Mulvane Railroad Crossing

Mulvane, Sumner County, Kansas

Default pic
Overview
North approach
North pier
Overview
South pier
South approach
North abutment
South approach
Plaque
South abutment

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Default Pic
Overview
North approach
North pier
Overview
South pier
South approach
North abutment
South approach
Plaque
South abutment
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Caption:
Name Mulvane Railroad Crossing
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge #220D
Built By Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Length 180 Feet Total, 44 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 20 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design Through Plate Girder, Steel Stringer and Concrete Modular Girder
Substructure Design Concrete and Steel Pile
Date Built 1927, Approach Reconstructed 2021
Traffic Count 30 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Number 220D
BNSF Railway Bridge Number 220.18
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date 10/29/2017

In 1870, the Kansas City and Santa Fe Railroad and Telegraph Company (KCSFRT) began construction on a 32 mile railroad line between Olathe, Kansas and North Ottawa, Kansas.  In 1871, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF) continued construction of the line westwards towards Newton, Kansas.  In 1879, the Cowley, Sumner and Fort Smith Railroad (CS&FS) completed a disconnected segment, 44 miles in length, between Mulvane, Kansas and Caldwell, Kansas.   In 1882, the Kansas City and Olathe Railroad completed a 10 mile line, connecting Olathe to Holliday, Kansas; where an existing ATSF mainline had previously been constructed.  This route would immediately be leased to the Southern Kansas Railway (SK).  The CS&FS would be consolidated into the Wichita and Southwestern Railway (W&SW) in 1882.  In 1883 and 1884, the ATSF would construct an additional 54 miles of railroad for the Kansas City and Emporia Railroad (KC&E) from North Ottawa to Emporia, Kansas.  The KCSFRT was sold several times, eventually becoming part of the SK in 1885.  The KC&E would also become part of the SK in 1885.  In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas & Western Railway (CK&W) constructed an additional 20 miles from Mulvane to Augusta, Kansas, as well as a short segment from Ellinor to Bazaar, Kansas.  The CK&W was leased by the ATSF in 1889.  The W&SW and SK would be leased by the ATSF in 1899, and all three railroads were consolidated into the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (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 served as a portion of the principal mainline between Chicago, Kansas City and the West Coast.  In addition, this line connected to numerous other ATSF lines, and would quickly become one of the heaviest used lines in Kansas.  The entire line from Holliday to Ellinor was double tracked between 1905 and 1910.  In 1922, the Eldorado & Santa Fe Railway would complete a connection between El Dorado, Kansas and Bazaar, Kansas.  This railroad would be consolidated into the ATSF in 1942.  The ATSF would merge with Burlington Northern Railroad in 1996 to form BNSF Railway, the current owner of this line.  The Holliday to Wellington segment of this line is operated as the Emporia Subdivision.

Located in Mulvane, this through girder bridge once carried the ATSF Mulvane District over the ATSF 3rd District. Built in 1927, the bridge consists of a single 44-foot "class DD" through plate girder span, set onto concrete piers. The bridge was originally approached by ballast deck timber pile trestle spans. However, these spans were replaced by a 25-foot steel stringer and concrete modular girder spans on either side in 2021. The girder span was fabricated by the American Bridge Company, a prolific bridge builder during the 20th Century. The girder utilizes a standard Santa Fe design, including rounded edges and a ballast deck. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Citations

Builder and build date American Bridge Company plaque
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele