The bridges are listed from North to South with BNSF Bridge Hunter on the left and C&NW on the right.
(Bridge Hunter #6; Bridge Hunter #1; Satellite)Both C&NW and CB&Q built routes west of Peoria through the Kickapoo Creek valley. They paralleled each other with CB&Q on the west side. The C&NW route was built in 1902 and their quadrangular lattice or Whipple trusses still stand. The CB&Q route was evidently built in 1911. Just the truss bridge on the south end still exists. The other bridges are now pony plate girder bridges. I'm documenting them in pairs since they are side by side. I document them from the south to the north since the southern bridges are the most interesting.
BNSF #1 and UP #4
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| Street View |
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| Low-res copy from BridgeHunter-BNSF#1 of Lance Flickr Photo Molitor Junction Onto BNSF rails now, the detouring Iowa Interstate BICB led by the 513 rolls over Kickapoo Creek as it leaves the Peoria area enroute to Galesburg. the bridge on the left is the Union Pacific's ex-C&NW route from Nelson down to South Pekin and beyond. |
This was the post that motivated the research of these bridges. At first, I thought it was the pair of trusses south of Peoria because of the "near Bartonville" phrase in the post's comment. But then I noticed that neither of those trusses are Whipple trusses. So now I think the posted photo is of this pair.
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| Alan Look posted Near Bartonville - a set of twin steel beam railroad bridges. Very sure they are still in use. Believe they are both referred to as Kickapoo Creek Bridge #1 in Bridghunter and carry BNSF traffic. Image date: 5-12-2022 Dennis DeBruler The quadrangular lattice truss bridge on the left is UP/C&NW, Bridge Hunter UP #4. Since the CB&Q route was built west of the C&NW route, you are looking South. |
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| John Marvig photo via BridgeHunters. John also has web pages for these bridges documented at the top. This photo emphasizes that there is a significant flood plain north of the river. A satellite image shows the flood plain is longer than the channel width. |
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| Steve Smedley posted A Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad Eastbound train is shown crossing Kickapoo Creek at Molitor Junction in Peoria, Illinois. From left, M&STL, CB&Q and CNW. Sept 1963. Jim Bartke photo/ collection of Steve Smedley Marty Bernard shared |
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| Howard Keil commented on Steve's post Side view. Dogs are standing underneath where the m and STL bridge used to be |
BNSF #8 and UP #3
These bridges accommodate a flood plain on the south side of the channel.
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| Steve Conro Apr 2016 photo via BridgeHunters |
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| C&NWHS Photo via BridgeHunter-UP#3 |
BNSF #7 and UP #2
We can see BSNF #6 to the left of the top of the UP #2 truss.
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| Street View |
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Low-res copy from BridgeHunter-UP#2 of Bill Pearsall Flickr PhotoBNSF 540 PIA HarmonBNSF Dash 8's 540 and 555 lead the Peoria Local down the Kickapoo Creek basin towards the TZPR's East Peoria Yard.
I was really hoping for a side by side but that didn't work out to well. :-( [UP#2 is framing a view of UP#1.] |
BNSF #6 and UP #1
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| Steve Conro Apr 2016 Photo via BridgeHunters |
This bridge not only has a relatively huge flood plain, it looks like it is filling up with a sandbar.
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| Steve Conro Apr 2016 Photo via BridgeHunter-BNSF#6 |
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