Dan Patch Line Bridge
Encyclopedia
The Dan Patch Line Bridge is a railroad swing bridge
that carries the Canadian Pacific Railway
's MN&S Subdivision across the Minnesota River
. The MN&S Subdivision is a rail line that originated as the Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company, more commonly known as the Dan Patch Lines. Today's name for the rail line comes from the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railroad, which took over the Dan Patch route after the original railroad fell into bankruptcy. However, despite being met by Canadian Pacific rails at either end, the bridge itself is owned by the Twin Cities and Western Railroad
which has trackage rights on the CP line to the north. The bridge is not currently used, but the railroad purchased the bridge in order to protect a route they feel may become important in the future.
The bridge was built by Marion W. Savage, owner of the racehorse Dan Patch
as part of a railroad extending from Minneapolis
to Northfield
. A two-lane traffic deck was added to the bridge, but was deemed unsafe in the early 1980s and removed. The road side of the bridge carried CSAH-34 (Normandale Road on the north side, and Vernon Road on the south side).
Swing bridge
A swing bridge is a movable bridge that has as its primary structural support a vertical locating pin and support ring, usually at or near to its centre of gravity, about which the turning span can then pivot horizontally as shown in the animated illustration to the right...
that carries the Canadian Pacific Railway
Canadian Pacific Railway
The Canadian Pacific Railway , formerly also known as CP Rail between 1968 and 1996, is a historic Canadian Class I railway founded in 1881 and now operated by Canadian Pacific Railway Limited, which began operations as legal owner in a corporate restructuring in 2001...
's MN&S Subdivision across the Minnesota River
Minnesota River
The Minnesota River is a tributary of the Mississippi River, approximately 332 miles long, in the U.S. state of Minnesota. It drains a watershed of nearly , in Minnesota and about in South Dakota and Iowa....
. The MN&S Subdivision is a rail line that originated as the Minneapolis, St. Paul, Rochester and Dubuque Electric Traction Company, more commonly known as the Dan Patch Lines. Today's name for the rail line comes from the Minneapolis, Northfield and Southern Railroad, which took over the Dan Patch route after the original railroad fell into bankruptcy. However, despite being met by Canadian Pacific rails at either end, the bridge itself is owned by the Twin Cities and Western Railroad
Twin Cities and Western Railroad
The Twin Cities and Western Railroad is a railroad operating in the U.S. state of Minnesota which started operations on July 27, 1991. Trackage includes the former Soo Line Railroad "Ortonville Line", originally built as the first part of the Pacific extension of the Milwaukee Road...
which has trackage rights on the CP line to the north. The bridge is not currently used, but the railroad purchased the bridge in order to protect a route they feel may become important in the future.
The bridge was built by Marion W. Savage, owner of the racehorse Dan Patch
Dan Patch
Dan Patch was the outstanding pacer of his day. Dan Patch broke world speed records at least 14 times in the early 1900s, finally setting the world's record for the fastest mile by a harness horse during a time trial in 1906, a record that stood unmatched for 32 years.-Life:He was a brown...
as part of a railroad extending from Minneapolis
Minneapolis, Minnesota
Minneapolis , nicknamed "City of Lakes" and the "Mill City," is the county seat of Hennepin County, the largest city in the U.S. state of Minnesota, and the 48th largest in the United States...
to Northfield
Northfield, Minnesota
As of the census of 2000, there were 17,147 people, 4,909 households, and 3,210 families residing in the city. The population density was 2,452.2 people per square mile . There were 5,119 housing units at an average density of 732.1 per square mile...
. A two-lane traffic deck was added to the bridge, but was deemed unsafe in the early 1980s and removed. The road side of the bridge carried CSAH-34 (Normandale Road on the north side, and Vernon Road on the south side).