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| Name | SKOL Big Hill Creek Bridge Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge #12A |
| Built By | Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway |
| Currently Owned By | South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 260 Feet Total, 149 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Pratt Through Truss and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1925 Using a Span Fabricated c. 1925 |
| Original Location | Unknown |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Number | 12A |
| South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad Bridge Number | 12.8 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/28/2017 |
In 1867, the Leavenworth, Lawrence & Galveston Railroad (LL&G) began construction on a 143 mile railroad, extending from Lawrence to Coffeyville, Kansas. The new line would be completed in 1871. The railroad would be reorganized as the Lawrence & Galveston Railroad in 1878, and again reorganized as the Kansas City, Lawrence & Southern Railroad (KCL&S) in 1879. The KCL&S would be merged into the Southern Kansas Railway in 1883. The Southern Kansas Railway would be leased by the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) in 1899, and entirely consumed by the ATSF in 1901. The ATSF had acquired and constructed a large number
of railroad lines throughout the western United States, particularly in
Kansas and Oklahoma. This line initially served as a mainline, connecting the main lines at Lawrence, Ottawa and Chanute with various branch lines. The segment between Lawrence and Baldwin would be abandoned in 1968, and the Ottawa to Baldwin segment sold to the Midland Railway in 1988. The Ottawa to Humboldt segment would be abandoned in 1990, and acquired for trail use. The Humboldt to Coffeyville segment would be sold to the South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad in 1990. Today, SKOL continues to operate the southern portion of this line, while the Ottawa to Humboldt segment has become part of the Prairie Spirit Rail Trail. The Midland Railway was a tourist railroad, which ceased operations in 2023. It is currently unknown what the future holds for the Ottawa to Baldwin segment of this line.
Located along Sunflower Road north of Coffeyville, this Pratt through truss bridge crosses Big Hill Creek. Built in 1925 to replace a pile trestle, the bridge consists of a single 149-foot, 6-panel pin-connected Pratt through truss span, set onto timber pile piers and approached by timber trestle spans on either end. The truss span was originally fabricated in approximately 1900 for an unknown bridge, and moved here in 1925. The truss span utilizes a standard ATSF design, including laced members, pinned connections and a double intersection lattice portal bracing with subdivided heel bracing. This design of truss was extensively used by the ATSF from approximately 1898 until approximately 1910, as it provided a cost effective and durable design to cross larger obstacles. Several other examples of this particular standard design exist throughout Kansas. Railroads often reused steel spans, as it saved costs on replacing bridges along branch lines. By reusing spans that were still in good condition, the railroad could avoid purchasing new material for some bridge projects. 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 truss 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 |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |