Gasconade River Railroad Bridge

This entire Rock Island line is now owned by a power company whose name I do believe is Ameren (?), and sometime in the near future intends to rehab this line for company use, or until the Rails to Trails steps in and buys it.

The fence was probably put there by Ameren to keep people off the rails and bridge, for fear someone would fall or get hurt on it, and that would cause them to get a law-suit.

Hope this can clear up the fence thing

I have walked this bridge numerous times. As a matter of fact, it's one of my best childhood memories of Belle! A friend of mine (no names mentioned) even jumped off the bridge into the river.

The last time I went to see the bridge, there was a gate closing off the road. Anybody know why the area is now off limits? I always figured it would be, but wondering if anybody has the scoop.

My grandfather, Theodore Klebba, owned a 1,000 acre farm on the Belle side of the bridge bordering the Gasconade River. I've walked across the bridge about 7 or 8 times to visit my uncle Adolph Klebba who passed away about 6 years ago. I started my walk from the Freeburg railroad tunnel (about 4 miles from Gascondy). My mother & father were caught on the bridge by a train when they were dating...they had to stand on the railroad tie platform which protrudes out over the valley. Needless to say, it shook them up pretty good.

Actually, the bridge (MP 114.6) saw it's last train in the first month or so of 1980 (records lost), as The Rock slowly dwindled away before being liquidated on March 31st. The line's next owner, St. Louis Southwestern, only operated the route from St. Louis as far west as Belle (MP 106), from 1980 to 1984, when service was cut back to Owensville (MP 92). In December of 1995, the last train left Owensville, with all traffic being cut back to Union (MP 60). Nathan is right in everything he said. Ticks are unusually and surprisingly numerous here - I've never picked so many off of me (I think I counted 32) And the bridge itself produces an awkward and disorienting sense of vertigo which takes a little while to get used to. Currently, the bridge and the rest of the line are owned by Ameren Power co, who bought the 'hand-me-down' line from the UP in 1999 for 10 mil. Something of interest: In response to the Ameren owned Taum Sauk Mtn. dam, which broke and destroyed Johnson's shut in's state park, the state is seeking revenge on the self-insured company. Involved in this discussion is the old CRI&P right of way, which the state has expressed interest in acquiring as payment for 'damages'. It seems to always be an uphill battle for this line. I always hope for the best. I'd love to guide a train across the bridge someday, though I've got to admit, I think it's beautiful how it rests now.

If one wants to walk this bridge, I recommend doing it in the fall or winter months, because to get there one must forge through a plethera of poision ivy and ticks (I picked at least 20 off me). The view is breathtaking but the trek across isn't for the faint at heart, since some of the ties are rotting or altogether missing in places. Still I found the adventure to be worth the drive.