UP - Miller Creek Bridge #3
Facts
- Overview
- Abandoned through truss bridge over Miller Creek on former UP RR
- Location
- Monroe County, Iowa
- Status
- Derelict/abandoned with rails removed
- History
- Built 1904, Abandoned early 2000s
- Builder
- - Phoenix Iron Works of Phoenixville, Pennsylvania (Fabricator)
- Railroads
- - Chicago & North Western Railway (CNW)
- Iowa Central Railway (IAC)
- Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway (MSTL)
- Union Pacific Railroad (UP)
- Design
- Through truss Warren with verticals, and diagonal sub-divided end panels (4), and horizontal divided center panels (2).
- Dimensions
-
Span length: 103.0 ft.
Total length: 103.0 ft.
- Also called
- M&StL Bridge #540
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +41.11533, -92.70278 (decimal degrees)
41°06'55" N, 92°42'10" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 15/524953/4551602 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Avery
- Inventory number
- BH 55924 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- May 17, 2019: Updated by John Marvig: added build date from ICC records
- November 17, 2016: Updated by Fmiser: Expanded the text decription of the truss design type.
- November 16, 2016: New photos from Dylan VanAntwerp
- October 16, 2016: New photos from Dylan VanAntwerp
- October 27, 2014: Updated by John Marvig: added build date
- August 31, 2013: Updated by Dylan VanAntwerp: added photo info
- July 1, 2013: Updated by John Marvig: added fabricator
- May 13, 2013: Updated by Luke Harden: Added type (Not sure if correct)
- May 13, 2013: New photos from Dylan VanAntwerp
- March 29, 2013: Updated by Dylan VanAntwerp: Added categories "railroad", "Union Pacific Railroad", "Chicago & North Western Railway", "Minneapolis & St. Louis Railway"
Related Bridges
- UP - Miller Creek Bridge #4 (Same design)
- UP - Muchakinock Creek Bridge #2 (Same design)
- UP - Muchakinock Creek Bridge (Same design)
Sources
- Dylan VanAntwerp - dylan_vanantwerp [at] live [dot] com
- Luke
- John Marvig - marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com
- Annual report of the Minneapolis and St. Louis Railroad ... 1894/95-1908/09. - HathiTrust Digital Library - Info
- Fmiser - fmiser [at] gmail [dot] com
Comments
Dylan,
Looking at those other three, and seeing the railroad and location, this Miller Creek span is most likely just a short version of the others. And they are clearly Warren trusses. That makes me even more confident this one is classified correctly.
Like this one, they have the mid-panel bracing like a Baltimore only on the end panels. The mid-panel brace on the rest of the web is horizontal, and only between "V" shaped members and NOT the center "A" shaped. Odd.
Fmiser:
What do you think of these three bridges?
http://bridgehunter.com/ia/poweshiek/bh55076/
http://bridgehunter.com/ia/hardin/bh51824/
http://bridgehunter.com/ia/marshall/iowa-river-railroad/
They are a stretched version of the short span. Very unusual and interesting.
It's a short span - so there really isn't much difference between a warren and a pratt. Because the vertical are all similar mass, I would tend to classify it as a Warren with verticals.
The sub-dividing of the end two panels is like a Baltimore - but the horizontal brace in the center two panels are not a strictly Baltimore stye dividing.
So what is it? Good question! I think the existing classification is accurate, though not the only one that could be used.
I did expand the text description to better describe the truss.
Even to the untrained eye, like mine, they are definitely a unique and unusual design. Two north of Eddyville are still in service, while this one and Miller Creek #4 are abandoned.
You should check out the UP - North Skunk River bridge. They took the same unusual design and stretched it.
http://bridgehunter.com/ia/poweshiek/bh55076/
I have not photographed the two bridges north of Eddyville or the one over the Skunk River. Starting to get the bridge photo bug again. I'm going to have to get back out in the field soon...
Labeled here as a Warren, but I'm thinking a 4-panel Baltimore with the unusual appearance of a Queenpost truss within. Looks like a pony sitting inside of a thru truss!
Thoughts?
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/ia/monroe/bh55924/
Fmiser:
Thanks for your response!