Warning, this History Hunt went dead in the water or maybe I did.
If you have time to waste, proceed.
If you have time to waste, proceed.
.... here we go ....
Ideas for these boring monologues are often spawned by something someone said.
In this case, Mark was obsessing over an old rail crossing sign out in the
Cajun Prairie above his home in a place called Point Blue.
Point Blue was on the Texas and Pacific rails between Ville Platte and Eunice, Louisiana.
PB is not in the middle of nowhere. That's above Alexandria.
South Louisiana is a populated place. The farmland communities in S. La. are more like
subdivisions with really big backyards.
subdivisions with really big backyards.
What he was asking of me was for a timetable for a 15 mile stretch of rails
which were abandoned during the early 40's.
I have quite a collection of timetables. So many that I haven't checked them all.
After 4 hours of searching I have found none that reflected activity on that stretch.
That is not to say that it doesn't exist and I will continue to look because
Mark claims to have gone sleepless since this most recent lust has entered his life.
I considered his situation an emergency.
Here we go ... possibly with more purpose this time
Below Ville Platte the T&P took over the building of the planned
Louisiana East and West line between Bunkie and Eunice (rails to the right)
The Ville Platte to Opelousas (T&P) route (rails to the left) replaced the Ville Platte
to Eunice route which was abandoned about 1942.
The Acadiana Railway now owns that route and t he old
La. E&W rails from Ville Platte to Bunkie.
Below is the birth record.
Below Ville Platte the T&P took over the building of the planned
Louisiana East and West line between Bunkie and Eunice (rails to the right)
The Ville Platte to Opelousas (T&P) route (rails to the left) replaced the Ville Platte
to Eunice route which was abandoned about 1942.
The Acadiana Railway now owns that route and t he old
La. E&W rails from Ville Platte to Bunkie.
Below is the birth record.
Below may mark when it was abandoned.
The "prisoner of the Japanese" part does not pertain to the railroad.
It was included as part of the history of December 1942 on that site.
Nevertheless, a little reminder of what the Greatest Generation did fits anytime.
The "prisoner of the Japanese" part does not pertain to the railroad.
It was included as part of the history of December 1942 on that site.
Nevertheless, a little reminder of what the Greatest Generation did fits anytime.
Google, as wicked as some (and I) think, does preserve a bit of rail history we'd never find otherwise.
Below is a Rail Commission judgement mentioning the little stretch of track.
I have used this record in some other research I did dealing with, ah, Torras and the
Texas & Pacific.
{Did you follow that?}
{Who's the C G & N L at Melville?}
Below really belongs on another write.
The one of which I speak is where I found AKDN 701.
{A reader and I were chatting. He spoke of "pet peeves".
I have one. That witch, Miss Lee, my 9th grade English teacher,
harped on "dangling prepositions". It stuck. We all do it because it's lazy.
Using correct English where "to", "with", etc., actually have noun recipients
is a pain and sounds weird to most people. On this site I might sound weird.
That is only because it's one of my pet peeves, not because I want to....
"Well, you just used a dangling whatever!"
It's called "poetic license".
Yes, I did. I'm the boss here.
{A reader and I were chatting. He spoke of "pet peeves".
I have one. That witch, Miss Lee, my 9th grade English teacher,
harped on "dangling prepositions". It stuck. We all do it because it's lazy.
Using correct English where "to", "with", etc., actually have noun recipients
is a pain and sounds weird to most people. On this site I might sound weird.
That is only because it's one of my pet peeves, not because I want to....
"Well, you just used a dangling whatever!"
It's called "poetic license".
Yes, I did. I'm the boss here.
In the article of which I was speaking, I explained that the Eunice interchange was confusing.
This is the reason why. {or should it be, "This is why the reason."?)
We have an ex-history teacher on board, we may need an English one?
Enough, on with "the reason".
We have an ex-history teacher on board, we may need an English one?
Enough, on with "the reason".
Below is what they came up with and that's just the portion above the Louisiana Western ROW.
The green line represents the rails that we are discussing, or
I'm discussing to myself which more than likely.
Now I'm going to share with you the route from Ville Platte to Eunice.
No telling when this map was drawn. I could easily find out but it's pointless.
It mentions very few points of reference. Well, some.
I have attempted to replicate the route on a newer map.
I may show it to you if you don't laugh.
All of this is basically filler to placate Mark since I can't find him a timetable.
Next:
Above, you see Point Blue.
Below, the crossing sign is in the wrong position for the main line.
There must have been a spur traveling past the cotton gin going west.
Was the cotton gin extensive? Was there another industry here. (overhead view below)
That red line to the left points to the approximate location of the RXR sign above.
The sw to ne yellow line is the approximate mainline.
That's my guess of how the spur might have come off the mainline.
Sorry, I can hardly type right now. Physically, this is getting difficult.
I ran a power washer all day and my hand is numb. Actually,
my right index finger seems to be on holiday. (I like being "Continental" when appropriate.)
I have other personal information below.
Bet that woke you up.
Continuing southward:
Above you see Chataignier. I think it would be the only scheduled stop.
There seems to be a portion of the route missing. Notice the line goes from almost north-south and
below goes northeast-southwest. The rail company was the Louisiana East and West,
I guess "Louisiana North and South" was taken. Possibly they should have merged
and no one could have been picky about where they went.
Ok, that's fixed. I found the missing part. The maps overlap and will make you crazy.
And that'll do ya. My map below this one.
This is pretty much how she went.
Chataignier would be the only possible stop. I may have said that.
At this point I'm hanging it up.
If you have a timetable you can front Mark, please send it here. Please.
It can be a La.E&W or a T&P, no matter.
.