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| Name | CPKC Macoupin Creek Bridge Chicago & Alton Railroad Bridge #50.9 |
| Built By | Chicago & Alton Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited |
| Superstructure Contractor | Union Bridge Company of Athens, Pennsylvania (Truss) American Bridge Company of New York (Girder) |
| Length | 223 Feet |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Pratt Through Truss and Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1889 (Truss) 1901 (Girder) |
| Traffic Count | 3 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago & Alton Railroad Bridge Number | 50.9 |
| Canadian Pacific Kansas City Limited Bridge Number | 50.9 |
| Significance | Regional Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/19/2016 |
In 1857, the Tonica & Petersburg Railroad (T&P) began construction on a new railroad line, extending from Bloomington, Illinois to Jacksonville, Illinois. At the north end of the route, the line connected to an existing railroad line, owned by the St. Louis, Alton & Chicago Railroad (StLA&C). At the same time, the Jacksonville, Alton & St. Louis Railroad (JA&StL) began construction on a railroad line extending from Jacksonville to Godfrey, Illinois, where it connected with the same line as at Bloomington. At the end of 1861, the T&P had constructed 28 miles from Petersburg to Jacksonville, and the JA&StL constructed 25 miles between Jacksonville and Whitehall. The two railroads were merged into the StLA&C in 1862, and work resumed the same year. The StLA&C was merged into the St. Louis, Jacksonville and Chicago Railroad (StLJ&C) in 1862. The remaining segments were completed in 1868 and 1866, respectively. Starting in 1868, the Chicago & Alton Railroad (C&A) leased and operated the property of the StLJ&C. The C&A was beginning to develop a moderate sized network of railroad lines throughout Illinois. This route served as a secondary line, running roughly parallel to the original mainline. It also provided opportunities for the construction of branch lines. An 8 mile cutoff between Godfrey and Wann was completed in 1881, providing a bypass around Alton. In 1899, the StLA&C was purchased by the C&A.
Throughout the years, the C&A would be affiliated with several
larger railroads, and the railroad primarily operated as a bridge
route. The C&A was reorganized in 1901, and until 1906 was owned by
the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway and the Chicago, Rock
Island & Pacific Railway. This route continued to serve as a secondary line, feeding mainly the line to Kansas City. Between 1906 and 1907, an additional 35 miles of railroad was constructed between Iles (Springfield) and Murrayville, connecting the two parallel lines. In 1931, the C&A would be reorganized as the
Alton Railroad (A), a
subsidiary of the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad. The Alton was sold to
the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Railroad (GM&O) in 1949, and the various
subsidiaries consolidated at that time. The section of line through Alton was abandoned in approximately 1960, except for short segments at either end. The GM&O merged with the
Illinois Central Railroad to form Illinois Central Gulf (ICG) in 1972. The section from Jacksonville to Bloomington would be abandoned in 1980. This line was excess for the ICG, and the route would be sold to the
Chicago, Missouri & Western Railway (CM&W) in 1987. The
CM&W was reorganized as the Gateway Western Railway in 1990, which
became a subsidiary of Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) in 1997. In
2023, the KCS was merged with Canadian Pacific Railway to form CPKC, the
current owner of this line. Today, the route is used as a secondary mainline by CPKC, with the Springfield Subdivision running from Ives to Roodhouse, the Godfrey Subdivision running from Roodhouse to Godfrey and the Jacksonville Subdivision running from Murrayville to Jacksonville.
Located in a rural area south of Carrollton, this through truss bridge carries the former C&A across Macoupin Creek. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber trestle. In 1889, the previous bridge would be replaced by the current truss span. Due to flooding, the channel would be widened in 1901, and an additional deck girder span added to the north end. When the bridge was reconstructed, the truss span was slid south several feet onto new substructures. Currently, the bridge consists of a 175-foot, 7-panel, pin-connected Pratt through truss span, approached by a 49-foot deck plate girder span. The bridge is set onto concrete substructures, and the old stone abutments remain beneath the bridge.
The through truss bridge was fabricated by Union Bridge Company in 1889. The span has details similar to other Union Bridge designed spans, including a lattice portal, rounded heel bracings, heavy floor and laced vertical members. Similar to other spans from the era, the truss includes a double jointed lower connection at the second to last connection on each end. This unusual feature was occasionally used on late 19th Century truss bridges, and appears to have helped with the rigidity of the structure. The deck girder span uses a standard design, and was fabricated by the American Bridge Company.
This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads to cross larger streams. The Pratt through truss design was the most popular truss bridge design during the late 19th Century, as it was durable, economic and easy to design and construct. With flood prone locations such as this, it is common for railroads to reconstruct, lengthen or upgrade bridges to accommodate a larger channel. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the truss design, and the unusual features.
Citations
| Build dates | Illinois Central Gulf Missouri Division 1979 Track Profile |
| Builder (truss span) | Missing Union Bridge Company plaque |
| Builder (girder span) | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |