The Missourian carried a story May 22, 2012, that a Jackson, Gordonville and Delta Railroad plan to abandon a 13-mile section of unused tracks has some Allenville residents worried. They’re not concerned about losing the railroad – it hasn’t carried traffic between Gordonville and Delta since 1997. They’re worried about the railroad bridge and trestle over the Diversion Channel. (Click on any photo to make it larger.)
Tiny town cut off by floods
The story by Shay Alderman quoted lifelong Allenville resident Phil Thompson as saying the town has been hit by 12 floods since 1973. Roads were impassable for about six weeks during flooding in 1993 and 1995. The trestle and bridge were the town’s supply lifeline.
Will bridge end up on scrap heap?
Robert L. Adams, railroad president said the bridge is in such poor condition that he would advise against anyone walking or driving a vehicle across it. I can understand why he’d say that for liability reasons.
I’ll have to take a meander down that way when I go home. At least I’ll know I won’t have to dodge any highballin’ freights in the middle of the channel.
My name is Robert McCaskill,I hav been a volenteer for the StLouis Iron Mountain Railway for the last 7 years,a volenteer from ST. Louis.The Iron mtn is the tourist operator for running tourist passenger trains on the line. We have been trying our best to reopen the line td Delta as as best as we can wilt little funding and out of our own pockets. In the last 7 years we have cleared track mowed weedeated sprayed and conctonly replaced ties all along the entire18 mile strech! the iron mtn ry still wouled like to run the entire main line. The slim ry still would like to install a interchange switch in Delta and store freight cars up to Gordonville at 3.00 per car per day. thah would help the local economy and bring in funding to rebuild the track.
Ken, the Allenville Railroad bridge was built in 1918 by the Bethlehem Steel Bridge Corp. It design is known as a riveted, 6-panel Pratt through truss. These old bridges are succumbing to age and the desire by some to eliminate risk while preserving nothing.