MON - Deer Creek High Bridge
Description
Part of the former Monon Railroad's Indy to Chicago "Air Line", this is one of two large bridges of similiar design on this route. Owasco is the other. After abandonment in 1987 rails quickly removed and it has sat silent but intact since..This trestle replaced an original bridge completed in 1882.
Facts
- Overview
- Abandoned deck girder bridge over Deer Creek on Delphi Historic Trail/Monon High Bridge Trail
- Location
- Delphi, Carroll County, Indiana
- Status
- Open to pedestrians only
- Future prospects
- Indiana Landmarks has budgeted $121,000 to repair this bridge. After repair it will be turned over to the township which plans to work with Delphi Historic Trails Association to add this bridge to their trail system that currently stretches to north side approach to bridge.
- History
- Built 1891 or 1892; abandoned in 1987
- Railroads
- - CSX Railroad (CSX)
- Chicago, Indianapolis, & Louisville Railway (CIL)
- Monon Railroad (MON)
- Design
- Deck plate girder, with trestle tower supports sitting on concrete and cut limestone block piers. 60 feet high from the creek bed.
- Dimensions
-
Total length: 853.0 ft.
- Also called
- Monon High Bridge Trail - Deer Creek High Bridge
- Approximate latitude, longitude
- +40.58901, -86.64266 (decimal degrees)
40°35'20" N, 86°38'34" W (degrees°minutes'seconds") - Approximate UTM coordinates
- 16/530238/4493196 (zone/easting/northing)
- Quadrangle map:
- Delphi
- Inventory number
- BH 36766 (Bridgehunter.com ID)
Update Log
- December 10, 2022: New photo from Brandon Cooper
- April 13, 2017: Updated by Ed Hollowell: Repair plans added.
- February 28, 2017: Updated by Luke: Added Google Photo Sphere, noted trail info + linked to double homicide investigation involving the bridge.
- March 30, 2010: Updated by Ed Hollowell: Correct lenght, Railroads of Indiana has it and the Wildcat Creek/Owasco bridge confused
- March 28, 2010: Updated by Ed Hollowell: Added Information
- January 1, 2010: New photo from Paul Brandenburg
- June 4, 2009: New photos from James Norwood
- April 25, 2009: Updated by Curtis Lee
- July 9, 2008: Updated by Paul Brandenburg
- June 29, 2008: Added by Paul Brandenburg
Related Bridges
- CSX - Wildcat Creek Trestle (Same design)
Sources
- Paul Brandenburg - indianabridges [at] sbcglobal [dot] net
- Curtis A. Lee - leefam408 [at] outlook [dot] com
- James Norwood
- Ed Hollowell - erhollowell [at] aol [dot] com
- Luke
- Lafayette Journal & Courier - Article on double homicide involving the bridge/trail
- Delphi - Anita L. Werling, Bonnie J. Maxwell - Google Books - Page 119
- Brandon Cooper
- Newspaper Archive - Newspaper Archive 2022
Comments
This bridge is now on the 2016 Indiana Landmarks Most Endangered List. And for good reason, based on their photos of one of the stone piers. Also has a construction date of 1891 for this bridge.
http://www.indianalandmarks.org/NewsPhotos/10most/Pages/Mono...
https://www.flickr.com/photos/historic-landmarks-foundation-...
Had a glorious day free from work, so I decided to grab the GPS and go Bridge Hunting. Found this wondrously thrilling bridge and decided that I'm just not brave enough to cross it. Did walk to the first platform though. Gorgeous view from way up there.
Thanks for posting the pictures here. I remember seeing this some 40 years ago and recently due to a love of photography I was wondering if it was still there. After seeing your pics from a couple of years ago I just had to go check it out for myself. While there I also took some pictures which I'll try to post....THANKS AGAIN!
I’m glad to see someone posted photos of this bridge.
This is a very cool bridge, creepy to walk across even now.
The first time I did it the rails were still in place, and I wasn’t sure the line wasn’t still active. But from the amount of rust on the rails I didn't think it was used very often. Even so, half way across my imagination got the best of me and I swore I heard a train coming.
Looking closely at the first photo you can see the platforms hanging out over the edge, and at that time they were in decent shape and even had railings around them, though somewhat flimsy looking. My first thought was if a train was coming I could simply step out onto the nearest one. My second thought was to run, even though running across open ties is quite a challenge, a train would have to be pretty close for me to stand on one of those as it passed.
I found out later that the line was abandoned and there wasn’t any reason for me to go running back and forth from a train that didn’t exist.
I’ve been across it many times since and I’ve tried several times to get pictures, but it’s not an easy bridge to photograph, especially with the amount of overgrowth and steepness of the banks near the abutments.
Thanks for doing what I couldn’t.
Tom
Summer 97
If you are into rail bridges, strongly recommend this one.
A long way to the bottom, spans a canyon with Deer Creek at the bottom. At east end of Delphi Historic Trail System. Leave Delphi on St. Hwy. 25 north turn east on 300N - just past former RR overpass, now part of trail system. Follow 300N approx. 1/2 mile, SMALL parking area on south side - trail system sign at parking area. Follow trail till it intersects with former RR bed ( now groomed trail ) turn left and follow to brigde - 1/4 mile. WARNING - STRAIGHT DROP OFF AT ABUTTEMENTS - LONG LONG WAY TO THE CREEK BELOW !
This page's URL is http://bridgehunter.com/in/carroll/high/
Good News
Indiana Landmarks has decided to spend $121,000 repairing the bridge before turning it over to the township who will spend more to make it a part of the trail.
Read
http://www.insideindianabusiness.com/story/35123298/revamp-o...
for details.