Click the photo to view the full-size version
| Name | OTVR Buffalo River Bridge Great Northern Railway Bridge #11 |
| Built By | Great Northern Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Otter Tail Valley Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 215 Feet Total, 32 Foot Largest Spans |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Steel Stringer |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1945 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Great Northern Railway Bridge Number | 11 |
| Otter Tail Valley Railroad Bridge Number | 230.9 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 8/11/2020 |
In 1872, the The St. Paul and Pacific Railroad Company (StP&P) constructed 35 miles of new railroad, extending from St. Cloud, Minnesota to Melrose, Minnesota. The line would be extended an additional 31 miles to Alexandria in 1878, and an additional 77 miles to Barnesville the following year. At Barnesville, the railroad connected to a previously constructed line, which reached the International Border at Noyes, Minnesota. At the end of 1879, the StP&P was sold to the St. Paul, Minneapolis & Manitoba Railway (StPM&M). The StPM&M was controlled by railroad magnate James J. Hill, who sought to build a vast railroad network between the Twin Cities and the West Coast. In 1880, the Barnesville & Moorhead Railway Company completed an additional 23 miles between Barnesville and Moorhead. The railroad was promptly purchased by the StPM&M. The StPM&M was sold to another Hill controlled railroad, the Great Northern Railway (GN) in 1907.
The GN utilized this route as a mainline, connecting the Twin Cities to Fargo and points west. In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). By 1981, the BN preferred the parallel former Northern Pacific route, which was built for double track. As a result, the segment from Collegeville to Avon was abandoned, and sold for future trail use. In 1986, BN sold the remainder of the line from Moorhead to Avon to the Otter Tail Valley Railroad (OTVR). OTVR operated the route until 1991, when the line between Avon and Fergus Falls was abandoned and acquired for future trail use. BN was merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996, to form BNSF Railway. BNSF abandoned the segment between Collegeville and St. Joseph in 2002, and leased the St. Cloud to St. Joseph segment to Northern Lines Railroad. Today, OTVR continues to operate the Moorhead to Fergus Falls segment of this line, while Northern Lines operates the remaining stub to St. Joseph. The railroad from St. Joseph to Osakis has been turned into the Lake Wobegon Trail, and the line from Osakis to Fergus Falls has been turned into the Central Lakes Trail.
Located southeast of Sabin, this steel stringer bridge crosses the Buffalo River alongside County Road 52 (former US Highway 52). The previous bridge at this location was a timber trestle. By 1945, it was desired to replace the bridge with a permanent structure. In response, five 32-foot steel stringer spans would be constructed, and set onto concrete piers. It is currently unknown if the 27-foot span at either end was constructed at the same time. An unknown firm fabricated the steel stringer spans, and it is unknown if the substructures were constructed by an unknown contractor or by railroad company forces. The Great Northern utilized this design extensively to replace timber trestles, as it was durable, easy to construct and relatively inexpensive. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no major deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build Date | Great Northern AFE Index; Courtesy of GNRHS Archives |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |