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Alton Railroad Bridge

Madison County, Illinois, and St. Charles County, Missouri
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Photos 

Overall View Of Bridge, Looking North

Photo taken Aug. 1985 by Clayton B. Fraser for the Historic American Engineering Record

View photos at Library of Congress

Map 

Facts 

Overview
Lost through truss swing bridge over the Mississippi River on the Burlington Northern Railroad at Alton
Location
Alton, Madison County, Illinois, and St. Charles County, Missouri
Status
Removed after the railroad line was abandoned
History
Built 1892-94 under the direction of George S. Morison. Railroad line abandoned in 1988.
Builder
- George S. Morison of New Bedford, Massachusetts
Design
From west to east:
Six Pratt through trusses, each 210 ft.
One Pennsylvania through truss, 360 ft.
One pivot swing through truss span, 460 ft.
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 460.0 ft.
Total length: 2,060.0 ft. (0.4 mi.)
Also called
Alton Bridge (original name)
Approximate latitude, longitude
+38.88450, -90.18534   (decimal degrees)
38°53'04" N, 90°11'07" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/744142/4307725 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map
Alton
Inventory number
BH 15488 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (3,851)
Alton, Illinois (5)
Built 1894 (135)
Built during 1890s (1,560)
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (130)
George S. Morison (18)
HAER documented (784)
Illinois (2,501)
Lost (10,494)
Lost 1989 (75)
Lost during 1980s (440)
Madison County, Illinois (74)
Mississippi River (155)
 Missouri (4,533)
Movable (1,360)
Owned by railroad (4,120)
Pratt through truss (3,184)
Pratt truss (5,687)
Railroad (4,223)
Span length 250-500 feet (867)
St. Charles County, Missouri (44)
State line crossing (515)
Swing (537)
Through truss (9,254)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (1,223)
Truss (23,615)

Update Log 

  • August 20, 2012: Updated by Daniel Hopkins: Added category "Railroad"
  • October 24, 2009: Updated by Kim Harvey: year railroad abanoned
  • September 14, 2008: New photos from James Baughn
  • July 8, 2008: Updated by Kim Harvey: bridge was removed when the railroad line was abandoned in early 1990s
  • February 5, 2007: Posted new photos

Sources 

Comments 

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