UP West Indian Creek Bridge (Nevada, South)

Nevada, Story County, Iowa

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Name	UP West Indian Creek Bridge (Nevada, South) Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad Bridge #1068
Built By	Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway
Currently Owned By	Union Pacific Railroad
Superstructure Contractor	American Bridge Company of New York (Center Span) Unknown (Approach Spans)
Substructure Contractor	Unknown
Length	175 Feet Total, 75 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	20 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Deck Plate Girder
Substructure Design	Concrete
Date Built	1906 (Center Span), Approach Spans Added 1920
Traffic Count	10 Trains/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number	1068
Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number	106.90
Significance	Local Significance
Documentation Date	10/7/2016

In 1901, the Des Moines, Iowa Falls & Northern Railway (DMIF&N) constructed a 74-mile railroad line, extending from the existing Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railway (Rock Island) mainline at Des Moines, Iowa to Iowa Falls, Iowa. In 1908, the DMIF&N was purchased by the St. Paul & Des Moines Railroad (StP&DM). Between 1908 and 1909, the StP&DM constructed an additional 44 miles of new railroad, extending to Mason City, Iowa. The StP&DM was acquired by the St. Paul & Kansas City Short Line Railroad (StP&KCSL) in 1911, which was a subsidiary of the Rock Island. The purpose of the StP&KCSL was to construct a direct route between St. Paul, Minnesota and Kansas City, Missouri. The Rock Island already owned a line across Missouri, as well as a line between Albert Lea, Minnesota and St. Paul, Minnesota. The StP&KCSL completed the connection between the two lines in 1913. To reach the existing line at Albert Lea, the Rock Island obtained trackage rights over the Chicago Great Western Railway (CGW) between Mason City and Manly, Iowa; and over the Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway (M&StL) between Manly and Albert Lea. The Rock Island was a large railroad, having constructed and acquired a significant railroad network in the central United States. This line provided a critical north-south connection between the northern and southern halves of the system. The line became known as the "Spine Line".

The Rock Island struggled financially throughout much of its history, experiencing repeated bankruptcies and chronic instability. In the early 1930s, the Rock Island constructed a new cutoff into Kansas City, further improving the route. After World War II, the Rock Island struggled to survive, proposing mergers and deferring maintenance on their routes. The railroad reorganized as the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad in 1948, and the StP&KCSL was merged into the Rock Island at this time. Throughout the 20th Century, this line remained a critical mainline for the Rock Island. By the mid-1970s, the railroad was in serious decline. The railroad secured loans to eliminate slow orders, acquired new equipment, and attempted to restore profitability. Several sections of this line had fallen into serious disrepair, hampering the Rock Islands ability to maintain efficient operations. In 1978, the railroad came close to profit, but creditors were lobbying for a complete shutdown of the Rock Island. During the fall of 1979, a strike crippled the railroad. Many of the lines and equipment were scrapped. Profitable sections of railroad were prepared for sale. After the fall of the Rock Island, a bidding war ensued between the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) and the Soo Line for the Spine Line. Ultimately, the C&NW was awarded the rights to purchase the line in 1981. Work on rehabilitating the line began soon after, and by 1983, the entire line had been extensively rebuilt. In 1995, the C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP). Today, UP operates the Des Moines to Mason City segment of the Spine Line as the Mason City Subdivision.

Located on the south side of Nevada, this deck plate girder bridge carries a former Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (Rock Island) mainline over West Indian Creek. The first bridge at this location was a timber pile trestle. During the initial construction of this line, timber bridges were used for many of the major crossings, as they allowed the approach embankments to settle without damaging permanent structures. Within a few years of completion, the Rock Island undertook a program to replace many of the timber bridges with permanent steel and concrete structures. By early 1906, the first bridge was reportedly too deteriorated for traffic, and a new steel span was constructed on concrete pedestals, retaining timber pile trestle approaches. In 1920, the timber approaches and pedestals were replaced with deck girder approach spans and concrete piers and abutments, giving the bridge its present configuration. Currently, the bridge consists of a 75-foot deck plate girder span, approached by a 50-foot deck plate girder span on either end and set onto concrete substructures. The superstructure uses a standard design, with two heavy plate girders and a ballast deck. The piers consist of tall rectangular structures, while the abutments use short wing walls extending perpendicularly from the bridge. American Bridge Company fabricated the center span, while the approach spans were fabricated by an unknown contractor. It is unclear if the substructures were constructed by an unknown contractor or by railroad company forces. Deck plate girder spans were popular for railroad use, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen a number of alterations, including replacement of the original ballast deck and repairs to the abutments. Today, the bridge remains in regular use. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.

Citations

Build date (center span)	Nevada Evening Journal; July 11, 1906
Builder (center span superstructure)	Missing American Bridge Company plaque
Build date (approach spans)	Nevada Representative; June 17, 1920
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele