BNSF Indian Creek Bridge (Beatrice)

Name	BNSF Indian Creek Bridge (Beatrice) Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #29.87
Built By	Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	American Bridge Company of New York
Length	218 Feet Total, 50 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	10 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Through Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle
Substructure Design	Concrete and Timber Pile
Date Built	1922
Traffic Count	2 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number	29.87
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	29.87
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	10/26/2019

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 on the north side of Beatrice, this through plate girder bridge crosses Indian Creek. The previous bridge at this location was a timber pile trestle. In 1922, it was decided to reconstruct the bridge with a 50-foot through plate girder span, set onto concrete piers and approached by timber trestle. The girder span was fabricated by the American Bridge Company, and utilizes a design typical of the era. The trestle approaches utilize timber pile and frame bents, with timber planks stacked to form the cap, a somewhat uncommon feature for a bridge that is still in service. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as it was durable and easy to construct. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design. A large pipeline obscures the west face of the girder span.

Builder and build date	American Bridge Company plaque
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

BNSF Indian Creek Bridge (Beatrice)

Beatrice, Gage County, Nebraska