NS - Saint Charles Rail Bridge
Photos
Side view from a distance
In the background is the Discovery Bridge
Photo taken by James Baughn
BH Photo #107087
Facts
- Overview
- Cantilevered through truss bridge over the Missouri River Norfolk Southern Railway
- Location
- St. Charles, St. Charles County, Missouri, and St. Louis County, Missouri
- Status
- Open to railroad traffic
- History
- Built 1936, replacing an earlier 1871 through truss railroad bridge on a new alignment
- Builders
- - American Bridge Co. of New York
- Modjeski, Masters & Chase of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania
- Mt. Vernon Bridge Co. of Mt. Vernon, Ohio
- Wabash-St. Charles Bridge Co.
- Railroads
- - Norfolk Southern Railway (NS)
- Wabash Railroad (WAB)
- Design
- Cantilevered Warren through truss
From: Souvenir of Inspection of New Wabash Bridge: Five main piers. Total length of the main spans is 1,645 feet, composed of one simple truss span 312 feet long, an east anchor arm of 429 feet, a main channel span of 624 feet, and a west anchor arm of 273 feet. The east approach is 3,945 feet long; the west approach is 2,86 feet, making a total length of bridge of 7,876 feet. - Dimensions
-
Length of largest span: 624.0 ft.
Total length: 7,876.0 ft. (1.5 mi.)
- Also called
- Wabash - Missouri River Bridge
Wabash Railroad Bridge #59 (new)
NS - Missouri River Bridge
Wabash - Second Missouri River Bridge - Approximate latitude, longitude
- +38.79754, -90.46751 (decimal degrees)
38°47'51" N, 90°28'03" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/719932/4297356 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Saint Charles
- Land survey
- T. 47 N., R. 5 E., Sec. 32
- Inventory number
- BH 22582 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- August 11, 2016: New photos from David Huffman
- August 9, 2016: Updated by Christopher Finigan: Added category "Pin-connected"
- August 8, 2016: New photos from David Huffman
- June 28, 2016: New photos from John Marvig
- June 22, 2016: Updated by John Marvig: Added information
- December 22, 2014: New photo from James Holzmeier
- December 19, 2014: Updated by James Holzmeier: Added Wabash bridge number and uploaded new images
- November 27, 2014: New photos from James Holzmeier
- November 10, 2014: Updated by James Holzmeier: Renamed bridge to reflect the original bridge owner and bridge #
- September 17, 2014: New Street View added by Luke
- December 31, 2010: Updated by Mark Frazier: Construction notes added.
- January 23, 2006: Posted new photos
Related Bridges
- Wabash - First Missouri River Bridge (Predecessor)
Sources
- Mark Frazier - mfrazier404 [at] gmail [dot] com
- Luke
- Wabash Railroad Bridge #59 (new bridge) - J.W. Barriger III photo
- James Holzmeier - wabashry [at] gmail [dot] com
- Wabash Railroad Historical Society publications - The Banner #41, lengthy history article w/photos about both bridges
- John Marvig - marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com
- David Huffman
Comments
I'll just read about your crossing attempt in the news....
I should say, try to cross. I think they have those safety platforms at intervals....
Has anyone crossed on foot?? I'm going to.
Actually, you can see them in the Google Map on this page. Zoom into the corner of Olive and N. 3rd in Satellite view. You can see them in Street View too!
Years ago I discovered what I believe to be two of the old bridge's approach span bases in St. Charles. They were being used as plant boxes in a vacant lot. It was odd to see these two large bases, neither of which were perpendicular to either the street or the sidewalk, at an angle coinciding with the curvature of the west approach spans leading up to the St. Charles depot. I'll see if I can find the photos I took of them.
This is now the Norfolk Southern Railroad. The Wabash name has not been used since Norfolk & Western took over in 1964, and N&W merged with Southern in 1982.
The 1871 St. Charles Railroad Bridge was located about 1/2 mile south of the current St. Charles Railroad Bridge. The alignment of the 1871 Bridge on the St. Charles side of the river was between Olive Street and French Street.
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/mo/st-charles/wabash-rr/
Of course, I've pretty much abandoned the idea. I don't have the time and definitely don't want to be arrested. The bridge is so close to the highway someone would probably call it in,etc.