EE Big Sioux River Bridge (Brandon)

Name	EE Big Sioux River Bridge (Brandon) Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge #P-106
Built By	Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway
Currently Owned By	Ellis & Eastern Railroad
Superstructure Contractor	Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago
Length	470 Feet Total, 150 Foot Main Span
Width	1 Track
Height Above Ground	20 Feet (Estimated)
Superstructure Design	Quadrangular Lattice Through Truss and Concrete Modular Girder
Substructure Design	Stone Masonry, Concrete and Steel Pile
Date Built	1887, Approaches Replaced 2024
Traffic Count	Less than 1 Train/Day (Estimated)
Current Status	In Use
Chicago & North Western Railway Bridge Number	P-106
Significance	Regional Significance
Documentation Date	1/1/2016

In 1876, the Worthington and Sioux Falls Railroad Company (W&SF) would begin construction on a new railroad line, extending 58 miles from Org, Minnesota to Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The line would be completed in 1878, and the W&SF would become part of the Saint Paul and Sioux City Railroad Company (StP&SC) in 1879. The StP&SC would construct an additional 40 miles to Salem, South Dakota in 1880. In 1881, the StP&SC would be sold to the Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway (CStPM&O), also known as the Omaha Road. The Omaha Road would come under control of the Chicago & North Western Railway (C&NW) the next year. The line would be completed to Mitchell in 1887.

This route served as a branch line for the Omaha Road, connecting to agricultural markets in South Dakota. The Omaha Road would formally be merged into the C&NW in 1959. Because of the branch line status of this line, the C&NW deferred maintenance on the route. In 1981, the Ellis to Mitchell segment of the line would be abandoned. The remainder of the line was abandoned in 1987, but would be sold to the Buffalo Ridge Railroad Authority and the Ellis & Eastern Railroad. Through the 1990s, a number of railroads operated the Buffalo Ridge segment between Org and Manley. In 2001, Minnesota Southern Railway began operations between Org and Manley, and it would be acquired by the Ellis & Eastern Railroad (EE) in 2017. Today, the route is being upgraded by EE to secure future operations.

Located on the west side of Brandon, this quadrangular lattice through truss bridge carries the Ellis & Eastern across the Big Sioux River. Built in 1887, the bridge consists of a 150-foot riveted quadrangular lattice through truss span, set onto stone piers, and approached by wooden trestle spans. The stone piers were encased in concrete during the 20th Century. The timber approaches were replaced with concrete girder spans in 2024. While a few other railroads, such as Union Pacific, Rock Island and Erie all used the design at various times, no railroad relied on the design as much as the C&NW. Between 1878 and 1930, most trusses constructed by the C&NW were of the quadrangular lattice design. The truss span is typical of late 1880s quadrangular lattice trusses fabricated by Lassig Bridge & Iron Works, featuring a pedimented lattice portal, with standard cutout heel bracings. Overall, the bridge appears to be in fair to good condition, with no significant deterioration noted. The author has ranked the bridge as being moderately significant, due to the truss design.

Builder and build date	Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis & Omaha Railway Valuation Information at the Chicago & North Western Historical Society Archives
Railroad History Citation	ICC Valuation Information, Compiled by Richard S. Steele

EE Big Sioux River Bridge (Brandon)

Brandon, Minnehaha County, South Dakota