The little electric short line would be named the Charles City Western, and would be operated until the Iowa Traction Railway purchased it in 1963.
The line switched to diesel engines in 1968 after the Charles City tornado demolished much of the wires. The remainder of the tracks were abandoned in 1986.
06/26/21
This massive concrete arch bridge is the centerpiece of the Charley Western Trail; and one of the largest railroad bridges in the area.
It consists of four spans, which are heavily built closed spandrel arches. These spans rest on concrete piers.
It is the first and only bridge ever built at this location. Unfortunately, it has deteriorated significantly.
The author noted during a field visit in 2013 that it appeared that the lining was slipping out of the arch spans.
Unfortunately, in May of 2017 it was found that this was indeed a problem when one of the center spans began collapsing.
The bridge was demolished in July 2018.
The author has ranked this bridge as being moderately significant, due to the unique and massive design for the region.
The photo above is an overview.
| Upstream | Charles City Rail Bridge |
| Downstream | Nashua Rail Bridge |