Rating:
8 votes

Dinkey Bridge

Story County, Iowa

Photos 

Go check out Carl's photostream: http://www.flickr.com/photos/carlwwycoff/

Photo taken by Carl Wycoff

View this photo on Flickr

BH Photo #221195

Map 

Description 

Legend goes that the bridge used to clandestinely ship pure uranium from the Iowa State College's Ames Laboratory's Ames Project to the larger Manhattan Project during World War Two.

Facts 

Overview
Lost Steel stringer bridge over Squaw Creek on Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railroad (former Ames and College Railroad) in Ames
Location
Ames, Story County, Iowa
Status
Demolished
History
Built ca 1920; Reinforced 1965; Demolished in 2010
Railroads
- Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railway (FDDM)
- Interurban
Design
Steel stringer bridge with railroad ties used as decking with a 1" spacing between ties.
Dimensions
Total length: 245.0 ft.
Also called
FDDM - Dinkey Bridge
CNW - Dinkey Bridge
CNW - Squaw Creek Bridge
FDDM - Squaw Creek Bridge
UP - Dinkey Bridge
UP - Squaw Creek Bridge
Approximate latitude, longitude
+42.02678, -93.62890   (decimal degrees)
42°01'36" N, 93°37'44" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/447937/4652940 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Ames West
Inventory number
BH 48843 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

Ames, Iowa (58)
Beam (15,705)
Built 1918 (496)
Built during 1910s (9,632)
Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railway (59)
Interurban (910)
Iowa (6,496)
Lost (24,712)
 Lost 2010 (463)
Lost during 2010s (3,279)
Rail-to-trail (1,535)
Railroad (15,408)
Squaw Creek (Hamilton-Story Counties, Iowa) (26)
Steel stringer (6,220)
Story County, Iowa (160)
Total length 175-250 feet (4,264)

Update Log 

  • January 2, 2020: Updated by Luke: Added circa build date per Newspapers.com clipping provided by Melissa; Added additionaly imagery from clippings provided by Melissa
  • October 14, 2017: New photo from Luke
  • August 9, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Added category "Railroad"
  • July 25, 2012: Updated by John Marvig: Added information
  • April 17, 2012: New photo from Luke Harden
  • April 11, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Added category "Fort Dodge, Des Moines & Southern Railroad"
  • February 16, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Added category "Ames & College Railway"
  • January 20, 2012: Updated by Luke Harden: Added category "Rail-to-trail"
  • November 30, 2011: Photo imported by Luke Harden
  • September 19, 2011: New photo from Luke Harden
  • August 22, 2011: New photo from Luke Harden
  • June 30, 2011: New photo from Luke Harden
  • June 8, 2011: Updated by Luke Harden: Added photographs
  • June 3, 2011: Added by Luke Harden

Related Bridges 

Sources 

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Comments 

Dinkey Bridge
Posted July 25, 2012, by Luke Harden (lmharden [at] iastate [dot] edu)

No, as the bridge with timber bents was still extant in the great flood of 1918: http://www.amespubliclibrary.org/farwell/publication/Pub2739...

Dinkey Bridge
Posted July 25, 2012, by John Marvig (johnmarvig [at] chaska [dot] net)

I have heard that the line was electrified in 1916. Is it possible this bridge was built the same time?

Dinkey Bridge
Posted June 3, 2011, by Andy Lehman

I wasn't sure exactly what bridge this was til I zoomed in on it on Google Earth. I used to run through the park all the time and remember walking out on this bridge and sitting on the edge and hanging my legs of the side. It was pretty scary given the bridges' height and the 1' spacing between the railroad ties. I think their safety concerns are valid but the bridge would have worked perfectly to connect the park trails on the east side of the river to the west.

PS Luke, did you graduate from ISU last year?