All of what you see below are Icons. If clicked, sometimes larger versions will appear. I'll tell you when a really large version is lurking beneath.
First, will be a map of my travels in the Alexandria area on the 13th of March. I was headed to the Missouri Pacific rail lift bridge over the Red River. It was originally built by the Texas and Pacific, if not mistaken. The map is one of the larger shots. Open it in another window. I checked out a rail yard that was on the way to the closed International Paper plant. Then I moved to where you see BRVIEW E (bridge view east). What happened there proved that there is sometimes pretty good luck on the 13th.
From the road rounding Lake Buhlow.
As I rounded the end of the lake, I saw the old Louisiana
and Arkansas rails coming from Pineville Junction, across
the river from downtown Alexandria.
I stopped and shot across the lake toward the far off highway bridge.
This is what 26x zoom will get you.
I went on to the entrance to the park. This was taken from
the crossing looking north to where the old L&A rails
cross the old MP rails. The L&A went to Shreveport. The
MP went to Monroe. Now the Kansas City Southern rules the
L&A rails and the Union Pacific rides the ex Texas & Pacific/
Missouri Pacific rails.
From that crossing I shot the KCS rails in the distance
and the UP's in the foreground.
This is looking south west to the bridge down the UP.
I wandered into the end of the park which is a perfect
location to shoot the bridge. Unfortunately, and I've seen
this in others shots, afternoon sun gives the bridge a very
dark appearance. The clouds did not help.
I worked on the shots a little.
I stood there looking at it, realizing, "that's that".
Then I heard the horns. Oh my goodness. No, it would
be going up the other side of the river. I waited.
I prepared the new camera, the one with the zoom, just in case.
A train crosses a bridge very quickly. I shot wildly, not
being very good with the new tool.
I was quite lucky.
She rumbled for a while.
I backed away. Lake Buhlow is a great park.
I was asked about the bridge which got me tracing the rail
route north from the bridge. As I said, it connects to Monroe.
I went looking for a chance to shoot it from the west bank
There is none now that the new bridge is being built.
The levee is the only chance and it is off limits. Only these
cars give a hint of what is to come unless you peer off the
old highway bridge.
These are the bigger shots. Click these:
That's it.