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BNSF - Illinois River Bridge (Beardstown)

Cass County, Illinois, and Schuyler County, Illinois

Photos 

Rail bridge from Beardstown Riverfront

Photo taken by Nathan Morton in August 2007

Enlarge

BH Photo #127242

Map 

Street View 

Description 

This bridge contains a lift span that is much newer than its historic approach spans.

Facts 

Overview
Through truss vertical-lift bridge over Illinois River on BNSF Railway (formerly CB&Q, then BN) in Beardstown
Location
Beardstown, Cass County, Illinois, and Schuyler County, Illinois
Status
Open to traffic
Railroads
- BNSF Railway (BNSF)
- Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (CBQ)
Design
Vertical lift bridge
Dimensions
Length of largest span: 328.0 ft.
Total length: 1,606.0 ft.
Approximate latitude, longitude
+40.02295, -90.43345   (decimal degrees)
40°01'23" N, 90°26'00" W   (degrees°minutes'seconds")
Approximate UTM coordinates
15/719019/4433459 (zone/easting/northing)
Quadrangle map:
Beardstown
Inventory number
BH 38033 (Bridgehunter.com ID)

Categories 

BNSF Railway (1,549)
Beardstown, Illinois (4)
Cass County, Illinois (13)
Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad (546)
County line crossing (532)
Have street view (27,549)
Illinois (4,790)
Illinois River (60)
Movable (3,047)
Open (40,205)
Owned by railroad (12,871)
Polygonal Warren through truss (442)
 Polygonal Warren truss (1,079)
Pratt through truss (5,577)
Pratt truss (9,576)
Schuyler County, Illinois (27)
Span Drive Vertical Lift (90)
Span length 250-500 feet (1,207)
Through truss (15,592)
Total length 1000-2500 feet (1,913)
Truss (33,666)
Vertical lift (423)
Warren truss (6,725)

Update Log 

  • September 15, 2021: Updated by Nathan Holth: Added estimated dimensions and approach type.
  • April 24, 2016: New photos from Steve Conro
  • November 2, 2015: New photo from Douglas Butler
  • August 30, 2013: New Street View added by Douglas Butler
  • February 21, 2010: Updated by Robert Stephenson: Added GPS coordinates
  • November 7, 2008: Added by Nathan Morton

Related Bridges 

Sources 

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Comments 

BNSF - Illinois River Bridge (Beardstown)
Posted May 3, 2019, by John Marvig (marvigj27 [at] gmail [dot] com)

It looks like the approach spans of this bridge are still historic, despite the lift span not being historic.

Beardstown Railroad Bridge
Posted January 20, 2013, by Timothy Hickernell (tim [at] hickernell [dot] net)

I can remember living in Beardstown as a kid when the old swing bridge was still in place. It took large barges forever to anchor barges north and south of the bridge while they transported just a few at a time through the narrow channel. We used to always wave at the bridge tenders as we would pass under the bridge in our speed boat or fishing boat. Then when I was in the 3rd grade (1971-72), they replaced it with the current lift bridge, seen here. We thought the most impressive thing about the new bridge was that it was remote controlled from the yard about 1-2 miles south. The bridge tenders house was no more, which was sad.