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| Name | UP County P Bridge Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #2455 |
| Built By | Milwaukee, Sparta & North Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | King Bridge Company of Cleveland, Ohio |
| Length | 79 Feet Total, 34 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track, Formerly 2 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 12 Feet 8 Inches |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1911 |
| Date Replaced | 2019 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge has been Replaced) |
| Current Status | Replaced By a New Bridge |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 2455 |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 292.81 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 3/21/2019 |
In 1884, the Princeton & Western Railway (P&W) constructed a 13 mile branch from the existing Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (Omaha Road) at Wyeville, Wisconsin to Necedah, Wisconsin. The railroad soon came under lease of the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW). During the early 20th Century, the C&NW began a program of improvements, constructing new cutoffs and significantly increasingly efficiency over the system, particularly in Wisconsin and northern Illinois. In 1910, the Milwaukee, Sparta & North Western Railway (MS&NW), a subsidiary of the C&NW, began construction a new cutoff across central Wisconsin. In 1912, the MS&NW completed 23 miles between Sparta, Wisconsin and Wyeville, Wisconsin; as well as 133 miles between Necedah and Wiscona, a railroad junction on the north side of Milwaukee. The P&W was sold to the MS&NW in 1912, which was promptly consolidated into the C&NW. This line provided a better connection for the C&NW through Wisconsin, and avoided the steep grades of the previous mainline from Sparta to Madison. The line also improved the C&NW connection to the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul by way of the C&NW controlled Omaha Road. The line between Butler, Wisconsin and Clyman Junction, Wisconsin would be double tracked; while the remainder between Clyman Junction and Wyeville was built wide enough for a second track, but no second track was installed.
By the 1920s, the C&NW was operating an expansive railroad network throughout the Midwest, radiating north and west from Chicago. This line served as one of the principal mainlines of the railroad, connecting Milwaukee to the Twin Cities. In 1959, much of the second track between Butler and Clyman Junction was removed as operations over the line no longer warranted a second track. The line remained largely unchanged until March 1973, when a tunnel collapsed at Tunnel City, Wisconsin. This led to the line being abandoned west of Tunnel City, and a new connection track being constructed to the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) mainline, which the C&NW would use to reach Winona, Minnesota. In 1995, the C&NW was purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad, the current owner of this line. Today, UP operates the Wyeville Subdivision between Wyeville and Adams, Wisconsin; the Adams Subdivision between Adams and Wiscona; and the Winona Subdivision between Wyeville and Tunnel City. The segment between Tunnel City and Sparta remains abandoned, although much of the infrastructure remains intact.
Located in the small town of Lebanon, this though plate girder bridge carried the former Chicago & North Western Railway mainline over County Road P. Built in 1911 as subsidiary Milwaukee, Sparta & North Western Railway constructed a new line through the area, the bridge initially consisted of a double track 34-foot through plate girder span, set onto timber pile piers and approached by a single timber pile trestle span on either end. In 1959, the northern track was removed, and the west approach lengthened by one span. The superstructure used a standard design, with shallow girders, an open deck, square girder ends and a floor constructed of closely spaced floorbeams and four stringers. King Bridge Company fabricated the superstructure, while the timber components of the bridge were constructed by railroad company forces. The use of timber substructures was unusual on this line, but may have been required due to unstable approach embankments. This superstructure design was somewhat unusual, but a number of examples were constructed throughout the C&NW system. Since the initial construction, the bridge had seen few alterations. In 2019, the bridge was replaced by a new bridge to improve clearances. Overall, the bridge appeared to be in fair to poor condition at the time of replacement, with deterioration noted to the superstructure and substructure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Builder and build date | Chicago & North Western Railway Valuation Notes at the Chicago & North Western Historical Society Archives |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |