Big Shoal Cutoff: (
Bridge Hunter;
Satellite)
Little Shoal Cutoff: (
Bridge Hunter, the abandoned truss;
Satellite)
These are four of the images
posted by Dave Durham with the comment:
"Among the various jobs of grade reduction work which were done on the Burlington System during the season of 1906, there were 2 on the Beardstown-to-Centralia Division, known as the Big Shoal (between Sorento and Reno, Ill) and Little Shoal (Ayers-to-Durley) Cut-offs, respectively."...American Railway Engineering Association no.81, 1906-7,from a report by CB&Q Engineer of Construction John C. Sesser entitled "Cost of Steam Shovel Work".
Most of the images in the post are pages from an eBook describing the steam shovel costs. The bridge in the satellite image is short because they created long fills on either side of Shoal Creek. The fills were created by first building temporary trestles from which the dump trains built the embankments.
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| 1, cropped |
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| 2, cropped |
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| 3, cropped |
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| 4, cropped |
The fill was created in 1906 so I have not been able to find a map or aerial that is old enough to show the original alignment. And aerial photos and satellite images don't show the embankments because everything is covered with mature trees. But embankments are a topic where topo maps shine.
Big Shoal Cutoff
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| 1974 Sorento South Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 |
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| 1974 Greenville Quadrangle @ 1:24,000 |
Updates:
Big Shoal Cutoff
Given this map, it is pretty easy to find the land scars for most of the abandoned route.
Dave Durham graciously responded to my request for photos of the current deck bridge. He added these nine photos to
his post as comments.
Dennis DeBruler Dave Durham Thanks. It appears the truss was built in anticipation of double tracking.
https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../bnsfcb-big-and...
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Little Shoal Cutoff
Dave Durham
posted a video of a train crossing and four photos with the comment: "
BNSF/CB&Q Little Shoal Bridges, between Ayers and Durley, Illinois. Remnants of 2 OLD CB&Q bridges which were realigned in 1906."
Dennis DeBruler Thanks! I had the wrong location for this bridge. Now I found it here:
https://www.google.com/.../@38.9543702,-89.../data=!3m1!1e
Dennis DeBruler The Abandoned RR Map by AJ Grigg does have the old route for the Big Shoal:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...
But it doesn't have the old route for the Little Shoal:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/viewer...
Of course, the old route for the Little Shoal is a lot shorter.
That old truss is a fine example of a pin-connected truss.
https://industrialscenery.blogspot.com/.../bnsfcb-big-and...
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