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?Possible UP abandonment of branch in Mn????

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That branch leaves the ex-C&NW mainline at Merriam Jct. and extends through Carver, and on to Chaska where it serves a sugar operation that was once the Crystal Sugar plant.  The line is a remnant of the M&StL mainline from Minneapolis to Albert Lea.  It crosses the Minnesota River on a big bridge at Carver, but that is not the trestle that collapsed.  There are three other short timber trestles between the big one over the river at Carver and Merriam.  The one that collapsed is the middle one of those three.  It is only about 100 feet or less long.  It went down with a passing train, so it either collapsed or the train derailed on it and brought it down.  It is right alongside of the river which parallels the track at that point, and some of the cars are in the river.  It sure looks like a challenge to pick up the derailed cars from that soft, mucky ground, and no decent area to pull from.That trestle always struck me as rather picturesque with a considerable curve to it, and with some elevation on the ouside rail.  It seemed a bit rustic and primitive looking for a mainline.  I had been expecting the big bridge at Carver to collapse since the river has obviously undermined one or more of the big stone piers.  It has a very obvious kink and tilt that can be seen when looking down the track.  It looks like it could be 1-2 feet out of alignment in the middle.The old Hastings and Dakota RR swing bridge, about two miles downstream from Carver, exhibited the same kind of undermining of the center pier for ten or more years.  The railroad was abandoned and removed, and the roadbed was turned into a state trail.  You could see that the bridge was in the process of slowly tipping over by the bent and misaligned box trusses, bracing, etc.  Then all of a sudden the DNR got excited and blew it up to protect the public.
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