BNSF Buffalo Creek Bridge (Concordia)

Concordia, Cloud County, Kansas

Default pic
Looking north
South span
South pier
Looking north
South abutment
Center span
North pier
North span
North abutment
Looking north
Looking north
Underneath girder
Girder details
Looking north
Overview
Looking north

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Default Pic
Looking north
South span
South pier
Looking north
South abutment
Center span
North pier
North span
North abutment
Looking north
Looking north
Underneath girder
Girder details
Looking north
Overview
Looking north
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Caption:
Name BNSF Buffalo Creek Bridge (Concordia)
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge #117.3
Built By Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor Unknown
Length 182 Feet Total, 60 Foot Spans
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design Stone Masonry
Date Built 1900
Traffic Count 5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Number 117.3 (Old #117A)
BNSF Railway Bridge Number 117.3
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date 1/1/2020

In 1886, the Chicago, Kansas & Western Railway (CK&W) began construction on a new railroad, 163 miles in length.  The new line would connect to an existing Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF) line at Gladstone, Kansas, and extend to Superior, Nebraska.  The line was completed in 1888.  The CK&W would be acquired by the ATSF in 1889, but did not formally convey the property to the ATSF until 1901.  The ATSF was reorganized as the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1895. The segment between Gladstone and Strong City would be abandoned prior to 1900.    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 connection between the existing mainlines in central Kansas and additional branch lines in northern Kansas.  The ATSF would merge with Burlington Northern Railroad in 1996 to form BNSF Railway, the current owner of this line.  The line between Strong City and Lost Springs, Kansas would be abandoned in 2005.  The remainder of this route is currently operated as the Strong City Subdivision.

Located northwest of Concordia, this deck plate girder bridge carries the BNSF Railway line across Buffalo Creek. Built in 1900, the bridge consists of three 60-foot "class A" deck plate girder spans, set onto stone substructures. The abutments have been repaired with concrete since the initial construction. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally 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
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele