The C&P Recon Ride p2

Can't you see it? I didn't think so. If you can see it, tell me in the guest book and I'll send you all the shots only the illusioner can appreciate. I won't stress you again in this one. Everett, it's the one that crosses 113 west of Glenmora.



In the next one, you can see the same railroad heading off to the right. The following shots will be only to display the countryside....... and there will be a few mentions of the hidden history most possess.



I'm going to throw in a little map of my immediate wanderings in the forest west of 165. The green area is the Kisatchie National Forest. The little dash lines are old railroad routes, some call them trams, but there were many true "through" railroads there, also. The lumber company holdings got so widespread they needed railroads to bring in the harvest and in some cases, the finished and semi-finished products. So you see these little lines running everywhere. The key to finding the through lines is finding longer dash line continuations that may go somewhere today, but, did go somewhere in the past.

In these woods, back during WWII, the army built a railroad, some of it on the bed of a previous lumber company route. It was the Claiborne and Polk MilitaryRR, named for the two camps (Polk was not a fort at the time) at either end of its route. It was built for training and transportation purposes. The weighpoints on the map, marked with S's and a number and P's with a number, as well as "Big Cut", mark the C&P's route, or so I believe. I have not completelely varified that with Everett's maps, though it does girate in the same manner in what I've seen. I can only guess that the rest is true. These disclaimers really wear me out. Lieing or making unsubstantuated statements seem an easier alternative. The pay scale grants me that option.

The story goes like this, the green dashes, those depicting the probable route of the Glenmoara and Western (yes, I could have just made that up. They are the "d" weighpoints) come from the south, seen in the previous two pictures. I'll tighten this up later or EL will come screaming. The Army used some of their route, as I said, or rather Everett said, to go west. The yellow dotted line is the C&P. The white dotted line is me. Sometimes we are the same. The red dashes are the Red River and Gulf, the bar band at the SFHMuseum at Long Leaf as it heads off to the west on tour. The weighpoints that are just numbers mark the roads where it crossed. BTW, click the map to enlarge. The map, Fred.



I was just zooming in a little and found "Germany Creek". Had there been war games here involving the railroad trainees who were, in many cases, seasoned railroad men?



Near D9 is the Sunset Fire tower. I could have climbed it. The gate was open, there was no one around and the steps were to the ground. What kept me? FEAR.



I can hear a little voice in the back of the room, "Well, was there any sign of the railroad at D9"?

Yes, Theresa, there was. This is just to illustrate the thick woods and to placate Al. I have to keep reminding him he asked for these.



This one's for the biker crowd at the Barn. Here I am at D9. In the absence of any further evidence, I tried to be as economical as I could and got the required bike shot.



At S21, near the base of Potato Shed Rd, the C&P had joined the whatever RR and both headed west through here. I know I said I wouldn't, but this is too exciting. I am a weak person.



At this point in the ride I needed to go east and start from Big Cut, where the C&P and RR&G crossed (on the map) That is all documented in another write to be linked to at the end of this one. I don't want you scurrying off to read it and leave me here with no one to lie to.

Oh, man, I was on a roll. Next was the Spring Creek crossing. This was the route to the river.



The next few are river shots. I couldn't swear that I actually saw the opposite bank receiving the rails. I keep forgetting that 1945 was a long time ago and Lord knows, I have enough reminders.





There was the sound of a small rapid and gurgling water. If you are into small rapids and gurgling, this place would be your Nurvana.





Wow, I just got a little zap. There were stairs down to the water. Had this been the location of an old Baptist church? I've seen this same scene, it seems, in East Louisiana.

The current had straightened out the river plants.



I've got chores to do or I'm going to be "straightened out".

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