BNSF Wyaconda River Bridge (La Grange)

La Grange, Lewis County, Missouri

Default pic
Overview
South approach
Overview
Date stamp
Looking south
Upper lateral bracing
Sway bracing
Looking north
Portal bracing
Looking north
South abutment
Overview
Upper angle connection
Upper connection
Lower connection

Click the photo to view the full-size version

Default Pic
Overview
South approach
Overview
Date stamp
Looking south
Upper lateral bracing
Sway bracing
Looking north
Portal bracing
Looking north
South abutment
Overview
Upper angle connection
Upper connection
Lower connection
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Date Taken:
Author:
Caption:
Name BNSF Wyaconda River Bridge (La Grange)
Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #151.11
Built By Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor Unknown
Length 184 Feet Total, 148 Foot Main Span
Width 1 Track
Height Above Ground 10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design Pratt Through Truss and Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design Concrete
Date Built 1904 (Truss)
c. 1910 (Girder)
1934 (Substructures)
Traffic Count 5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number 151.11
BNSF Railway Bridge Number 151.11
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date 6/16/2016

In 1856, the Keokuk, Mount Pleasant and Muscatine Railroad (KMP&M) began construction on 16 miles of new railroad, extending from Keokuk, Iowa to Viele, Iowa.  The railroad would be complete in 1858.  The same year, the Iowa Southern Railroad (IS) completed an additional 8 miles from Viele to Fort Madison, Iowa.  In 1867, the two railroads were merged into the Keokuk & St. Paul Railway (K&StP).  In 1868, the K&StP began construction on an additional 18 miles from Fort Madison to Burlington, Iowa.  At the same time, the Mississippi Valley and Western Railway (MV&W) began construction on a 34 mile line, extending from West Quincy, Missouri to Buena Vista, Missouri.  Work was completed in 1872, and an additional 13 miles to Hannibal, Missouri were constructed at that time.  Work continued south from Hannibal, and the St. Louis, Keokuk & Northwestern Railroad (StLK&NW) completed the line to Louisiana, Missouri in 1875.  An additional 54 miles from Louisiana to St. Peters, Missouri were completed in 1879.  A bridge across the Des Moines River into Keokuk was completed in 1882.  An additional 48 miles from St. Louis to Cuivre Junction were completed in 1894 by the StLK&NW. 

Both the K&StP and StLK&NW were affiliated with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q).  The two railroads were formally merged into the CB&Q in 1901, as the CB&Q consolidated numerous subsidiary companies.  The CB&Q had acquired and constructed a large railroad network throughout the Midwest.  This route served as a principal north-south mainline for the CB&Q, connecting the mainlines at Burlington and West Quincy with St. Louis CB&Q merged with Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN) in 1970.  In 1996, BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway, the current owner of this line.  Today, the line is operated as the Hannibal Subdivision.

Located on the north side of La Grange, this through truss bridge carries the former CB&Q across the Wyaconda River. The previous bridge at this location was likely a wooden truss or a light iron truss. In 1904, the bridge would be replaced with a new 148-foot, 7-panel pin-connected Pratt through truss span, set onto concrete abutments. In 1934, the bridge would be reconstructed, and a 36-foot deck plate girder span added to the south end of the bridge, set onto a new concrete pier and abutment. The girder span appears to have originally been fabricated in approximately 1910, and was likely relocated to this location. The fabricator of both spans is unknown. The truss utilizes a design standard to the CB&Q during the late 1890s and early 1900s, using pinned connections, laced vertical members and the standard CB&Q portal. In addition, the endposts and floor of this bridge are heavily constructed, typical of early 20th Century trusses along the CB&Q. The portal bracing design utilizes a shallow lattice design, with angular heel bracing. This portal design appears to have been a CB&Q standard, and was used on truss bridges from the 1890s until the 1930s. The Pratt through truss design was the most common through truss design during the late 1890s, due to the simple design and great economy. The design would be superseded by stronger riveted Warren truss spans by the early 1900s. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.

Citations

Build date Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Valuation Summary at the Newberry Library
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele