Bridgehunter.com | ASV - Smoky Hill River Bridge

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Photos

Photo taken by Chris Guenzler

Map

Description

Original bridge at this location, constructed when the Rock Island built here in 1887

A collection of nearly identical Lattice Trusses

Written by Robert Elder

The Lattice truss, with its many variations, is a common design for both metal and wooden covered bridges. Many of the metal Lattice through truss bridges, which were undoubtedly built by different firms, feature a variety of portal bracing styles.

In Kansas, the most common Lattice truss configuration is the Triple Intersectional Lattice truss. The triple intersectional layout is rare on a national scale. Unlike most Lattice trusses in Kansas, this bridge is a Quadrangular Lattice truss. This is the only known Quadrangular Lattice truss in Kansas, although on a national scale, the Quadrangular layout is much more common than the Triple Intersectional layout.

A few of these bridges, most of them in South Dakota, feature pedimented portal bracing with perforated knee bracing. I have often referred to this design by the phrase "Pedimented and Porforated Portal Bracing.

Jason Smith was able to located a plaque on the Riverdale Park Pedestrian Bridge http://bridgehunter.com/sd/minnehaha/bh36190/ which indicates that the bridge was built by M. Lassig of Chicago, Illinois. M. Lassig was likely associated with the Lassig Bridge and Ironworks, also based in Chicago.

Facts

Overview: Lattice through truss bridge over Smoky Hill River on Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad in Enterprise
Location: Enterprise, Dickinson County, Kansas
Status: Open to traffic
History: Built 1887, Rehabilitated 2014
Builder: - Lassig Bridge & Iron Works of Chicago, Illinois (Likely Builder)
Railroads: - Abilene & Smoky Valley Railroad (ASV)
- Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific Railroad (RI; CRIP; ROCK)
- Oklahoma, Kansas & Texas Railroad (OKT)
Design: Two span Lattice through truss
Dimensions: Length of largest span: 115.0 ft.
Total length: 395.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude: +38.90769, -97.12591 (decimal degrees)
38°54'28" N, 97°07'33" W (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates: 14/662497/4308202 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:: Abilene
Inventory number: BH 39837 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Update Log

March 10, 2017: New photos from John Marvig
January 27, 2015: Updated by Luke: Noted rehab per forum comment
December 28, 2011: Updated by Robert Elder: Edited Design. This appears to be a Quadruple Intersectional Lattice Truss
June 9, 2010: Essay added by Robert Elder
June 8, 2010: Updated by Robert Elder: Edited Categories - bridge does not appear to be owned federally.
February 11, 2009: Added by Robert Elder

Sources

Robert Elder - robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com
Luke
John Marvig - marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com

Comments

ASV - Smoky Hill River Bridge

Posted January 27, 2015, by Nicole Beck (prairieroads06 [at] yahoo [dot] com)

Posted May 9, 2014 on the Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad's Facebook page, https://www.facebook.com/ASVRR1:

"The bridge and approach have been repaired and ready for traffic. This Saturday, May 10 will be the first run across the Smoky Hill River since last fall."

The dedicated members of the ASVRR saved this bridge!

Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad Bridge

Posted June 8, 2010, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

An essay is coming...stay tuned...

Abilene and Smoky Valley Railroad Bridge

Posted June 8, 2010, by Robert Elder (robertelder1 [at] gmail [dot] com)

This link has four photographs of this bridge:

http://www.trainweb.org/chris/abil2.html

This double-span, triple-intersectional Lattice through truss features pedimented portal bracing in addition to a rare design of perforated knee bracing. The laced diagonal members are another unique feature of the bridge. If you click on the link, notice the unique diagonal bracing on the top panels of the truss.

This is definitely a bridge that I need to research...