CPKC Gleasman Road Bridge

Loves Park, Winnebago County, Illinois

Default pic
Overview
North approach
Main span
North pier
South pier
South abutment
North abutment
Girder end
Floor detail
Floor detail
Under bridge
South approach
South abutment
Overview
Overview

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Default Pic
Overview
North approach
Main span
North pier
South pier
South abutment
North abutment
Girder end
Floor detail
Floor detail
Under bridge
South approach
South abutment
Overview
Overview
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Caption:
Name CPKC Gleasman Road Bridge
Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #E-558
Built By Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad
Currently Owned By Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited
Superstructure Contractor Unknown
Length 132 Feet Total, 37 Foot 6 Inch Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 12 Feet 6 Inches
Superstructure Design Through Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle
Substructure Design Concrete and Timber Pile
Date Built 1943, Using a Span Fabricated c. 1905
Original Location Unknown
Traffic Count 1 Train/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad Bridge Number E-558
Significance Local Significance
Documentation Date 1/20/2024

In 1880, the Janesville, Beloit and Rockford Railway (JB&R) constructed 14 miles of new railroad, extending from Janesville, Wisconsin to Beloit, Wisconsin.  At Beloit, it intersected with an existing railroad line owned by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road).  The following year, the Central Illinois and Wisconsin Railway (CI&W) constructed an additional 15 miles to Rockford.  The JB&R was sold to the Milwaukee Road in 1882, and the C&IW was leased to the Milwaukee Road the same year.  Via trackage rights over the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad between Rockford and Davis Junction, this line connected to the Milwaukee Road mainline from Chicago to Omaha.  The C&IW was purchased by the Milwaukee Road in 1900.

By the 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road had become a prominent railroad in the United States, operating a network of railroad lines primarily in the Midwest.  This line primarily served to connect lines in Wisconsin to the Chicago to Omaha line, as well as serve industries along the Rock River.  The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928.  By 1985, a suitor for the Milwaukee Road was being sought, and the Soo Line Railroad, controlled by Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) purchased the Milwaukee Road in 1986.  In 1997, CP would sell the line segment to I&M Rail Link, which was later purchased by the Dakota, Minnesota & Eastern Railroad (DM&E) subsidiary Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (IC&E).  The DM&E/IC&E were purchased by Canadian Pacific in 2008.  The CTR trackage was abandoned in 2018.  CP merged with Kansas City Southern Railway in 2023 to form CPKC.  Today, CPKC operates the Rockford Subdivision between Janesville and Rockford, with a connection to Davis Junction. 

Located west of Loves Park, this through plate girder bridge carries the former Milwaukee Road over Gleasman Road. Constructed in 1943, the bridge consists of a 37-foot 6-inch type "C3" girder span, set onto concrete piers. The bridge is approached by two timber pile trestle spans on the north end and five on the south end. The girder span was reused from an unknown location, and appears to have been fabricated in approximately 1905. No plaques identifying a builder for the superstructure could be found. Typical of Milwaukee Road bridges, the substructures were almost certainly constructed by company forces. The girder span uses a design not often seen along the Milwaukee Road, with a rounded and tapered end. The Milwaukee Road preferred square or rounded ends. The remainder of the bridge appears to be a standard Milwaukee Road design. A C3 girder span utilizes four stringers set apart at an equal spacing, whereas a C4 girder span utilized a traditional floor with two stringers. Railroads often reused steel spans, as it provided a cost effective way to construct bridges while minimizing new material required. Since the construction of the bridge, the lower lateral bracing has been replaced with new steel. 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 Milwaukee Road Archives - Industrial Department Records - located at the Milwaukee Public Library
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele