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| Name | Cheese Country Trail - Allen Road Bridge Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #F-168 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Green County |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 112 Feet Total, 30 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Built | c. 1930, Using a Span Fabricated c. 1900 |
| Original Location | Unknown |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge Is Open to Off-Road Vehicle Traffic) |
| Current Status | Open to Off-Road Vehicle Traffic |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | F-168 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 1/20/2024 |
In 1853, the Southern Wisconsin Rail Road completed an 8 mile spur from an existing railroad at Milton Junction, Wisconsin to Janesville, Wisconsin. In 1856, the railroad would be acquired by the Milwaukee & Mississippi Rail Road (M&M), which owned the existing mainline at Milton Junction. At the same time, the Mineral Point Railroad (MPR) constructed 17 miles of new railroad between Warren, Illinois and Darlington, Wisconsin. In 1857, the M&M completed an additional 34 miles of railroad to Monroe, Wisconsin. In addition, the MPR completed an additional 15 miles north to Mineral Point, Wisconsin. The M&M was acquired by the Milwaukee and Prairie du Chien Railway (M&PdC) in 1861, which was sold to the Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (M&StP) in 1867. In 1874, the M&StP changed its name to the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road). In 1880, the MPR was acquired by the Milwaukee Road, and the following year an additional 22 miles would be constructed to connect Monroe to Gratoit.
This line served as a secondary route for the Milwaukee Road, mainly providing access to valuable metal deposits in southwest Wisconsin. The route also allowed for the construction of numerous branch lines, including branches to Shullsburg, Wisconsin and Platteville, Wisconsin. By the 20th Century, the Milwaukee Road had become a prominent railroad in the United States, operating an expansive network of railroad lines, primarily in the Midwest. The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. The branch between Gratoit and Warren was abandoned in 1923. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. Throughout the 20th Century, conditions on the Milwaukee Road continued to deteriorate. This line began to fall into disrepair, and was downgraded to a branch line.
The railroad again entered bankruptcy in 1977, and was forced to liquidate unprofitable lines. By the late 1970s, much of the railroad was extremely overgrown, and the tracks in very poor condition. In 1980, the entire branch was sold to the State of Wisconsin, which leased it to the Chicago, Madison and Northern Railway (CM&N) that year. The CM&N was short lived, and became part of the Central Wisconsin Railroad in 1982, which became part of the Wisconsin & Calumet Railroad (WICT) in 1985. The same year, the entire branch west of Monroe was abandoned and turned into a trail. In 1993, the WICT was acquired by the Wisconsin Southern Railroad, and was formally merged in 1997. Since WSOR began operations of the line, significant upgrades have been made to the line, significantly improving service. Today, WSOR continues to operate the Milton Junction to Janesville segment as part of the Madison Subdivision and the Janesville to Monroe segment as the Monroe Subdivision. The Cheese Country Trail currently uses the right-of-way between Monroe and Mineral Point.
Located east of Browntown, this deck plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) Mineral Point Division over Allen Road. The first bridge at this location consisted of a timber pile trestle bridge, constructed when the line was first built. In the 1920s and 1930s, the Milwaukee Road upgraded a number of bridges along this line, replacing timber spans with secondhand iron and steel spans. The present bridge was constructed in approximately 1930 using a secondhand girder span. Currently, the bridge consists of a 30-foot deck plate girder span, set onto timber pile piers and approached by timber pile trestle spans on either end. It is believed that the superstructure was originally fabricated in approximately 1900 by an unknown contractor for use at unknown location(s). The superstructure consists of four shallow girders, constructed with an open floor. The use of four girders likely implies that this span has material from two different deck plate girder spans. The girders are arranged into two sets of two, with additional hangers installed on the interior to connect rebuilt lateral bracing. This method of rebuilding deck girders was commonly used by the Milwaukee Road, with the alterations likely made at the bridge shop in Tomah, Wisconsin. Railroads often reused steel and iron spans, as it provided a cost effective way to upgrade bridges on branch lines without requiring large amounts of new material. During the 1930s, the Milwaukee Road upgraded bridges on numerous main and secondary lines, freeing up secondhand spans for reuse. The Milwaukee Road preferred to reuse spans wherever possible, and continued the practice into the late 20th Century. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen few alterations. A concrete deck and metal railings have been added to the bridge, and the bridge now serves the Cheese Country Trail, a popular ATV/UTV/snowmobile trail. 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 and unknown history.
Citations
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |