Does anyone have a complete list of bridges (showing dimensions, types and location) on any of the Kansas Subdivisions. I am doing a project on the subject for an individual writing a book on this subject. Thank you for any help that is given.
What type of bridges are you searching? Only river crossings, road over and under passes, etc. I live in Wichita and if you want, give me a call and we can go from there. I do have several photos of local bridges. Tony LaLumia 316-682-3947
It is just in the very early stages. I have not decided yet if it will include all railroads in Kansas or just the Frisco in Kansas. I will credit all those who help and provide pictures, maps, track charts and other information. I am a volunteer at the Colorado Railroad Museum and we have very little on the Frisco. I will keep folks updated. Thank you again for your help!
You've got to visit or do some research on the terrific deco underpass that goes over Kansas highway K-400. Art deco concrete scupltured with "Frisco Lines" graved into the surface. I may be wrong about the highway number, I've only seen pictures of the underpass. I think there are photos of the bridge posted on this chat board. Somebody correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe it's Near Beaumont?? Tom G.
You are correct about the highway number. The state built a new road and bridge over the Frisco several years ago and of course did not remove or fill the bridge as it was in use at the time. It has since had the tracks removed, but is in excellent shape and in fact, you can get off of highway 400 and park on the old highway under the old bridge. There is also another highway bridge on highway 400 between Wichita and Augusta that was originally a two lane road and later was expanded to 4 lanes and the bridge was made longer to cross. Tony L.
Attached are pictures taken of the Frisco K-96 Overpass while on a tour of the Wichita Sub with Bob Hoover (friscofriend). It is about 2 1/2 miles west of Beaumont, KS, just west of SE Gray Rd, on the north side of US400. When US400 was built, an overpass was built for US400 that nearly overpasses the Frisco Overpass. It is a very nice Art Deco structure in very good shape other than pesky graffiti. It can be seen on Google Maps in Earth view here: https://www.google.com/maps/@37.6654756,-96.6082634,815m/data=!3m1!1e3 Bruce Adams (ba) had posted pictures of this bridge taken in the 90's: http://www.frisco.org/vb/album.php?albumid=61&attachmentid=13290 Based on Bruce's photos, someone needs to spray a little brush killer and make it more visible.
Attached are pictures taken November 31, 2014 of the Frisco bridge over the Fall River just west of New Albany, KS taken November 31, 2014 while on a tour of the Wichita Sub with Bob Hoover (friscofriend). This bridge would be at about MP422. The pictures were taken from the west for better lighting. It is on 1450 Road, west of Barber Road, south of US400. It can be found on Google Maps, Earth view at: https://www.google.com/maps/@37.5820011,-95.9557406,1290m/data=!3m1!1e3
Attached is a picture taken November 31, 2014 of the Frisco bridge over an unnamed creek just west of New Albany, KS taken November 31, 2014 while on a tour of the Wichita Sub with Bob Hoover (friscofriend). This bridge would be at about MP421. I like the stepped, cut stone abutments. It can be seen from Barber Road just past the intersection of Barber Road and 1450 Road: https://www.google.com/maps/@37.5732047,-95.9447786,1633m/data=!3m1!1e3
Always nice to record any Frisco remnants! These would be very valuable to a scratchbuilder. Thanks for posting.
F421.8 West approach ballast deck pile trestle, 14 panels, 181 feet, driven 1924, through pin connect truss, 164 feet.
To All: When Keith and I were following the Wichita Sub east from here in Wichita to Neodesha I made the comment to him that I thought that I remembered reading somewhere the reasoning as to why the bridges that we were seeing all were of the plate girder variety with stone abutments vs. pile trestle ones. Going back to where I thought I had read the reasoning sure enough I found the following. In Dr. H. Craig Miner's book The St. Louis-San Francisco Transcontinental Railroad, The Thirty-fifth Parallel Project, 1853-1890 the following quote is on page 112: "Rogers was authorized to offer opinions and intervened once with the directors in New York to change the original plan of iron rail and wooden bridges to steel rail and iron bridges-this to avoid 'a Road which just allows of trains running over it, and one which would be very expensive to operate and building for years to come.' " As Keith can attest, the 44' double deck plate girder bridge over Spindlers Creek shown in post #9 in this thread at milepost F421.0 had beautiful stone abutments that had angled stairstep design at each end. There is a similar bridge visible from U.S. Highway 400 just west of Piedmont.
