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| Name | BNSF 60th Street Bridge Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Railroad Bridge #23.12 |
| Built By | Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad |
| Currently Owned By | BNSF Railway |
| Superstructure Contractor | Unknown (West Span) Kellogg & Maurice of Athens, Pennsylvania (East Span) |
| Length | 84 Feet Total, 30 Foot Largest Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 13 Feet 4 Inches |
| Superstructure Design | Steel Stringer, Deck Plate Girder and Concrete Slab |
| Substructure Design | Concrete and Concrete Pile |
| Date Built | 1904, Using a Span Fabricated 1879 |
| Original Location | First Plattsmouth Railroad Bridge |
| Traffic Count | 10 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Bridge Number | 23.12 |
| BNSF Railway Bridge Number | 23.12 |
| Significance | Regional Significance |
| Documentation Date | 11/28/2020 |
In 1869, the Burlington and Missouri River Railroad in Nebraska (BMRN) would continue constructing westwards from Pacific Junction, reaching milepost 12. The following year, a 17 mile extension from Oreapolis, Nebraska north to Omaha would be made, and an additional 48 miles to Lincoln would be constructed from milepost 12. A permanent bridge across the Missouri River at Plattsmouth would be completed in 1880. 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. This route would serve as a piece of the planned Chicago to Denver mainline, which reached Denver in 1883. In 1885, the Omaha and South Western Railway constructed 4 miles of new railroad from Omaha, to South Omaha. In 1886, the Omaha and North Platte Railroad (O&NP) completed an additional 30 miles of railroad, extending from Omaha to Ashland, where it met the main line. The 4 miles constructed in 1885 were sold to the O&NP in 1887, and the O&NP sold to the BMRN in 1887. The BMRN was formally sold to the CB&Q in 1908, and CB&Q continued to operate these routes as parallel mainline, and a second track was added from Lincoln to Waverly in 1910, and Waverly to Ashland in 1918. 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 continues to operate the Oreapolis-Omaha-Ashland line as the Omaha Subdivision, and the Pacific Junction to Lincoln segment as the Creston Subdivision.
Located in South Omaha, this rather generic looking historic bridge crosses 60th Street. The bridge was constructed in 1904, using a 30-foot steel stringer span, as well as a 25-foot deck plate girder span on the east end. The bridge is approached by two concrete slab spans on the west, and is set onto concrete substructures. The eastern span was built using girders from three deck plate girder spans originally fabricated in 1879 by Kellogg & Maurice for the First Plattsmouth Bridge. Most of the First Plattsmouth Bridge was reused at various locations throughout Iowa, Missouri and Nebraska. Upon relocation, the girders were shortened from 30-foot spans, and combined to form a triple strength span. The western span utilizes a typical design for steel stringers, with eight total beams arranged in two sets of four.
Railroads often reused steel and iron spans, as it provided a cost effective way to recycle bridge material. As was the case with this bridge, recycled spans were often modified, strengthened or combined to suit the loading requirements at the new bridge. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked this bridge as being regionally significant, due to the relocated span. Despite being heavily altered, the 1879 components of this bridge are an unusual feature, as often secondhand spans were moved to branch line bridges. It is extremely rare for spans this old to be present on a mainline bridge.
Citations
| Build date and relocation information | Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Valuation Summary at the Newberry Library |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |