BNSF Minnesota River Bridge (Appleton)

Appleton, Swift County, Minnesota

To

Louisburg, Lac qui Parle County, Minnesota

Default pic
Overview
West approach girder
Main span
Overview
East approach
East approach girder
Main span
Overview

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Default Pic
Overview
West approach girder
Main span
Overview
East approach
East approach girder
Main span
Overview
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Caption:
Name BNSF Minnesota River Bridge (Appleton)
Great Northern Railway Bridge #25.8
Built By Great Northern Railway
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor Unknown
Length 369 Feet Total, 70 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design Through Plate Girder, Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle
Substructure Design Timber Pile
Date Built 1916
Traffic Count 5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Great Northern Railway Bridge Number 25.8
BNSF Railway Bridge Number 25.8
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date 8/26/2012
In 1887, the Saint Paul, Minneapolis and Manitoba Railway Company constructed a new railroad between the existing mainline at Benson, Minnesota and Watertown, South Dakota, a distance of 92 miles. Between 1887 and 1888, the Duluth, Watertown and Pacific Railway Company extended the line an additional 70 miles west from Watertown to Huron, South Dakota. The StPM&M came to control the DW&P in 1890. The StPM&M was controlled by James J. Hill, a railroad tycoon who wished to build a railroad network extending from Minnesota to the Pacific Coast. Throughout the 1880s and 1890s, the StPM&M and DW&P acquired and constructed numerous new railroad lines throughout Minnesota. In 1907, the StPM&M would be sold to another Hill company, the Great Northern Railway (GN). GN operated this route as a secondary mainline, providing an important link for the agricultural areas it served to the markets of the Twin Cities. In 1970, GN merged with rival Northern Pacific Railway and Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad to form Burlington Northern Railroad. In 1991, the portion of the line from Yale to Huron would be sold to the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E). BN merged with the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996 to form BNSF.  DM&E was purchased by Canadian Pacific Railway in 2008, which was in turn merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC. BNSF currently operates this route as the Watertown Subdivision, and CPKC operates the Yale Spur from Huron to Yale.

Located west of Appleton, this through and deck plate girder bridge crosses the Minnesota River. The previous bridge at this location was a wooden structure. In 1916, the bridge would be rebuilt with steel spans. As a result, a 70-foot through plate girder and two 32-foot deck plate girder spans were added to the structure. The bridge is approached by nine trestle spans on the east end, and eight spans on the west end. The entire bridge is set onto timber pile substructures. This style of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. It is unusual that concrete substructures were not constructed for the bridge, as GN operated this route as a mainline. It is unknown if the bridge was built using secondhand spans. 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 Great Northern Willmar Division Bridge Index, located at the Minnesota Historical Society
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele