BNSF Mud Creek Bridge (Talmage, South)

Name	BNSF Mud Creek Bridge (Talmage, South) Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge #64.2
Built By	Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway
Currently Owned By	BNSF Railway
Superstructure Contractor	American Bridge Company of New York
Length	167 Feet Total, 70 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	15 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Through Plate Girder and Timber Pile Trestle
Substructure Design	Steel Pile and Timber Pile
Date Built	1941 Using a Span Fabricated c. 1905
Original Location	Unknown
Traffic Count	5 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Number	64.2
BNSF Railway Bridge Number	64.2
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	12/31/2019

In 1886, the Chicago, Kansas & Western Railway (CK&W) began construction on a new railroad, 163 miles in length. The new line would connect to an existing Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railroad (ATSF) line at Gladstone, Kansas, and extend to Superior, Nebraska. The line was completed in 1888. The CK&W would be acquired by the ATSF in 1889, but did not formally convey the property to the ATSF until 1901. The ATSF was reorganized as the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway in 1895. The segment between Gladstone and Strong City would be abandoned prior to 1900. The ATSF had acquired and constructed a large number of railroad lines throughout the western United States, particularly in Kansas and Oklahoma. This line served as a connection between the existing mainlines in central Kansas and additional branch lines in northern Kansas. The ATSF would merge with Burlington Northern Railroad in 1996 to form BNSF Railway, the current owner of this line. The line between Strong City and Lost Springs, Kansas would be abandoned in 2005. The remainder of this route is currently operated as the Strong City Subdivision.

Located south of Talmage, this through plate girder bridge carries the BNSF line over Mud Creek. The previous bridge at this location was a timber pile trestle. In 1941, the bridge would be reconstructed with a secondhand steel span. A 70-foot "class D" through plate girder span, originally fabricated c. 1905 at an unknown location, would be installed on timber pile piers, and new timber pile trestle spans constructed at either end. A missing plaque on the bridge indicates that it was fabricated by American Bridge Company. This design of bridge was commonly used by railroads throughout the United States, as they were durable and easy to construct. Railroads often reused steel spans, as it provided a cost effective way to replace bridges along branch lines. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. Several bents have been replaced with steel piles. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Citations

Build date	Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway Bridge Records; Part of Railroad & Heritage Museum Fred M. and Dale M. Springer Archive; Temple, Texas
Builder	Missing American Bridge Company plaque
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

BNSF Mud Creek Bridge (Talmage, South)

Talmage, Dickinson County, Kansas