Rating:
8 votes

Redstone Bridge

Brown County, Minnesota, and Nicollet County, Minnesota
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Photos 

Redstone Bridge

Photo taken by John Marvig in January 2013

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Map 

Description 

Built as the original mainline of the CNW between New Ulm and Mankato. Used as a alternate route after the present DME line was built.

Line currently only serves a rock quarry. It ends just east of the quarry. It was abandoned from the quarry to St. Peter in 1971.

Facts 

Overview
Through truss bridge over Minnesota River on DM&E Railroad Spur
Location
Redstone, Brown County, Minnesota, and Nicollet County, Minnesota
Status
Open to traffic
History
Built 1880, still the original structure piers stablized recently
Builder
- Leighton Bridge and Iron Works of New York
Design
1 Through Truss span
1 Swing Span
1 Through Truss Spans
Several spans of trestle
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 206.0 ft.
Total length: 880.0 ft.
Also called
CN&W Bridge #432
Approximate latitude, longitude
+44.28551, -94.41487   (decimal degrees)
44°17'08" N, 94°24'54" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/387108/4904558 (zone/easting/northing)
USGS topographic map
New Ulm
Inventory number
BH 49404 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

19th Century (3,816)
Beam (6,034)
Brown County, Minnesota (17)
Built 1880 (92)
Built during 1880s (1,043)
Canadian Pacific Railway (236)
Chicago & North Western Railway (468)
Dakota, Minnesota, & Eastern Railroad (177)
Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad (133)
Leighton Bridge and Iron Works (1)
Minnesota (915)
Minnesota River (22)
Movable (1,355)
 New Ulm, Minnesota (3)
Nicollet County, Minnesota (6)
Open (28,293)
Owned by railroad (4,034)
Railroad (4,053)
Redstone, Minnesota (1)
Span length 175-250 feet (1,482)
Swing (534)
Through truss (9,200)
Timber stringer (1,854)
Total length 500-1000 feet (1,803)
Truss (23,559)

Update Log 

  • January 26, 2013: New photo from John Marvig
  • January 20, 2013: Updated by John Marvig: Added builder
  • August 10, 2012: Updated by John Marvig: Added categories "Minnesota River", "railroad"
  • September 9, 2011: New photos from John Marvig
  • August 23, 2011: Added by John Marvig

Sources 

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Comments 

DM&E Redstone Bridge
Posted November 27, 2011, by John Marvig (johnmarvig [at] chaska [dot] net)

Yes, its a shame that this bridge was encased like that.

I got to the west end by a walk over the bridge, which was a little frightening.

DM&E Redstone Bridge
Posted November 19, 2011, by Tony Dillon (spansaver [at] hotmail [dot] com)

Indeed...a very nice set of photos!

It's a shame they didn't tuck-point the beautiful cut stone instead of encasing it in concrete.

DM&E Redstone Bridge
Posted November 19, 2011, by Clark Vance (cvance [at] dogmail [dot] com)

The John Marvig photo set below is a very good collection and worth a look.

DM&E Redstone Bridge
Posted November 18, 2011, by John Marvig (johnmarvig [at] chaska [dot] net)

Or my website.

http://pegnsean.net/~johnm/Redstone%20Bridge.html#

DM&E Redstone Bridge
Posted November 14, 2011, by Jake (simpspin [at] yahoo [dot] com)

For more info, check out this link:

http://www.johnweeks.com/river_minnesota/pages/mnB06.html

DM&E Redstone Bridge
Posted November 12, 2011, by John Marvig (johnmarvig [at] chaska [dot] net)

Yes, this is a really cool bridge. If it is ever abandoned, it should and likley will become a trail. I think it should be on the National Register of Historic Places.

There is no way this bridge isn't 1880. The new line was built 1899, and if this bridge needed to be replaced, the line would have just been abandoned. Also, this bridge does appear to be in excellent condition, and did not look to be welded shut upon closer inspection from me on 11-12-11. It had bolts, but those could easily be removed, with some sort of tool.

DM&E Redstone Bridge
Posted October 24, 2011, by Nathan Holth (form3 [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

No one has really commented on this bridge but if the swing span really was built in 1880 (and based on its unique details I don't doubt it) than this is one of the most historically and technologically significant railroad bridges in the country. It is only a year newer than one of the oldest highway swing bridges in the country: http://www.historicbridges.org/truss/57th/