Chamberlain Rail Bridge

The Chamberlain Rail Bridge is a railroad bridge located the state of South Dakota which crosses the Missouri River, spanning 4,890 feet (0.9 mi) from the city of Chamberlain on the eastern side to the town of Oacoma, located on the western side of the river. It is owned by the state of South Dakota and operated by Dakota Southern Railway.[1][2]

History

The bridge was constructed in 1953 by the Chicago, Milwakuee, St. Paul and Pacific Railroad to replace an earlier 1923 rail bridge that would have been submerged by the construction of dams on the Missouri River and subsequent creation of Lake Francis Case.[3] The bridge uses sections from the older bridge, which are easily visible today. The bridge measures 4,890 feet (0.9 mi) long, which made it the longest bridge in the Chicago, Milwakuee, St. Paul and Pacfic Railroad.[4]

In 1980, the Milwakuee Road abandoned this line along with many others due to unprofitably and the looming corporate bankruptcy.[5] The state of South Dakota bought the line, which included the bridge, from the Milwakuee Road. Until 1987, the line sat dormant.[6]

In 1987, the Dakota Southern Railway, headquartered in Chamberlain, took over operations of the line, and it has been operated by them ever since, In the 1990s and early 2000s, due to lack of customers and grain not being profitable, no trains passed on this bridge westbound. However, with a 2005 agreement with the BNSF Railroad and a few repairs to the bridge,[7] trains have been using the bridge ever since for westbound customers.[3]

References
  1. "Ex-Milwaukee Road Missouri River Bridge-Chamberlain, SD". Trainorders.com Discussion. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  2. "Chamberlain-Oacoma Bridge (American Legion Memorial Bridge)". Chamberlain Chamber. 2014-10-08. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  3. "Dakota Southern Railway Upgrade Chamberlain - Presho, SD". Trainorders.com Discussion. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  4. "Chamberlain | South Dakota Historical Society Press". sdhspress.wordpress.com. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  5. Lewis, Edward A. (1996). American Shortline Railway Guide. Kalmbach Publishing, Co. ISBN 9780890242902.
  6. "South Dakota Department of Transportation - Rail Carriers". www.sddot.com. Retrieved 2018-05-05.
  7. Bureau, Bob Mercer State Capitol. "Railroad Board holds off on rehab of Chamberlain-Presho line". Capital Journal. Retrieved 2018-05-05.

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