BNSF Marais des Cygnes River Bridge (Quenemo)


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Name BNSF Marais des Cygnes River Bridge (Quenemo)
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge #71.8
Built By Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
Currently Owned By BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor American Bridge Company of New York
Length 265 Feet Total, 150 Foot Main Span
Width 2 Tracks
Height Above Ground 20 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design Pratt Through Truss, Concrete Slab and Steel Stringer
Substructure Design Stone Masonry, Concrete and Timber Pile
Date Built 1905, Approaches Rebuilt 1952 and c. 1990
Date Removed 2019
Traffic Count 0 Trains/Day (Bridge has been Replaced)
Current Status Replaced by a new bridge
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Number 71.8
BNSF Railway Bridge Number 71.8
Significance Moderate Significance
Documentation Date 9/3/2016; 1/28/2017

In 1870, the Kansas City and Santa Fe Railroad and Telegraph Company (KCSFRT) began construction on a 32 mile railroad line between Olathe, Kansas and North Ottawa, Kansas.  In 1871, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF) continued construction of the line westwards towards Newton, Kansas.  In 1879, the Cowley, Sumner and Fort Smith Railroad (CS&FS) completed a disconnected segment, 44 miles in length, between Mulvane, Kansas and Caldwell, Kansas.   In 1882, the Kansas City and Olathe Railroad completed a 10 mile line, connecting Olathe to Holliday, Kansas; where an existing ATSF mainline had previously been constructed.  This route would immediately be leased to the Southern Kansas Railway (SK).  The CS&FS would be consolidated into the Wichita and Southwestern Railway (W&SW) in 1882.  In 1883 and 1884, the ATSF would construct an additional 54 miles of railroad for the Kansas City and Emporia Railroad (KC&E) from North Ottawa to Emporia, Kansas.  The KCSFRT was sold several times, eventually becoming part of the SK in 1885.  The KC&E would also become part of the SK in 1885.  In 1887, the Chicago, Kansas & Western Railway (CK&W) constructed an additional 20 miles from Mulvane to Augusta, Kansas, as well as a short segment from Ellinor to Bazaar, Kansas.  The CK&W was leased by the ATSF in 1889.  The W&SW and SK would be leased by the ATSF in 1899, and all three railroads were consolidated into the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway (ATSF) in 1901.

The ATSF had acquired and constructed a large number of railroad lines throughout the western United States, particularly in Kansas and Oklahoma.  This line served as a portion of the principal mainline between Chicago, Kansas City and the West Coast.  In addition, this line connected to numerous other ATSF lines, and would quickly become one of the heaviest used lines in Kansas.  The entire line from Holliday to Ellinor was double tracked between 1905 and 1910.  In 1922, the Eldorado & Santa Fe Railway would complete a connection between El Dorado, Kansas and Bazaar, Kansas.  This railroad would be consolidated into the ATSF in 1942.  The ATSF would merge with Burlington Northern Railroad in 1996 to form BNSF Railway, the current owner of this line.  The Holliday to Wellington segment of this line is operated as the Emporia Subdivision.


Once located along 269th Street east of Quenemo, this through truss bridge carried the BNSF Railway mainline across the Marais Des Cygnes River. The previous bridge at this location was likely a lightweight through truss bridge. A 32-foot and a 28-foot deck plate girder span were added to the structure in 1898. In 1905, the bridge was reconstructed during a double tracking project. When double tracking the line, the ATSF spared little expense, constructing heavy steel bridges. A 150-foot 7-panel pin-connected Pratt through truss span would be installed, reusing the deck girder spans and stone piers from the previous bridge. In addition, timber pile trestle approach spans were constructed on either end. The truss span utilizes a standard span for the ATSF, with heavy members, laced vertical members and an M-frame portal. The piers of the was reconstructed in 1945, with new concrete caps added to the piers. In 1952, the trestle spans would be reconstructed with steel stringer spans. The deck girder spans were replaced with modern concrete slab spans in approximately 1990. Despite the decent number of railroad trusses originally constructed throughout Kansas, relatively few remain. This bridge, and the nearby bridge at Pomona were replaced by BNSF in 2019 due to concerns with the structures.

Heavily used mainline structures, such as this bridge, often exceed 100 years old, and are nearing the end of their useful lives to continue supporting heavy railroad traffic. The two bridges were marketed for reuse, provided it was removed from the site. While the bridges were ultimately scrapped, this sort of reuse should be marketed for all railroad truss bridge replacements. Many of these bridges could still feasibly support pedestrian, driveway or light roadway traffic, and agencies should explore options to reuse these historic truss bridges. At the time of replacement, the bridge was in fair to poor condition, with no significant deterioration seen. Weaknesses within the superstructure, not visible from a distance, may have been present in the structure. It is likely that it was more cost effective to replace the bridge instead of strengthening it. The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.


Citations

Build date Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Records; Part of Railroad & Heritage Museum Fred M. and Dale M. Springer Archive; Temple, Texas
Builder and build date (approach spans) Missing American Bridge Company plaque
Railroad History Citation ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

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