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Fall Creek Rail Bridge

Pratt Pony Truss/Deck Girder Bridge over Fall Creek
Fall Creek, Eau Claire County, Wisconsin

Click the Photo Above to See All Photos of This Bridge!
Name Fall Creek Rail Bridge
Built By Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
Contractor (Truss Span) Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago
Contractor (Girder Span) American Bridge Company of New York
Currently Owned By Union Pacific Railroad
Length 90 Feet Total
Width 2 Tracks, 1 In Use
Height Above Ground 15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure and Pratt Pony Truss and Deck Girder
Substructure and Stone Masonry
Date Built 1898, Widened 1907
Traffic Count 15 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status In Use
UP Bridge Number 98.94
Significance Moderate Significance
A brief history of the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Elroy-St. Paul mainline:


08/20/21


This unique bridge sits on the west end of Fall Creek, near a park at Fall Creek Millpond.
It can vaguely be seen from US-12, although not well. That is how the author found this bridge, and it came as a complete surprise.
The bridge consists of two parts. The 90' Pony truss is the more significant part. It consists of heavy diagonals, and heavy riveting.
Considering the reported date is 1898 for this span, it is certainly far heavier than expected for the time period. This also would've been one of the first built up pony trusses designed for railroad use.
The heavy connections would certainly suggest a later build date, although Lassig was known for exceptional modern and groundbreaking engineering.
The deck girder span is much more basic, although it has some extra support on the west end. This could possibly make this unique bridge a candidate for replacement.

Historic Photo
Historic photo of the bridge

The bridge has been ranked as moderately significant due to the innovative design seen in the pony truss. In addition, the expansion is an alteration that could be considered historic itself.
The photo above is an overview.

Citations

Source Type

Source

Build Dates Chicago & North Western Railway Historical Society Archives
Contractor Missing Lassig Bridge & Iron Works plaque
Contractor American Bridge Company plaque
Railroad Line History Source ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele



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