BNSF English Creek Bridge (Middle)

Harvey, Marion County, Iowa

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Name	BNSF English Creek Bridge (Middle) Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #25.60
Built By	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago, Illinois
Substructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	184 Feet Total, 90 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Through Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle
Substructure Design	Concrete and Timber Pile
Date Built	1916, Using a Span Fabricated 1898
Original Location	Bridge #144.11; Rural Lewis County, Missouri
Traffic Count	2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number	25.60
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	25.60
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	10/8/2017

Between 1871 and 1875, the Albia, Knoxville and Des Moines Railroad (AK&DN) completed 33 miles of new railroad line, extending from Albia, Iowa to Knoxville, Iowa. The project was funded by the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q), and the AK&DM was operated under lease of the CB&Q from the time of completion. In 1880, the Des Moines & Knoxville Railway (DM&K) completed an additional 35 miles of new railroad, extending from Knoxville to Des Moines, Iowa. Similar to the AK&DM, the DM&K was also operated under lease by the CB&Q from the date of completion. At Albia, the line connected to an existing CB&Q mainline; and at Des Moines the line connected to several other railroads and terminals. In 1901, the CB&Q formally purchased the two railroads as part of a larger consolidation of CB&Q-controlled railroads. By the early 20th Century, the CB&Q had become a large Midwestern railroad, operating several main and branch lines throughout the area. This line served as a secondary line, providing the CB&Q with a second connection between the mainline across southern Iowa and Des Moines.

Between Albia and Harvey, Iowa; the CB&Q line paralleled a Wabash Railway line that served the same endpoints. In 1934, the CB&Q and Wabash agreed to share trackage between Albia and Tracy, Iowa. The original CB&Q was removed between Hamilton, Iowa and Tracy in 1935; and the CB&Q and Wabash shared the CB&Q tracks between Albia and Hamilton. During the early 1960s, Iowa began work on Lake Red Rock, a large dam and lake to improve flooding concerns on the Des Moines River. As part of the work, the CB&Q was forced to consolidate operations and relocate between Runnells and the southeast side of Des Moines. The CB&Q and Wabash agreed to jointly use the CB&Q tracks between Harvey and Swan, Iowa; and Wabash tracks between Runnells and Des Moines. In 1964, a new connection and bridge across the Des Moines River was completed between Swan and Runnells. In 1970, CB&Q merged with Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). In 1996, BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway to form BNSF Railway, the current owner of this line. Today, BNSF operates the line as the Des Moines Subdivision. Norfolk Southern Railway (NS, successor of the Wabash) also operates over the line. The abandoned segments have largely reverted to adjacent landowners and have been converted to farmfields.

Located west of Harvey, this through plate girder bridge is the middle of three bridges carrying a former Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad secondary line over English Creek. The first bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle bridge, constructed when the line was first built. It is unclear if this bridge was rebuilt by a timber truss bridge or secondhand steel span in the late 19th or early 20th Century. In 1916, the bridge was replaced by the present secondhand through plate girder span, set onto concrete piers that were constructed the year before and approached by timber pile trestle spans on either end. Currently, the bridge consists of a 90-foot through plate girder span, set onto two concrete piers and approached four timber pile trestle spans on the east end and three spans on the west end. The main span was originally fabricated in 1898 for use at Bridge #144.11, which was crossed an overflow ditch in rural Lewis County, Missouri north of West Quincy, Missouri. After that bridge was filled, the span was reused here with no significant alterations. The main span follows a standard design for the era, with two heavy plate girders, a standard floor system and square girder ends. The piers use a unique design, and are composed of two heavy concrete columns connected by a concrete beam at the top. Lassig Bridge & Iron Works fabricated the main span, while it is unclear if the concrete piers were constructed by railroad company forces or by an unknown contractor. It is believed that railroad company forces constructed the timber components. Through 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 remains in regular use. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant defects noted. The approaches appear to have been renewed last in the late 20th Century. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Citations

Fabrication date, erection date, builder and relocation history (main span)	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Book - Allen Moore collection - BRHS Archives
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele