Kate Shelley bridge

Trains Magazine General Discussion
1

Calling all Boone, Iowa experts (or experts of the Kate Shelley bridge).

There’s a chance I might find myself in Des Moines, IA, in a week or so. If this comes together, I might want to take a trip up to the Kate Shelley bridge.

My question is the whereabouts of the bridge and the best road into it. I’m assuming I can take the following route:

  • I35 north to Hwy 30
  • 30 West to J Ave.
  • J Ave. north to 208th St.
  • 208th St. east to Juneberry Road

Here’s a map from Google Maps.

Please confirm that the bridge is just to the northeast of Juneberry Road. Is that right, or am I all mixed up?

Thanks! Bergie

2

Perhaps easier, and certainly shorter: take 141 NW to intersection with 169, then north to 30 and east a very few miles. Then south about one mile, don’t know the road but it is marked I think. Local advice is available.

3

Bergie, Juneberry Road actually goes UNDERNEATH Kate Shelley, so if you find that road, you’re THERE.

The easiest way I’ve found to the bridge is to take US-30 west from I-35, go past the exit(s) for Boone, cross the river, and watch for an intersection with J Ave. Your route’s good.

Here’s one of several shots I got from Juneberry Rd. a couple of years ago:

4

Bergie,

I had in mind the ORIGINAL bridge, but if you want the current bridge, as pictured next above, my directions are still good except that you must turn north from US 30, not south.

5

Bergie,

For the forum members who don’t know about Kate Shelley here’s a brief story of her exploits that led to the naming of the bridge after her. The CNW also named a train in her honor, the Kate Shelley 400, which ran between Chicago and Clinton, IA. In 1891 Kate was hired as the agent at the Northwestern’s Moingona, IA station. She was one of a very few women station agents anywhere in the nation at that time.

Mark

Kate Shelley Saves the Train
Based on a true story
retold by
S. E. Schlosser

One night, in 1881, a fierce storm broke over the Des Moines river valley. The storm raged through the night, flooding the river and the nearby creeks. Along about 11 p.m., a “pusher” train was sent to search for any wash-outs along the track. After it passed the home of the Shelley family, a railroad widow raising five children, the family heard a terrible crashing sound. The bridge over Honey Creek had collapsed, taking the pusher train with it.

The eldest daughter, fifteen year old Kate Shelley, ran out into the storm to investigate. She saw two of the four men trapped in the water, but she could not reach them. Kate realized that she could not rescue the men by herself, and furthermore, that a midnight express train was due to pass over the Honey Creek Bridge, possibly sending more people to their death if she did not warn the nearby Moingona station of the washout.

Kate Shelly knew there was a nearby trestle bridge with a tiny catwalk over the flooded Des Moines River. So, amid the darkness and the storm, Kate crawled on hands and knees across the catwalk. Halfway across, a tree came crashing into the center of the trestle bridge. Kate was sure the tree would break the rickety bridge apart, throwing her into the flood waters below, but at the last moment, the tree slipped between the piers, splashing water all over Kate.

As soon as Kate reached the other side of the river, she ran towards Moingona Station, try

6

Thanks, fellas!

Bergie

7

And now for the sad news. Juneberry Rd is closed from 208th St to just south of the T intersection with 200th St due to construction of the new bridge (Juneberry goes right underneath the west side). The closest you can get a good view (legally) is the old bridge and it’s east approach over the Des Moines River on 200th St. The barricades on Juneberry on the north end is just south of the bend on the map. Unfortunately the trees block most of the bridge. You can see some of the new construction and the western portion of the High Bridge at this point.

To get to the bridge on 200th St:

US 30 west to Boone. There is a 4-way stop, this is Story St. Take this north into town to Mamie Eisenhower Avenue. This would be the third stop light. The google map shows this as 4th Street, that is wrong. Take Mamie Eisenhower west to Marion St. Take Marion St. north, go over the UP tracks to 198th St. There will be signs guiding you to the Kate Shelley Bridge. Take 198th to 200th. The road is hard surfaced around the corner of this intersection and turns into gravel at the top of the hill (the intersection of 200th and Key Lane). Go down the hill and you are there.

If you go on Key Lane, the crossing is about 1/2 mile from the bridge. You can see the top of the bridge, but that’s about it. There is no public access. Eastbounds will many times stop at Marion St. (sometimes changing out crews) or Key Lane. If a train is short enough, one might pull up and stop at L Ave (Lamb Lane on the street signs).

If you come up and bring a scanner, the road freq. is 160.89 AAR 52. When the construction crews are working there is a Form B track bulletin in effect. This will alert you to anything coming. (The west end of the bridge is MP 208. The B limits are usually a mile or two either way.)

Jeff

PS. Bergie, since

8

I was out there myself in the beginning of April and took hwy 30 to the west of the bridge. (Don’t know any of the names of the roads). The road that goes down to the bridge was closed off due to the construction of the new bridge. I asked a local on how to get to the bridge and they said that you have to go thru town to get to it but even they weren’t too sure if you could get to the bridge.

I was there back in 1988 and the car bridge that went over the river wasn’t in the best condition and the local said that the bridge wasn’t replaced or anything so I think that bridge might be a bit scarey to cross

9

The Kate Sheely bridge is very unique. I have been there a couple times on trips. Well worth the visit!

10

[quote user=“jeffhergert”]

And now for the sad news. Juneberry Rd is closed from 208th St to just south of the T intersection with 200th St due to construction of the new bridge (Juneberry goes right underneath the west side). The closest you can get a good view (legally) is the old bridge and it’s east approach over the Des Moines River on 200th St. The barricades on Juneberry on the north end is just south of the bend on the map. Unfortunately the trees block most of the bridge. You can see some of the new construction and the western portion of the High Bridge at this point.

To get to the bridge on 200th St:

US 30 west to Boone. There is a 4-way stop, this is Story St. Take this north into town to Mamie Eisenhower Avenue. This would be the third stop light. The google map shows this as 4th Street, that is wrong. Take Mamie Eisenhower west to Marion St. Take Marion St. north, go over the UP tracks to 198th St. There will be signs guiding you to the Kate Shelley Bridge. Take 198th to 200th. The road is hard surfaced around the corner of this intersection and turns into gravel at the top of the hill (the intersection of 200th and Key Lane). Go down the hill and you are there.

If you go on Key Lane, the crossing is about 1/2 mile from the bridge. You can see the top of the bridge, but that’s about it. There is no public access. Eastbounds will many times stop at Marion St. (sometimes changing out crews) or Key Lane. If a train is short enough, one might pull up and stop at L Ave (Lamb Lane on the street signs).

If you come up and bring a scanner, the road freq. is 160.89 AAR 52. When the construction crews are working there is a Form B track bulletin in effect. This will alert you to anything coming. (The west end of the bridge is MP 208. The B limits are usually a mile or two either way.)

Jeff

11

Original bridge location. The Shelley farm would have been between this bridge location and Honey Creek just to the east and visible in this image: http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=42.014588&lon=-93.922241&z=16.9&r=0&src=yh

The “Kate Shelley Bridge” now in use: http://www.flashearth.com/?lat=42.059254&lon=-93.970927&z=16.6&r=0&src=yh

If I understand correctly, the newer bridge was built in 1901, and it was the new bridge that was named the “Kate Shelley Bridge” to honor her, which makes sense: Kate Shelly story

Several sources say that she took the job of Moingona station agent in October, 1903. Here’s one: Kate Shelley - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia And another.

Here are some interesting period news stories: Kate Shelley - Iowa Heroine

And of course while there you might want to take a peek at the Boone County Historical Society – Kate Shelley Railroad Museum

Have fun!

12

Wow, nice maps. That’s the first time I’ve seen that service. Thanks for sharing!

Bergie