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Wabash Trace Nature Trail - West Nishnabotna River Bridge

Mills County, Iowa

Photos 

Photo taken by Bruce Hoye

View this photo on Flickr

BH Photo #244473

Map 

Description 

The bridge was built in 1910, using a truss relocated from Decatur, Illinois (Bridge #110). The truss was originally built in 1885 by the Detroit Bridge & Iron Works to cross the Sangamon River. It was strengthened in 1910. The bridge was also revised in 1929, with a pile trestle approach, in 1951 with an I-Beam span and in 1956 with more pile trestle approach.

Facts 

Overview
Whipple through truss bridge over West Nishnabotna River on Wabash Trace Nature Trail
Location
Mills County, Iowa
Status
Open to pedestrians only
History
Built 1884 in Decatur, Illinois; Relocated & modernised in 1910; Timber trestle approach added 1929; I-beam approach added 1951; More timber trestle added 1956; Abandoned 1984; Converted to trail ?
Builders
- American Bridge Co. of New York (1910 Modernization)
- Detroit Bridge & Iron Works of Detroit, Michigan (1884 Fabrication)
Railroad
- Wabash Railroad (WAB)
Design
Whipple through truss
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 114.0 ft.
Total length: 305.0 ft.
Also called
Wabash Railroad Bridge #1229
Approximate latitude, longitude
+40.98463, -95.52981   (decimal degrees)
40°59'05" N, 95°31'47" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/287179/4540133 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Tabor NE
Inventory number
BH 54858 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

8-panel truss (654)
American Bridge Co. (1,763)
Beam (17,369)
Built 1910 (1,245)
Built during 1910s (10,235)
Detroit Bridge & Iron Works (85)
Iowa (6,865)
Mills County, Iowa (72)
Modified (38)
Nishnabotna River (76)
Open to pedestrians (4,692)
Owned by state (16,770)
Pin-connected (5,423)
 Rail-to-trail (1,677)
Railroad (16,990)
Relocated (1,090)
Span length 100-125 feet (4,681)
Steel stringer (6,922)
Through truss (19,028)
Timber stringer (4,471)
Total length 250-500 feet (5,720)
Truss (38,309)
Wabash Railroad (607)
Wabash Trace Nature Trail (19)
Whipple truss (496)

Update Log 

  • February 21, 2021: New photos from John Marvig
  • October 21, 2015: New photos from John Marvig
  • October 6, 2015: Updated by John Marvig: Added information
  • October 6, 2015: Updated by Luke: Added information provided by James Holzmeier
  • October 5, 2015: Updated by Luke: Bridge is a Whipple through truss
  • November 22, 2014: Updated by James Holzmeier: Added Wabash bridge number, date erected and total length
  • December 9, 2012: Photo imported by Luke Harden
  • December 8, 2012: Added by Luke Harden

Related Bridges 

Sources 

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Comments 

Wabash Trace Nature Trail - West Nishnabotna River Bridge
Posted October 22, 2015, by John Marvig (marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com)

I must apologize, the last post with the questions was mine.

Wabash Trace Nature Trail - West Nishnabotna River Bridge
Posted October 22, 2015, by Anonymous

The remaining question I have is about the truss. It's listed as coming from Bridge #110, a deck truss. Could have this structure been altered from a deck to a through truss? If so, how would have the deck truss been oriented at its past location?

Wabash Trace Nature Trail - West Nishnabotna River Bridge
Posted October 22, 2015, by Nathan Holth (webmaster [at] historicbridges [dot] org)

You can see that among the alterations are an increase of vertical clearance for trains made possible by replacing the original portal bracing, struts, and lateral bracing with new top-mounted bracing. Empty holes for the original lower bracing is visible.

Wabash Trace Nature Trail - West Nishnabotna River Bridge
Posted October 6, 2015, by John Marvig (marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com)

I would like to give a huge thank you to James Holzmeier for giving me the proper documents to track down the correct information on this bridge! Much of the listed information would never have been known without you!!