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| Name | WSOR Bridge #D-614 Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge #D-614 |
| Built By | Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway |
| Currently Owned By | State of Wisconsin (Operated by Wisconsin & Southern Railroad) |
| Superstructure Contractor | Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago |
| Length | 21 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 5 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder |
| Substructure Design | Concrete |
| Date Built | 1905, Using a Span Fabricated 1899 |
| Original Location | Bridge #C-70; Rock River Bridge; Ixonia, Wisconsin |
| Traffic Count | 0 Trains/Day (Bridge is Closed to Traffic) |
| Current Status | Closed to Traffic |
| Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway Bridge Number | D-614 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 4/6/2024 |
In 1865, the Iron Ridge and Mayville Railroad (IR&M) began grading a new railroad line, extending from the existing La Crosse & Milwaukee Railroad (LC&M) line at Iron Ridge to Mayville, approximately 7 miles north. In 1874, the Fond du Lac, Amboy & Peoria Railway (FdLA&P) was charted to construct a 3-foot narrow gauge line between Fond du Lac, Wisconsin and Amboy, Illinois. Construction on the railroad began in 1875, and in 1876, the railroad reached the existing LC&M line at Iron Ridge, Wisconsin using the roadbed graded by the IR&M. It was decided to cease construction at this location, giving the FdLA&P 29 total miles constructed. The property of the IR&M was formally purchased by the FdLA&P in 1878. The FdLA&P was acquired by the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway (Milwaukee Road) in 1883, and was converted to a standard gauge line soon after. The line became a branch line for the Milwaukee Road, primarily serving industries in Fond du Lac. In 1890, the Wisconsin Midland Railroad constructed 2 miles of track in Fond du Lac to serve various industries east of the Fond du Lac River. This railroad was purchased by the Milwaukee Road in 1897.
The Milwaukee Road was often in financial trouble, especially after the costly Pacific Extension was completed in 1909. In 1925, the company declared bankruptcy, and reorganized as the Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad in 1928. Throughout the 20th Century, financial conditions for the Milwaukee Road continued to deteriorate. This line began to fall into disrepair, and traffic over the line began to lighten. The railroad again entered bankruptcy in 1977, and was forced to liquidate unprofitable lines. The line from Iron Ridge to Mayville was sold to the State of Wisconsin in 1980, which leased it to the Wisconsin & Southern Railroad (WSOR) the same year. In the early 1980s, the segment between Mayville, Wisconsin and Fond du Lac would be abandoned, with the exception of some short spurs within Fond du Lac. A portion of the line in Fond du Lac was sold to the Wisconsin Central, Ltd (WC) in 1987. The WC was purchased by Canadian National Railway in 2001, which continues to operate a short segment in Fond du Lac. The WSOR continues to operate the segment between Iron Ridge and the south side of Mayville as the Mayville Spur, which primarily serves a handful of industries.
Located in Mayville, this small deck plate girder bridge carries the former Chicago, Milwaukee, St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) over an unnamed creek. The previous bridge at this location was likely a timber pile trestle. In 1905, the bridge would be replaced with the present deck girder bridge. Currently, the bridge consists of a 21-foot deck plate girder span, set onto concrete abutments. The deck girder span was originally fabricated in 1899 as an approach span for Bridge #C-70 across the Rock River at Ixonia, Wisconsin. When that bridge was double tracked, the approaches were no longer required, and the girders reused elsewhere. The girder span consists of a standard shallow girder span, which uses solid plate cross bracing instead of a typical X-shaped bracing. In addition, the span does not have upper or lower lateral bracing. Lassig Bridge & Iron Works fabricated the span, while laborers from the Milwaukee Road Bridge & Building Department constructed the abutments. Railroads often reused steel and iron spans, as it provided a cost effective method for replacing bridges along branch lines. Deck plate girder spans were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen only minor alterations, and is currently closed to traffic. Alterations include the removal of the east portions of the abutments to facilitate an adjacent roadway bridge. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted to the superstructure or substructure. The author has ranked this bridge as being locally significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Build date and relocation history | Milwaukee Road Bridge Index, located at the Milwaukee Road Archives at the Milwaukee Public Library |
| Builder | Missing Lassig Bridge & Iron Works plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |