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| Name | UP Hennepin Canal Bridge Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #1469 |
| Built By | Chicago & North Western Railway |
| Currently Owned By | Union Pacific Railroad |
| Superstructure Contractor | American Bridge Company of New York |
| Substructure Contractor | Unknown |
| Length | 117 Feet Total |
| Width | 1 Track |
| Height Above Ground | 20 Feet (Estimated) |
| Superstructure Design | Quadrangular Lattice Through Truss |
| Substructure Design | Stone Masonry and Concrete |
| Date Built | 1905 |
| Traffic Count | 2 Trains/Day (Estimated) |
| Current Status | In Use |
| Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number | 1469 |
| Union Pacific Railroad Bridge Number | 29.18 |
| Significance | Moderate Significance |
| Documentation Date | 6/9/2015 |
In 1890, the Chicago, Peoria & St. Louis Railroad (CP&StL) completed 44 miles of new railroad from Madison, Illinois to Litchfield, Illinois. The railroad became part of the Litchfield & Madison Railway (L&M) in 1900. In 1901, the Peoria & Northwestern Railway (P&NW) completed 83 miles of railroad, extending from the existing Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) mainline at Nelson, Illinois to Peoria, Illinois. The P&NW was a subsidiary of the C&NW, and would be fully absorbed by 1902. In 1904, the Macoupin County Railway (MCR) constructed an additional 24 miles from Benld, Illinois to Girard, Illinois. The MCR was acquired by the St. Louis, Peoria & Northwestern Railway (StLP&NW) in 1912. The StLP&NW was another C&NW subsidiary, and constructed an additional 93 miles from Kickapoo (Peoria) to Benld in 1913 before being sold to the C&NW. The same year, the Macoupin County Extension Railway (MCER) completed an additional 3 miles from Girard to Staunton, Illinois before being acquired by the C&NW in 1914. In 1927, the C&NW constructed an additional 2.5 miles to DeCamp, where the line met the L&M. The C&NW obtained trackage rights over the L&M to reach Madison at the same time. This route provided the C&NW with a direct source of quality coal, and connected to other railroads throughout southern Illinois.
The C&NW would become a prominent railroad in the Midwest,
eventually building a system over 11,000 miles long. The L&M would be acquired by the C&NW in 1957, and the C&NW would abandon the line from Mt. Olive to Litchfield in 1961, and from DeCamp to Mt. Olive in 1972. By the late 20th Century, this route slowly had lost importance. In 1995, the
C&NW would be purchased by the Union Pacific Railroad (UP). UP abandoned the line between DeCamp and Stallings in 1998, as well as the segment from Barr to Girard. In addition, the DeCamp to Monterey Junction segment was sold to the Norfolk Southern Railway (NS) in 1998. Today, UP operates the Peoria Subdivision between Nelson and Barr, and NS operates the Monterey Branch from Monterey Junction to DeCamp. Portions of the line near Springfield have become part of the Sangamon Valley Trail. When complete, the trail will connect Girard to Athens (Barr).
Located north of Langley, this through truss bridge carries the Union Pacific across the Hennepin Canal and Hennepin Canal Parkway Trail. Between 1890 and 1907, the United States Government constructed the Illinois & Mississippi Canal, later renamed the Hennepin Canal, to connect the Illinois and Mississippi Rivers. The new canal and feeder canal would require eight railroad bridges and sixty-three roadway bridges. In 1905, construction on the canal reached the C&NW line at Langley, and a bridge would be constructed. The bridge consists of a 117-foot, riveted quadrangular lattice through truss span, set onto stone and concrete abutments. The truss utilizes a typical design for a 20th Century lattice span, with heavily constructed members, riveted connections and an A-frame portal. It appears the stone abutments were constructed for the original bridge at this location.
The quadrangular lattice through truss design was not particularly popular among most railroads. Railroads preferred simpler designs, such as Pratt or Warren spans. These spans were easier to design and construct, and had more predictable stresses within the structure. The C&NW first began using the design in the late 1870s, and the design quickly became the standard design for truss spans along the railroad. Other railroads also utilized the design for short periods, but the C&NW used the design nearly exclusively between 1880 and 1920. Because the C&NW used the design extensively, the Midwest has a particularly large population of bridges using this design. This particular span represents a later generation of the design, with a heavier design than previous generations. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with some deterioration noted throughout the structure. The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the common design.
Citations
| Builder and build date | American Bridge Company plaque |
| Railroad History Citation | ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele |