Century, lightweight trusses such as those spans were no longer feasible to reuse elsewhere. The new bridge utilized spans that were typical of early 1950s construction. The truss utilizes solid members, and a heavily constructed portal; while the through girder spans utilize deep tapered edges, typical of CB&Q through girder spans. The entire bridge utilized a ballast deck, also typical for CB&Q bridges. American Bridge Company fabricated the steel, while it is believed that List & Weatherly completed the substructures. Due to the scale of the project, four bridge contractors were chosen to construct the substructures along this route. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The bridge does not appear to have been altered since the initial construction. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Citations

Builder and build date	American Bridge Company plaque
Builder (substructure)	Engineering News-Record; Volume 145, Issue 19
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele