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| Name | UP Johnson Creek Bridge Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #194 |
| Built By | Chicago & North Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York (Spans #1, #2 and #3) Chicago Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago, Illinois (Spans #4, #5 and #6) |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 198 Feet Total, 60 Foot Largest Span |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 15 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Deck Plate Girder, Through Plate Girder and Steel Stringer |
| Substructure Design | Concrete and Steel Bent |
| Date Built | 1917 |
| Traffic Count | 1 Train/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 194 |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 122.37 |
| Significance | Local Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/13/2014; 12/9/2020 |
In 1854, the Rock River Valley Union Railroad Company (RRVU) constructed 18 miles of new railroad, extending from Chester, Wisconsin to Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. In 1855, the railroad began construction on an additional 11 miles, prior to being consolidated into the Chicago, St. Paul and Fond du Lac Railroad (CStP&FdL) early that year. The CStP&FdL completed the 11 miles south to Minnesota Junction, Wisconsin (present-day Clyman Junction) in 1855. The CStP&FdL was sold to the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) in 1859. The C&NW constructed an additional 57 miles of railroad between Janesville, Wisconsin and Minnesota Junction in 1859. The same year, the C&NW completed 17 additional miles between Fond du Lac and Oshkosh, Wisconsin; followed by 20 miles between Oshkosh and Appleton, Wisconsin in 1861 and an additional 28 miles between Appleton and Green Bay, Wisconsin in 1862. The C&NW was reorganized in 1864, and the line would be extended north into Michigan in the 1860s and early 1870s.
During the second half of the 20th Century, the C&NW had constructed and acquired a large amount of trackage throughout the Midwest. By the 20th Century, the C&NW was operating an extensive railroad network, which radiated north and west from Chicago. This line served as a mainline, connecting the mainline at Janesville to industrial areas along Lake Winnebago and to Lake Michigan at Green Bay. While the line served as a mainline, it was one of two parallel routes between southern Wisconsin and Green Bay, with the other line following the shore of Lake Michigan north from Milwaukee. By the late 20th Century, the C&NW had begun to consolidate operations and abandon excess lines to remain a profitable railroad. The line between Clyman Junction and Fond du Lac would be abandoned in 1985, and purchased for trail use.
In 1988, the C&NW sold the Fond du Lac to Green Bay segment of this line to the Fox River Valley Railroad, which became the Fox Valley and Western Ltd. (FV&W) in 1993. The FV&W was a subsidiary of the successful Wisconsin Central Ltd. (WC), which had acquired a large amount of former Milwaukee Road and Soo Line trackage in Wisconsin. The C&NW was purchased by Union Pacific Railroad (UP) in 1995. The segment between Janesville and Fort Atkinson, Wisconsin would be abandoned in 1998, and portions acquired for trail use. Portions of the line between Oshkosh and Neenah were also abandoned in the late 1990s. In 2001, WC was purchased by Canadian National Railway (CN), and became the American subsidiary of the railroad. After CN acquired the line, portions of the line in Fond du Lac were abandoned in 2003, and the Fond du Lac to Oshkosh segment would be heavily rebuilt. Today, the Fond du Lac to Clyman Junction segment is used as part of the Wild Goose State Trail, and portions near Fort Atkinson and Neenah are also used by trails. UP operates the Clyman Junction to Fort Atkinson segment as the Clyman Industrial Lead, and CN operates the North Fond du Lac to Green Bay segment as the Fox River Subdivision.
Located in Johnson Creek, this unusual girder bridge carries the former Chicago & North Western Railway mainline over Johnson Creek, Milwaukee Street (County Road B) and Aztalan Street. The first bridges at this location consisted of timber pile trestles, which required occasional renewal. By the 20th Century, the C&NW sought to upgrade this line, replacing timber bridges with steel, stone and concrete structures. In 1917, the present bridge would be constructed to replace the timber bridge. Currently, the bridge consists of a 24-foot steel stringer span on the south end, followed by 60-foot and 45-foot deck plate girder spans, two 24-foot through plate girder spans over Milwaukee Street and a 20-foot steel stringer span. The abutments and piers #1 and #2 are constructed of concrete, while piers #3, #4 and #5 are constructed of steel bents resting on concrete. The superstructure of this bridge uses a number of unique designs. The southern (60-foot) deck plate girder span consists of a standard design, with two heavy plate girders and an open deck. The northern (45-foot) deck plate girder uses an unusual design, consisting of two heavy girders which are tapered on the north end to allow for the span to rest on a steel bent. The two through girder spans use a design seen on some C&NW bridges, with shallow girders, an unusual floor and square girder ends. These spans are constructed out of dual-beam floorbeams, with six shallow stringers supporting the track. The 24-foot steel stringer span uses a standard design with six beams arranged into two sets of three, while the 20-foot stringer span uses a similar design with four beams arranged into two sets of two. The south abutment uses a standard design, with sloped wing walls, while the north abutment uses a rectangular design with no wing walls. Similar to many C&NW bridges, the two concrete piers use a standard rectangular shape, with the upstream edge angled. All three steel belts are constructed of large beams, connected by a transverse plate girder and lateral bracing composed of two beams connected by plates. American Bridge Company fabricated the deck girder spans and southern steel stringer span, while the Chicago Bridge & Iron Works fabricated the through girders and northern steel stringer span. An unknown contractor constructed the concrete substructures. Girder and stringer bridges were commonly used by railroads, as they were durable and easy to construct. It is unusual to see a collection of significantly different spans which were constructed at the same time for a single bridge. Since the initial construction, the bridge has seen few alterations, and remains in use. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with minor deterioration noted to the structure. The author has ranked the bridge as being locally significant, due to the common designs.
Citations
| Builder and build date (spans #1, #2 and #3) | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Builder and build date (spans #4, #5 and #6) | Chicago Bridge & Iron Works plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |