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| Name | Crystal Lake Railroad Crossing Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #61 |
| Built By | Chicago & North Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | Phoenix Bridge Company of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania (North Tracks) American Bridge Company of New York (South Track) |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 24 Feet Total (North Tracks) 46 Feet Total, 25 Foot Largest Span (South Track) |
| Width | 3 Tracks |
| Height Above Ground | 25 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder (North Tracks) Steel Stringer (South Track) |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry (North Tracks) Concrete (South Track) |
| Date Fabricated | |
| Date Erected | 1898 (North Tracks) 1927 (South Track) |
| Original Location (South Track Spans) | Unknown |
| Traffic Count | 30 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 61 |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 42.73 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 4/14/2024 |
In the early 1850s, several railroad companies began constructing railroad lines radiating from Chicago. The Illinois & Wisconsin Rail Road Company constructed 39 miles of new railroad, extending from Chicago to Cary, Illinois. The following year, the railroad would be controlled by William B. Ogden, and consolidated into the Chicago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac Rail Road (CStP&FDL). The CStP&FDL constructed an additional 53 miles to Janesville, Wisconsin in 1855. The CStP&FDL would be purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) in 1859. The C&NW was beginning to construct and acquire a large network of railroads throughout the Midwest. This line formed a portion of the principal northwest mainline of the C&NW, eventually extending to St. Paul, Minnesota. At Janesville, traffic was required to run south to Afton to reach the line to Janesville. Due to increasing traffic along this line, a second track would be constructed beginning in 1882, when a second track was completed from Chicago to Mayfair (Montrose Avenue). By 1884, the route was double tracked to Des Plaines.
In 1886, the Janesville & Evanston Railway was incorporated by the C&NW to construct 16 miles of new railroad, connecting Janesville with the existing line at Evansville, Wisconsin. The railroad would be purchased by the C&NW the following year. By 1893, further double tracking was constructed to Barrington, followed by from Barrington to Janesville between 1898 and 1899. In the late 19th Century, railroad traffic had become a significant
safety hazard for the City of Chicago. A solution was devised to
elevate the railroad tracks throughout the city, placing the railroads
upon embankments and constructing subways at each street. In 1899, the
C&NW completed a track elevation from Sangamon Street to Kostner Avenue; followed by Kostner Avenue to Foster Avenue in 1918. During each of these elevation programs, a third track would be constructed. A third track was completed to Barrington in 1930. The C&NW would become a prominent railroad in the Midwest,
eventually building a system over 11,000 miles long. Throughout the 20th Century, this line would continue to be an integral part of the C&NW system. The second track would be removed between Janesville and Harvard in the 1950s. In 1995, the
C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad. Union Pacific continues to operate the route as the Harvard Subdivision. Metra operates a commuter service, the Union Pacific-Northwest Line over the Chicago to Harvard section.
View an article describing some early C&NW solid floor designs
Located in Crystal Lake, this small bridge carries the former Chicago & North Western Railway Wisconsin Division over the former C&NW Galena Division. Crystal Lake has always been a significant railroad junction for the C&NW. The Fox River Valley Railroad completed a north-south line through Crystal Lake in 1854, and the Chicago, St. Paul & Fond du Lac Rail Road completed a line through the town in 1855. Both railroads would become part of the C&NW. It is unknown if a bridge has existed at this location since the 1850s. In 1898, the C&NW double tracked the Wisconsin Division line through Crystal Lake, and a new bridge would be constructed. In 1927, the railroad added a coaling station and water facility, and an additional track would be constructed on the south side of the bridge, giving the structure its current configuration.
Currently, the bridge consists of a 24-foot through plate girder span, carrying the north tracks; and 25-foot and 21-foot steel stringer spans carrying the south tracks. The abutments of the north tracks consist of stone masonry, likely quarried at Duck Creek, Wisconsin. The abutments and pier of the south track consist of concrete, constructed by an unknown contractor. The north tracks were constructed by Phoenix Bridge Company in 1898, and utilize a metal ballast channel floor system. In addition, the girders of this span utilize straight edges, which was not common for C&NW structures. The south track was installed in 1927. The western span consists of a 25-foot span fabricated in 1910 by American Bridge Company, and it is believed that the eastern span was fabricated at approximately the same time. These two spans were reused here from an unknown location. The steel stringer spans utilize a standard design, including eight lines of beams, arranged into two sets of four.
During the late 19th Century, the C&NW was an innovator of solid floor bridge spans. Solid floors were preferred by some railroads, as they helped to protect superstructure members. The floor of this bridge consists of steel plates, which form a channel. The railroad tracks are set on ballast, which is placed in this channel. These early solid floor spans helped shape early designs of bridges used for grade separations throughout the C&NW system. The critical defect of this type of floor was the pooling of water, which could accelerate deterioration of the steel substructure. Despite the early investigation of solid floors, the C&NW quickly transitioned to a standard trough design for grade separations, which required less maintenance. Through plate girder and steel stringer spans were among the most common bridge design for railroad use, as they were 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.
Citations
| Builder and build date (north tracks) | Engineering Record; Volume 40 |
| Build date (south track) | Chicago & North Western Valuation Maps at the Chicago & North Western Historical Society Archives |
| Builder (south track) | Missing American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |