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| Name | Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge #K241.29 |
| Built By | Chicago Great Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Jasper County Conservation Board |
| Contractor | Unknown (North Span) Unknown (South Span) |
| Length | 20 Feet Total, 10 Foot Spans |
| Width | 1 Track (33 Feet) |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Stone Arch and Concrete Arch |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry and Concrete |
| Date Built | c. 1900, Extended c. 1910 |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Open to Pedestrian Traffic) |
| Current Status | Open to Pedestrian Traffic |
| K241.29 (Old #F223) | |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/7/2016 |
In 1884, the Wisconsin, Iowa & Nebraska Railway (WI&N) constructed 104 miles of new railroad, extending from Waterloo, Iowa to Des Moines, Iowa. In 1886, the WI&N was sold to the Chicago, St. Paul & Kansas City Railway (CStP&KC). In 1887, the CStP&KC constructed 27 miles of additional railroad between Oelwein, Iowa and Waterloo; followed by 159 miles between Des Moines and St. Joseph, Missouri in 1888. In 1891, the Leavenworth & St. Joseph Railway (L&StJ) completed an additional 23 miles between St. Joseph and Beverly, Missouri. In 1892, the L&StJ was sold to the Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW), followed by the CStP&SJ in 1893. The CGW would be reorganized as the Chicago Great Western Railroad in 1909. The CGW had acquired and constructed a modest railroad network throughout Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota and Missouri; connecting major cities in these states. The CGW was one of the smaller railroads in the area, and was late to develop lines. As a result, the railroad never saw the fortunes of other railroads in the area. This line served as a principal mainline for the CGW, proving a connection to Kansas City via a swing bridge at Leavenworth, Kansas and trackage rights over the Missouri Pacific Railway.
In the early 20th Century, the CGW was often surviving on razor-thin profit margins. In 1940, the CGW entered bankruptcy, and was again reorganized as the Chicago Great Western Railway. At this time, the MC&FD was formally merged into the CGW. After the bankruptcy, the CGW became an innovative railroad, pioneering intermodal service and becoming one of the first railroads to completely switch to diesel locomotives. A capital improvement program was launched in 1949, which sought to rebuild and rehabilitate deteriorated infrastructure. In 1968, the CGW was purchased by the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW). This route provided the C&NW with access to Kansas City, although deteriorated track conditions limited effective operations. After the C&NW purchased the former Rock Island "Spine Line", the former CGW route became excess. In 1983, the line between Marshalltown and Bondurant, Iowa was abandoned, followed by the entire line between Des Moines and Beverly in 1984. Another segment between Waterloo and Marshalltown was abandoned in 1988.
In 1995, C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). UP abandoned a section of the line in Des Moines in 2001. In 2003, UP sold the Oelwein to Waterloo segment to Iowa Northern Railway (IANR). Another section of the line between Bondurant and Des Moines was abandoned in 2011. In 2025, IANR was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN). Today, CN continues to operate the Oelwein segment as the Oelwein Subdivision. Several sections of this line have been reused as parts of trails, including the Sargent Road Trail between Waterloo and Hudson; the Chichaqua Valley Trail between Baxter and the north side of Des Moines and the Great Western Trail between the south side of Des Moines and Martensdale. The remainder of the railroad has been abandoned and reverted to adjacent property owners. However, much of the original right-of-way is intact.
Located northeast of County Road F34 northeast of Valeria, this stone arch bridge carries a former Chicago Great Western Railway mainline over an unnamed creek. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle bridge (#F223), constructed when the line was first built. Between 1897 and 1905, the CGW invested significant capital improving the entire system, upgrading bridges, filling trestles and constructing modern facilities. In approximately 1900, the original trestle was filled and replaced with a single 10-foot stone arch culvert. For an unknown reason, the structure was extended south with an additional 10-foot concrete arch in approximately 1910, giving the bridge its present configuration. Currently, the bridge consists of a 10-foot by 10-foot stone arch and a concrete arch of the same size, set onto stone and concrete substructures and constructed for a single track at a width of 33 feet. The superstructure follows a standard design, with semicircular arches and short headwalls. The substructure also follows a standard design, with stepped wing walls on the north end and sloped wing walls on the south end. Stone for the north span consists of a tan limestone, which was quarried at an unknown location. This stone appears to be low grade and has significant green discoloration and pitting throughout. While the CGW used Mankato, Minnesota limestone for some structures, it appears that this stone may be from a different location. It is unclear if the original stone portion was constructed by railroad company forces or by an unknown contractor, and it is unclear if the south span was added by the railroad or by an additional unknown contractor. Stone arches were popular for railroad use, particularly during the mid to late 19th Century. Concrete arches became popular with the railroad around 1905, and were mainly constructed for the CGW between 1905 and 1915. The CGW constructed hundreds of arch structures, stone culverts and concrete culverts throughout their system, and a majority were constructed between 1897 and 1920. Since the initial construction, the culvert has seen minor alterations, including the encasement of the south span and portions of the original stone substructures. It is currently used as part of the Chichaqua Valley Trail. Overall, the culvert appears to be in fair condition, and the repairs have likely extended its life. Compared to other railroads, stone and concrete bridges and culverts along former CGW have a rate of failure that is significantly higher than average. It is unclear why former CGW structures have such a high rate of failure, although it could be due to poor workmanship, poor materials, lack of maintenance or using too small of an opening. The author has ranked this culvert as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |