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| Name | UP Wahoo Creek Bridge #3 Union Pacific Railroad Bridge #26.52 |
| Built By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York (Main Span) Paxton-Vierling Steel Company of Omaha, Nebraska (Approach Spans) |
| Length | 140 Feet Total, 80 Foot Main Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 10 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Through Plate Girder and Steel Stringer |
| Substructure Design | Concrete Pile |
| Date Built | 1907, Approach Reconstructed 1952 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 26.52 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 10/7/2019 |
In 1871, the Omaha and South Western Railroad Company (O&SW) began construction on a new railroad, 31 miles in length, between an existing railroad at Crete, Nebraska and Beatrice, Nebraska. The railroad came under the control of the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad in Nebraska (BMRN) in July of the same year. In 1881, the route would be extended 39 additional miles to Endicott, Nebraska via Wymore, Nebraska by the Republican Valley Railroad (RV). This railroad also came under control of the BRMN the following year. Since 1880, the BMRN had been controlled by stock by the same interests that controlled the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CB&Q). The CB&Q and associated ownership came in control or constructed a large number of lines throughout Iowa and Nebraska, and this route would come to serve as a secondary mainline, connecting various branch lines in southern Nebraska to the main line at Crete. The BMRN was formally sold to the CB&Q in 1908. The CB&Q continued to operate this line as a secondary mainline. CB&Q merged with Northern Pacific Railway and Great Northern Railway to form Burlington Northern Railroad (BN). BN merged with Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1996 to form BNSF Railway. BNSF abandoned the segment west of Wymore in 2002, and BNSF continues to operate the Crete to Wymore segment as the Beatrice Subdivision.
Located along School Street on the west side of Weston, this through plate girder bridge is the third crossing of Wahoo Creek along this line. The previous bridge at this location was likely a timber trestle. In 1907, an 80-foot through plate girder span would be constructed, and set onto timber pile piers with timber pile trestle approaches. The through girder span would be fabricated by the American Bridge Company, which fabricated nearly all Union Pacific bridges after 1900. In 1952, the bridge was extensively reconstructed. A 30-foot steel stringer span, fabricated by the Paxton-Vierling Steel company would be added to each end to replace the trestle spans. In addition, new concrete pile piers and abutments would be constructed for the bridge. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it provided a durable and easy to construct bridge. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The bridge is painted the signature Union Pacific green. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Builder and build date (main span) | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Builder and build date (approach spans) | Paxton-Vierling Steel Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |