CN Sugar Creek Bridge (Hartsburg)

Name	CN Sugar Creek Bridge (Hartsburg) Illinois Central Railroad Bridge #B-38.8
Built By	Illinois Central Railroad
Currently Owned By	Canadian National Railway
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Substructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	579 Feet Total, 54 Foot Main Spans
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle
Substructure Design	Concrete and Timber Pile
Date Built	1921, Approaches Reconstructed 1960
Traffic Count	5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Illinois Central Railroad Bridge Number	B-38.8
Canadian National Railway Bridge Number	38.8
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	4/2/2023

In 1869, the Pekin, Lincoln and Decatur Railway (PL&D) began construction on a new railroad line, extending 67 miles from Decatur, Illinois to Pekin, Illinois. The railroad completed the line in 1871. In 1872, the Decatur, Sullivan & Mattoon Railroad (DS&M) constructed an additional 40 miles of railroad from Decatur to Mattoon, Illinois. The PL&D and DS&M became part of the Peoria, Decatur & Evansville Railway (PD&E) in 1879. The PD&E owned a handful of railroads in Illinois and Indiana. By 1900, the PD&E was bankrupt, and the line would be sold to Illinois Central Railroad (IC). This line formed the northern portion of the Peoria to Evansville line for the IC, connecting to IC mainlines at Decatur and Mattoon. By the 20th Century, the IC was a respected railroad, operating an extensive railroad network through the central United States. This line continued to serve as a secondary line for the IC, mainly connecting other IC lines and larger cities in central Illinois. In 1972, the IC merged with the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) to form the Illinois Central Gulf (ICG). In 1988, the ICG was reorganized as the Illinois Central Railroad (IC). In 1998, IC was purchased by the Canadian National Railway (CN), the current owner of the line. Today, CN continues to operate the Peoria Subdivision between Decatur and Pekin, where it has trackage rights into Peoria.

Located along Former Illinois Route 121 southeast of Hartsburg, this deck plate girder bridge carries the former Illinois Central Railroad over Sugar Creek. The previous bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle, constructed when the line was built. In 1921, the bridge would be reconstructed with the present structure. Currently, the bridge consists of two 54-foot deck plate girder spans, approached by timber pile trestle spans. The main spans are set onto three concrete piers, while the remainder of the bridge is supported by timber piles. The deck plate girder spans appear to use a standard IC design, which was shallower than traditional deck plate girder spans. It is currently unknown which contractor fabricated the superstructures, or if the substructures were built by an unknown contractor or railroad forces. The approaches use a standard IC ballast deck pile trestle, which was last reconstructed in 1960. The north approach uses 17 trestle spans, while the south approach uses 19 trestle spans. This type of bridge was commonly used 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.

Build date	Illinois Central Gulf Illinois Division 1978 Track Profile
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

CN Sugar Creek Bridge (Hartsburg)

Hartsburg, Logan County, Illinois