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| Name | Labadie Railroad Bridge Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Bridge #458 |
| Built By | Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Central Midland Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York (Truss) Unknown (Girders) |
| Length | 358 Feet Total, 166 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Warren Through Truss and Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry and Concrete |
| Date Built | 1902, Approaches Added 1911 |
| Traffic Count | 1 Train/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 458 |
| Significance | Regional Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/18/2016 |
In 1888, the Kansas City Rock Island Railway (KCRI) constructed 16 miles of new railroad, extending from Forsyth Junction to Creve Coeur, Missouri. At the same time, the St. Louis, Kansas City and Colorado Railroad (StLKC&C) extended the line to Union, Missouri. Between 1902 and 1904, the StLKC&C would construct a line from Union to Strasburg, Missouri; where it connected to a line constructed by the KCRI the same year. Both railroads were merged into the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway in 1905. The Rock Island had acquired and constructed a network of railroads throughout the Midwest, and this line served to connect the two largest cities in Missouri, and expand the reach of the Rock Island into St. Louis. After World War II, the Rock Island struggled to survive, proposing mergers and deferring maintenance on their routes. The Rock Island struggled to compete with a stronger and better constructed Union Pacific system. By 1964, the Rock Island began attempts to merge with Union Pacific, and restructure railroads west of the Mississippi River. This merger was eventually denied, and Rock Island turned its last profit in 1965. In the mid-1970s, the railroad was in serious decline. The railroad received loans to attempt to fix slow orders, received new equipment and turn a profit. By 1978, the railroad came close to profit, but creditors were lobbying for a complete shutdown of the Rock Island. During the fall of 1979, a strike crippled the railroad, and by January of 1980, the entire system was ordered to be shut down and liquidated. Many of the lines and equipment were scrapped. Profitable sections of railroad were prepared for sale. This line was sold to the St. Louis & Southwestern Railway (S&SW) in 1980. No trains ever operated over much of this route under the S&SW, and trains were limited to a short segment to Owensville, Missouri. and the S&SW was merged into the Southern Pacific Railroad (SP) in 1992. SP became part of the Union Pacific Railroad in 1996. UP sold the line west of Union to Amaren, a utility company in 1996, and leased the remainder to the Central Midland Railway. A portion in Jackson and Cass County, Missouri was converted to the Rock Island Trail in 2016, and the remainder of the line from Windsor to Union was donated to Missouri State Parks in 2019. Development of the trail is ongoing. The Missouri Eastern Railroad now operates the segment to Union.
Located in Labadie, this large through truss bridge carries the former Rock Island across Front Street (formerly the Missouri Pacific Railroad) and Labadie Creek. The previous bridge at this location was a wooden truss, set onto stone piers and approached by timber pile trestle spans. In 1902, the truss span would be replaced by the current 166-foot, 8-panel riveted Warren through truss span, reusing the stone piers. In 1911, the timber trestle approaches would be replaced by the current approaches. A 60-foot deck plate girder span approaches the west end of the bridge, while the east end utilizes a 74-foot and a 60-foot span. The deck plate girder spans are set onto concrete substructures. The truss span utilizes design features occasionally seen on early 20th Century Rock Island bridges, such as laced members, a lattice style portal and riveted connections. In addition, the bridge runs at a heavy skew. Railroads often upgraded bridges piecemeal, as this allowed railroads to only replace spans when necessary. The Warren truss design became popular with railroads in the early 20th Century, as it provided an economical, strong and simple truss span. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being regionally significant, due to the unusual truss design.
Citations
| Builder | Missing American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |