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| Name | Palisade Trail Bridge |
| Built By | Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Minnesota Department of Natural Resources |
| Superstructure Contractor | Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company of Minneapolis, Minnesota |
| Length | 353 Feet Total, 115 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Warren Through Truss, Deck Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle |
| Substructure Design | Timber Pile |
| Date Built | 1910 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge Is Open to Off-Road Vehicle Traffic) |
| Current Status | Open to Off-Road Vehicle Traffic |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/23/2015 |
In 1909, the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railway (Soo Line) began construction on 193 miles of new railroad between Moose Lake, Minnesota and Plummer, Minnesota. The line connected to the Brooten-Duluth line at Moose Lake, and the Glenwood-Noyes line at Plummer. The work would be completed by 1910. A portion of the route from Schley, Minnesota to Bemidji, Minnesota shared the right of way with an existing Great Northern Railway line. The route was constructed primarily to serve as a connection for agricultural products to reach Duluth. The Soo Line was a smaller railroad in the Midwest, with routes
extending through Minnesota, Wisconsin, Michigan and North Dakota, with subsidiary routes extending to Chicago. It was
operated as a subsidiary of Canadian Pacific Railway (CP). By 1937, the Soo Line had entered bankruptcy, and it would be
reorganized as the Minneapolis, St. Paul & Sault Ste. Marie Railroad
in 1944.
By 1961, the Soo Line would be merged with other CP
subsidiaries Duluth, South Shore & Atlantic Railroad and Wisconsin
Central Railroad to form Soo Line Railroad, a company controlled by CP.
In 1984, the Soo Line would be reorganized as the Soo Line Corporation,
and the line between Moose Lake and Schley was abandoned in 1987. The right of way would be purchased by MNDOT and the counties along the route. In 1990, the Soo Line Corporation would be merged into CP. The remaining route between Gully and Bemidji was abandoned in 1996, and the right of way was acquired by adjacent landowners. In 2023, CP would merge with Kansas City Southern Railway to form CPKC, which currently operates the Plummer to Gully segment. The portion between Gully and Bemidji has been abandoned, while the Bemidji to Moose Lake segment is part of the Soo Line North Trail.
Located in the small town of Palisade, this through truss bridge carries the Soo Line North trail across the Mississippi River. Built in 1910 during the initial construction of the line, the bridge consists of a single 115-foot, 6-panel, riveted Warren through truss span, approached by a 75-foot deck plate girder span on either end. In addition, the bridge is approached by trestle on either end, and is set onto timber pile substructures. The truss span uses a standard Soo Line design, including built-up members and a portal bracing constructed with both a lattice and an A-frame design. The steel components of the bridge were fabricated by the Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company, which fabricated numerous bridges for the Soo Line. It is believed that the truss and deck plate girder spans were originally built here, and the use of timber substructures is due to the economy of the design. It is likely that the timber pile trestle spans, as well as the timber pile substructures have been upgraded several times since the 1910 construction. Warren through trusses became popular in the early 20th Century, as riveted connections began to supersede pin-connected designs. The Warren design was stronger than comparable Pratt designs, while also simple and economical. Deck plate girder spans were often used by railroads, as the design was durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted within the superstructure. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.
Citations
| Builder and build date | Minneapolis Steel & Machinery Company plaque |
| Builders Plaque | |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |