Rulo Rail Bridge

Image:Rulo-bridge-train.jpg

The Rulo Rail Bridge is a truss bridge across the Missouri River connecting Rulo, Nebraska, with Holt County, Missouri, and is used by the BNSF Railway to transport coal from Wyoming and Colorado to Midwest power plants.

History

File:Photocopy from George S. Morison's The Rulo Bridge, 1890. Photographer unknown, circa 1887. SOUTH WEB AND EAST PORTAL OF BRIDGE - Rulo Bridge, Spanning Missouri River, Rulo, HAER NEB,74-RULO,1-10 - cut.jpg

The original bridge opened for service in the first week of October 1887 for a cost of about $1.02 million US dollars. It had three {{convert|375|ft|m|adj=mid|long}} steel truss spans. The bridge was fabricated in England and reassembled at Rulo.

In January 1976, Burlington Northern (the predecessor of BNSF) announced plans to rebuild the bridge, which was {{convert|2,049|ft}} long at the time but would be shortened to {{convert|1,863|ft}} in the reconstructed version. In 1977, the steel truss was replaced in 48 hours when sections of the new bridge were assembled on either side of the river, then lifted onto falsework towers on barges on both sides of the up and downstream sides. The new bridge was placed on the upstream towers and the old bridge was moved to the downstream side and then new bridge was placed on the original 1887 piers. The bridge now has two main spans over the river that are {{convert|375|ft}} long. The replaced bridge was dedicated on December 20, 1977, and the total cost of the operation was USD$8 million.

Prior to the replacement, only grain rather than coal trains could cross the bridge. The updated bridge would host coal trains traveling {{convert|45|mph}} over the river.

References

{{reflist |refs=

{{cite news |work=St. Joseph Daily Herald |title=The bridge at Rulo |url={{GBurl|vohbAAAAIBAJ|pg=PA1}} |publication-date=October 6, 1887 |page=1 |volume=36 |number=239 |oclc=13724068}}

{{cite news |work=St. Joseph Gazette |oclc=10407750 |title=Train traffic arouses citizens |url={{GBurl|nsRiAAAAIBAJ|pg=PA6}} |publication-date=December 21, 1977 |p=6A |first=Elizabeth |last=Keck |volume=133 |number=169}}

{{cite news |work=St. Joseph News-Press |issn=1063-4312 |title=Burlington plans $8 million reconstruction of Rulo span |url={{GBurl|Dt9eAAAAIBAJ|pg=PA4}} |publication-date=January 16, 1976 |department=City and area |p=4A |first=Frederick W. |last=Slater |volume=104 |number=105}}

{{cite news |work=St. Joseph News-Press |issn=1063-4312 |title=Bridge work for energy crisis |url={{GBurl|kaheAAAAIBAJ|pg=PA13}} |publication-date=April 3, 1977 |department=News—Features |p=1B |first=Frederick W. |last=Slater |volume=105 |number=185}}

{{cite news |work=St. Joseph News-Press |issn=1063-4312 |title=375-foot long Rulo bridge span inched into position atop piers |url={{GBurl|XtteAAAAIBAJ|pg=PA1}} |publication-date=December 8, 1977 |p=1A |first=Frederick W. |last=Slater |volume=106 |number=69}}

{{cite news |work=Junction City Daily Union |issn=0745-743X |title=New techniques are being used to replace bridge in 48 hours |url={{GBurl|o64_AAAAIBAJ|pg=PA5}} |page=9 |agency=Associated Press |publication-date=June 30, 1977 |number=282}}

{{cite report |work=Historical American Engineering Record |title=Nebraska City Bridge |section=Rulo bridge |section-url=https://tile.loc.gov/storage-services/master/pnp/habshaer/ne/ne0000/ne0042/data/ne0042data.pdf#page=139 |pages=139–160 |publication-date=October 1986 |first=Clayton B. |last=Fraser}}

}}

Bibliography

Lincoln Star (Lincoln, Nebraska), July 7, 1977, Page 5
{{cite report |id={{ARK|ark:/13960/t0dv9cb2j}} |publisher=Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad |title=The Rulo Bridge: A report to Charles E. Perkins, President of the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad |first=George S. |last=Morison |author-link=George S. Morison |publication-date=May 1, 1890}}
{{cite magazine |work=Engineering News-Record |issn=0891-9526 |title=Staging span replacement for old bridge saves $5 million |publication-date=June 23, 1977 |page=58 |volume=198 |number=25}}