CGW Clanton Creek Bridge #3

St. Charles, Madison County, Iowa

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Name	CGW Clanton Creek Bridge #3 Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge #K189.10
Built By	Chicago Great Western Railway
Currently Owned By	Private Owner
Superstructure Contractor	Unknown
Substructure Contractor	Unknown (North and South Piers) Unknown (Center Pier and Abutments)
Length	172 Feet Total, 50 Foot Main Spans
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Stone Masonry and Concrete
Date Built	c. 1930
Traffic Count	0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Abandoned)
Current Status	Abandoned
Chicago Great Western Railway Bridge Number	K189.10 (Old F307)
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	11/12/2016

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 southwest of St. Charles, this bridge is the third crossing of Clanton Creek on the former Chicago Great Western Railway mainline. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber bridge, constructed when the line was first built. It is unclear if this was a timber pile trestle, a timber truss or a combination of both. During the early 20th Century, the CGW invested significant capital into this line, replacing timber bridges with steel and stone structures. In approximately 1900, it is believed the bridge was rebuilt with a 100-foot steel span of unknown design, set onto stone piers and likely approached by timber pile trestle spans. Another significant improvement project was undertaken in the 1920s and 1930s, which renewed aging steel bridges with heavier steel structures. In approximately 1930, the present bridge was constructed. Currently, the bridge consists of two 50-foot deck plate girder spans, approached by a 36-foot deck plate girder span on either end. The bridge is set onto stone outer piers, a concrete center pier and concrete abutments.

The superstructure follows a standard design, with two heavily reinforced modest sized girders and an open deck. Both the main spans and approach spans appear similar, despite the different lengths. The north and south piers are constructed of stone, with a rectangular shape and notched center, possibly indicating the previous bridge was a much longer deck plate girder span. At some point in the 20th Century, the notched center was filled with concrete and additional pads were constructed, raising the elevation of the bridge approximately two feet. It is unclear if this work was done when the bridge was constructed or at a later date. Stone for the piers consists of a tan limestone, quarried at an unknown location. The center pier uses a standard rectangular design with an angled upstream nose. An unknown firm fabricated the steel spans, while unknown contractors constructed the substructures. Deck plate girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen no significant alterations, and is now abandoned. Overall, the bridge appears to be in poor condition, with deep scouring in the center pier and other deterioration to the stone piers. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Citations

Railroad History Citation

ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele