1879-1981 Aban/C&NW Bridge over Fox River in Carpentersville, IL

(Bridge Hunter, no Historic Bridges, John Marvig, Satellite, Birds-Eye View (broke: Bing removed the images))

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Several photographers have taken this view. It is interesting to compare composition, lighting, tree leaves, and river level: chicagogeek, John Marvig 1, John Marvig 2, and Steve Conro. (I went out of my way to take this picture with a winter light. I need to experiment with "white balance" and other tweeks to try to determine why the brown color of the truss got lost. Or is using soft winter light bad advice?)

I made a copy of the Satellite image because this bridge is going to be changed. It is either going to be repaired and handrails added for a trail or it is going to be removed. According to the comments in Bridge Hunter, preservation work is currently stymied because the legal ownership of the bridge has not been determined. This bridge was an industrial spur so that C&NW could serve industries on the west bank. A deed has been found that indicates Carpentersville, not the area industries or UP/C&NW, own it.

This Truss may be the oldest known Steel Train Truss of this design in the state of Illinois. The truss is a Quadrangular Lattice Through Truss, which became popular in the 1880s. The design died out after about 1900, when American Bridge Company took over much of the production of railroad bridges in the nation. The Quadrangular design was immensely popular with the Chicago & North Western (CNW) and the Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific (RI). The chief engineer for the CNW through the 1890s and 1900s, up until about 1912 swore by the design. However, this truss is one of the earliest examples of the Quadrangular Design. The only other existing Leighton product of this design is the 1880 bridge in New Ulm, Minnesota. In terms of railroad trusses, THIS IS ONE OF THE OLDEST IN ILLINOIS AND THE MIDWEST.. [Bridge Preservation Petition] (A preserved Leighton bridge)

Satellite

Ran Zack Flickr Photo taken 2008 Jun 15, License CC BY-NC-SA 2.0

Note in both the photo and the satellite that the bent next to the bridge has failed so that a couple of the approach spans has fallen into the river. In 2008, the bridge was still intact. Note that the river is so high that the island is covered. There are quite a few pedestrians considering there are no handrails. And considering how fast the river was flowing when I visited (note the turbulence in the middle of my photo above), I would hate to think how dangerous the flooded river would be if you fell in.

Phil Wiegman posted
Here is the old Chicago & North Western iron bridge across the Fox river in Carpentersville IL. It was built to serve the Illinois Iron & Bolt company in the late 1800s. Track ripped up, now a walking trail, bridge itself is in good shape but pilings are damaged from ice flows, and a short flat span is in the water, no telling how much longer. The large complex is still mostly there, converted to office space. Photo from 2017.
Tom Podraza The factory is now Otto Engineering. a Communications accessories manufacturer.Phil Wiegman Yes it is, they tore down one building I know of and the employee bridge that use to cross over. My grandfather worked there way back on the water turbines and related mechanics as a contractor. Still a nice complex to walk around at.

Kristopher Isaac Barrington sharedJames Prater Is that a Whipple Truss?Trent Blasco I saw it 2 years ago after a flash flood. the water was either flowing thru it or it was right at the level of the lowest beam. I thought it was going to be washed out but it survived. its on borrowed time.

One of 10 photos posted by Piechur Photography

Dan Trujillo posted two photos with the comment: "Old bridge in part of the fox river."

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One of nine photos posted by Steve Lewandowski and shared by David Hahn
Dwight Smith Looks like that river is near flood stage.
Bryan Howell C&NW. Originally built in 1879 to cross the Baraboo River in Wisconsin, later relocated to Glen, Nebraska, around 1899; again relocated to current location in 1924.
John P Dalen Was a spur off the C&NW Elgin to Williams Bay line.

Juan Antonio Troncoso-Muñoz posted four photos with the comment: "I found this trestle and bridge it is near carpentersville and west dundee on the fox river in illinois any idea as to who used rail service there and until when???"

Tyson Park: I found this trestle and bridge it is near carpentersville and west dundee on tTyson Park It was used by the C&NW to access industries on the west side of the Fox River off the branch that ran from Elgin to Williams Bay, WI on the east side of the Fox River at this point. This spur did a U-turn over the bridge. The line was abandoned in this section in 1981 from Elgin to Crystal Lake against the objections of shippers and the tracks taken up in 1984. This branch line is now a bike trail. A segment of this branch line is still in use from Crystal Lake, IL, north to Ringwood, IL.he fox river in illinois any idea as to who used rail service there and until when???

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Paul Musselman posted three photos with thecomment: "The old CNW bridge that crossed the Fox River at Carpentersville......I believe this was from early days of possible ice harvesting, on the west bank of the river?....not sure, anybody know?"

John P Dalen: An industrial (Originally served the Illinois Iron & Bolt Works Co.) spur off the C&NW Elgin to Williams Bay line. The bridge built I believe in 1878-79.

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Steven Haworth posted five photos with the comment: "We came upon this near East Dundee IL, along the Fox River. Bridge is most definitely out."

Tim Shanahan shared

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William Ayars posted

Stopped by to pay this old train truss a visit before it gets demolished. A few weeks ago the Village of Carpentersville approved a 1 million dollar contract for the removal of this historic train bridge (possibly starting within the next few months).

It's sad to see this old steel truss go away. The whole bridge is definitely at risk of collapsing and it's only a matter of time before it does. I just wished there was some effort made to at least crane the steel truss portion  to shore. It would have made a great stopping point along the existing bike path which is right next to it.

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The steel truss was actually built in 1879 and there are only three of this particular design known in existence. As far as railroad trusses go, this particular one is not only the oldest in Illinois, but the entire Midwest as well.

Did you know that this isn't the original location of the steel truss?  This steel truss was originally located near Glen, Nebraska. It was moved from Nebraska to its current location in 1924.

Ben Llaneta commented on William's post
Here’s a view from three weeks [Sep 2012] ago. I’ve seen folks cross the bridge so that may be a factor in the village’s decision.

Ben Llaneta commented on William's post

This was posted for East Dundee, but it is obviously this bridge during a high river level. I'm glad to see that the smokestack is still standing.

Davis S, Oct 2021

3:46 drone video

<to be researched>

Ted Gregory posted some photos and videos while the river was running high.

http://www.homesbyotto.com/carpentersville/

save the bridge

Chuck Edmonson

Scott Koltz

Ben Rohling

</to be researched>