Kate Shelley Bridge – rural Boone, IA
Posted by: Groundspeak Regular Member wildernessmama
N 42° 03.804 W 093° 57.977
15T E 420053 N 4657267
The bridge was named in Kate Shelley’s honor in 1912. One will most likely be able to view a train crossing the new bridge as it is a busy rail line.
Waymark Code: WMBTJP
Location: Iowa, United States
Date Posted: 06/20/2011
Published By:Groundspeak Premium Member IDIFers
Views: 3

The Kate Shelley High Bridge is the highest double-track railroad bridge in the United States. Built in 1901 it measures 2,685 feet long and is 185 feet tall. The Union Pacific railroad used it to cross the Des Moines River until the new concrete bridge was built next to it in the summer of 2009.

The old bridge holds a well-known history of Kate Shelley and her heroism when on a dark night in 1881 her quick thinking helped save a passenger train from sure disaster. When a heavy rain flooded the nearby Honey Creek, it washed out some of the trestle timbers on the creek bridge putting in jeopardy the lives of some of the engine crew who was out checking the condition of the track. After hearing the crash Kate ran in total darkness to the Moingona depot a half mile away to sound the alarm for the next passenger train and then called for a rescue team to help the engine crew.

The bridge was named in Kate Shelley’s honor in 1912. It can be found three miles west of Boone. A waymarker will most likely be able to view a train crossing the new bridge as it is a busy rail line.

Note: The new bridge that has active train traffic is on the camera side of the old bridge in these photos. The coords take the waymarker to the best possible place for viewing.
What Best Describes This Location: Other Describe Below

Other Describe: Signs lead to gravel road for easy observation

If there is a fee how much?: 0.00 (listed in local currency)

Is this rail location handicap accessible?: can be viewed from vehicle

Related website: [Web Link]

Visit Instructions:
When logging a visit please include your own pictures and details of your experience. Pictures of rail activity in action are greatly encouraged and appreciated!

Try to provide the time of day you visited and how much activity you witnessed.

By providing times and activity in your details, the next visitor might have a better idea of when to make their visit.

Keep this in mind when you visit an Active Rail Locations waymark, the railroad determines how much activity there is on any given day.

Thank You!
Search for...
Geocaching.com Google Map
Google Maps
MapQuest
Bing Maps
Nearest Waymarks
Nearest Active Rail Locations
Nearest Geocaches
Create a scavenger hunt using this waymark as the center point
Recent Visits/Logs:
There are no logs for this waymark yet.