NS/NKP Bridge over Auglaize River

(no Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Street View, May 2025

Big Boy 2026:

This is another example of a valve being opened near the back of the locomotive while it is over water. I think they do that to flush any sediment out of the boiler. The train was going slow. I don't know if that is because of the bridge or if it is to have plenty of time to flush the boiler.

Facebook Reel

NS/NKP Trestle over Chautauqua Creek in Westfield, NY

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Street View, Aug 2013

Big Boy 2026:

Brian R. Wroblewski posted five photos with the comment: "Some shots from Westfield around 12:45 this afternoon[June 9]..."

[The smoke is rather clear.]

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[The two diesels are not providing motive power, they are providing dynamic braking.]

Wabtec Test Track, NYC and US-20 Bridges over Sixmile Creek near Erie, PA

East Erie Commercial Railroad (Wabtec test track): (Satellite)

NYC: (Satellite)

NKP: (Satellite)

US-20: (Satellite)

US-20 Overview

The arch bridge carries the Wabtec/GE test track. On the other side of that bridge, we get a glimpse of the arch bridge of the CSX/NYC.

Street View, Apr 2024

Linda walked the Sixmile Creek from here to the South. So this is the creek view of the above scene.

Facebook Reel

After she pointed out the little waterfall and some snakes, a test train appeared on the Wabtec test track. I was surprised that Wabtec still uses the GE logo. Also, we can see clear through the NYC arch bridge.

Same Reel

The test train consisted of two blue and one BNSF locomotives.

Same Reel

After seeing a snake swimming in the creek, we get a closeup of the NYC Bridge.

Same Reel

Another view of the NYC arch because a NS/NKP train is on their bridge. It is gone in later views. The concrete girder bridge in the background is the US-20 Bridge.

Same Reel

She turned around for this shot of the NYC Bridge. The road bridge behind the test track bridge is PA-955, which is on Iroquois Ave. As Linda explains, the NYC Bridge is a double arch and we can see the gap between the arches in these NYC views.

The NYC Bridge needs some TLC. I think the date is 1909.

Same Reel

Same Reel

Linda called the NKP bridge the CSX bridge. I verified that she was wrong. When they split up Conrail, CSX got NYC. NS got NKP because of the N&W+NKP+Wabash merger.

arcgis

Linda also considers the US-20 bridge to be blah because she spent about 2 seconds on that bridge in her video.

Same Reel

These fossils are underneath the US-20 bridge.

Same Reel

1960/62 Harborcreek Quad @ 24,000

The East Erie Commercial label in the above map is still the name of the railroad that Wabtec uses to test locomotives. Linda had a few more scenes of the test train going over their bridge in her video.

A.J MIC, Apr 2023

"It takes about 25 days start to finish to build a brand new locomotive....We track test 100% of every locomotive we ship....They travel about 40 to 50 miles on the test track. We want high-speed runs and we want to do low speed run. Exercise that locomotive and all the conditions it may see out in its environment....Grand total, it varies on the model, but testing and painting takes anywhere from about 6 to 10 days." [2:14  video]

Aban/Nickel Plate Bridge over Black River near Sheffield, OH

(Satellite)

Allen Bender posted eight photos with the comment:

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The Nickel Plate cross the river three times in that area.

1953/55 Avon Quad @ 24,000

Fortunately, this photo confirms that I have the correct satellite location.

knicknack, Jan 2026

TP&W Farmdale Bridge over NKP/LE&W near East Peoria, IL

(no Bridge Hunter; no Historic Bridges; Satellite)

At first, I was confused by the skinnypiers in the middle and the fat piers on the edges.

Street View, Aug 2011

But these photos confirmed that the skinny piers are parallel to the NKP tracks while the fat piers are square with the TP&W tracks so that they can be smaller.

Noah Haggerty posted four photos with the comment: "An eastbound Toledo, Peoria & Western mixed freight led by three different EMD locomotives cross over the N&W at Farmdale Bridge around late 1979. On the rear of the train, SW1500 #305 is giving the train a push up Washington Hill. John & Roger Kujawa Photo, Thomas Dyrek Collection."

David Jordan: The single TP&W unit makes me wonder if this was the Watseka trip one week after the LaHarpe/Keokuk move? I saw both back then.

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Mark Zook commented on Noah's post
I took this photo, however, it was back when I lived in East Peoria prior to moving to Florida. I believe it was around 1976 or 1977.

Noah Haggerty: Mark Zook Sweet photo! Exact dates escape me, 765 was first on the TP&W in May of 1980.

Mark Zook commented on his comment
here’s another photo. I was chasing the train.

This map helped me find the bridge

1950/50 Peoria East @ 24,000

The NKP route was the western part of the Lake Erie & Western.

Rails and Trails via Dennis DeBruler

US-31 and Trail/Nickel Plate Bridges over Wabash River at Peru, IN

US-31: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

NKP: (Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Historic Bridges; Satellite)

Looking East at the railroad bridge from the road bridge.

Street View, Oct 2025

Fred Meuter posted two photos with the comment: "Two bridges spanning the mighty Wabash River near Peru, Indiana. The blue bridge is the Peru Steel Truss Bridge and the second bridge is the New Nickel Plate Bridge, which is part of the trail of the same name. I believe that this was originally a railroad bridge that was converted for walk and bike riding."

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[Fred caught the river at a higher level than the street view.]

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The 610' (186m) long road bridge has spans of 200' (61m). "This is an impressive and attractive example of a state-designed highway truss bridge. It retains good historic integrity. It supposedly is listed as a Select Bridge under the Indiana Historic Bridge Management Plan, which would make it one of the few state-designed bridges with the beautiful arched portal and sway bracing design to be designated for preservation." [HistoricBridges_US-31]

"Built 1939; rehabilitated 1988. Rehabilitated 2019. Former US 31, also know as the Blue Star Highway with plaque at Southwest corner at road intersection" [BridgeHunter_US-31]

Street View, Oct 2025

The 587' (179m) long railroad bridge has spans of 135' (41m). [HistoricBridges]

"This former "Peru and Indianapolis" railroad line was one of the first in Indiana connecting Indianapolis to Peru via Noblesville, Tipton, and Kokomo for a connection with the Wabash and Erie Canal which lay just past the North side of this bridge. Later another rail line was constructed from Michigan City to Peru via Plymouth and Rochester and both lines were merged to form one continuous connection. Later acquired by the Lake Erie and Western Railroad, and later Nickel Plate Road, it was called the IMC division. IMC=Indy to Michigan City. Norfolk and Western later acquired Nickel Plate, and later became Norfolk Southern. In 1989, line was leased to Central Railroad of Indianapolis (CERA), a division of Railtex, and was used little. After CERA and Railtex was bought out by another parent company named Railamerica, Norfolk Southern took back the line and never used it again. It was abandoned in 1999, but Railbanked. Railbanking assures the right of way is left intact in case future transportation needs require it to be reactivated. Sometimes utilities can also use the right of way via the Railbanking clause. The Indiana Trails Fund immediately took possesion of the line form Rochester to Cassville(just North of Kokomo)via a Surface Transportation Board ruling after abandonment was granted and are building the Nickel Plate Trail along this line which includes this bridge. Part of the trail is finished in different areas, but this bridge requires extra safety requirements to protect trail users that have not been completed as of 2009. Bridge is easily viewed from the OLD US 31 Through Truss bridge which is just downstream from the Nickel Plate bridge." [James Norwood via ArchivedBridgeHunter_NKP]

Kevin McNally, Sep 2022

Note the railroad bridge on the right side.

Postcard via BridgeHunter_US-31

HistoricBridges_NKP

Compare the river level in this photo to that in the street view at the top of these notes.

Jordan Baer, Apr 2024

2020 photo by David Case via BridgeHunter_NKP

Jordan Baer, Apr 2024

Dan Mongosa, Oct 2020