Kansas River Railroad Bridge No. 4

This photo contains 3 out all 4 Kansas River Railroad Bridges.

Kansas River Railroad Bridge No. 4 is at the bottom.

Kansas River Railroad Bridge No. 3 is near the center of this photo. (Note the Cattle Chute Bridge between Bridge 3 & 4)

Kansas River Railroad Bridge No. 2 is at the top.

this photo was during the 1951 Kansas City Flood.

(The Central Ave. Bridge is also here, it is south of Railroad Bridge 2 and north of Bridge 3)

In the book

High and Rising: The 1951 Kansas City Flood

there is a photo with Rock Island rail cars filled with rock trying to save this bridge from the river waters and mud that are hitting it at high speed during the '51 flood.

this bridge is a reminder of how a steel bridge can take a beating.

This bridge, as does one of the twin UP bridges, have screw-jack lifting mechanisms to allow the bridge to clear floodwaters. This bridge is now permanently in the UP position. The UP bridge jacks were last used in the 1993 flood; I can not recall their use previously in my lifetime.

I believe the High Line bridge also originally had screw jacks . I recall the conversion to the hydraulic system in the early 60's.

It looks like this bridge has a vertical lift section but I don't see that mentioned anywhere here. What's that structure with the little house on top? Possibly the lift machinery?

This bridge was used by the the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific to connect the Armourdale Yd to the various facilities in the West Bottoms of KC.