2012 T&P McKneely Long Way Round

The plan was to check on the passing track construction  progress at McKneely Spur.

That would be a bore.

It  has been a long time since I've ridden the upper Atchafalaya Loop, 

sometimes known as "The Long Way Round".

That would be the plan. I'd ride it to get to McKneely.

In fact there was a movie which  used  that name staring these 

two Limy wimps riding German bovine.

You won't go to sleep in this one.

At the intersection of US 190 and La.741,  a train was parked on a sidetrack.

I saw this as a positive sign.

 I make it a practice of going right at intersections. I would again today, sometimes.

 Palmetto to Melville.

 All was quiet at Melville.

 Eventually I'd be over there looking over here.

 Melville to Simmesport.

 A picnic area and landing, La.105 south Simmesport.

This was the old La.1 approach to the Simmesport rail bridge up until the early 1970's

when the new car bridge was built.

I will get down there one day.  Trains and street vehicles shared the bridge.

I was put off by a sign. After leaving I saw a herd of 4 wheelers coming out.

 This is La.1 exiting the bridge on the east side.

 My old software still shows it as "Main".

New La.1 is seen in yellow.

The brown dashes going through Glynville was the Torras Route of the LR&N Co.

I'd exit the area on La.417.

 Looking north at the levee and La.418 headed to the Torras area.

 The levee crossing has been  updated. 

Very nice. But really?

 Temptation.

 Old La.1 descending from the rail bridge.

La.417 goes right. La.418 goes straight.

Once again I'd go right.

 The La.418 trestle.

 I'd join the levee going south.

 Harvested cotton fields.

 I thought I was in Batchelor, La.

Confusion set in.

Now I realize the Reverend lives in Bachelor which is on La.1 down near New Roads.

I was actually near McCrea.

 I have a fondness for country churches.

The palm tree is a nice touch.

But since I thought I was in Bachelor, you get to see my old Bachelor, La picture.

 Family history is thick in McCrea.

My cousin put on a pop festival there back in the day.

I attended 2 nights and never saw a band.

I was told to leave or my bike might be stolen.

It was in there.

 You could get in free if you waded across this.

 This was the road out going up the levee.

 This came from Wiki. I'll edit it a bit.

McCrea is a small, unincorporated community on the east bank of the Atchafalaya River in the northwestern portion of Pointe Coupee Parish, Louisiana (USA). It is located along Louisiana Highway 417, some distance north of East Krotz Springs, Louisiana. A post office opened here in 1902 but was discontinued in 1954. The community is named for Bob McCrea, an early settler who developed a plantation at the site prior to the Civil War.

McCrea is famous as the location of the last levee breach or "crevasse" of the Great Flood of 1927. As the high water of that year accumulated within the Atchafalaya River to unprecedented heights, authorities were concerned that the Mississippi River itself was attempting to shift its channel into that of the Atchafalaya. Some 2,000 men - free labor and state convicts - labored for weeks under government supervision to prevent a breach, but the McCrea levee broke at 3:15 a.m. on May 24, 1927, flooding much of Pointe Coupee, West Baton Rouge, Iberville and Assumption Parishes and forcing more than 10,000 residents from their homes.



After the flood waters receded, a new levee was built inland from the old one, curving around the crater created by the break. That body of water has since been known as McCrea Lake.



In June 1971, McCrea was the site of a sort of "mini-Woodstock," rock festival. More than 50,000 rock fans from around the nation converged on the hamlet for the "Celebration of Life" rock concert held between the levee and the Atchafalaya River. The concert was billed to last for eight days. In literally a matter of hours, the rock festival more than doubled the population of Pointe Coupee Parish. Rain, the lack of accommodations, sanitary facilities and public outrage at the actions of some of the attendees resulted in the festival ending earlier than scheduled. By its conclusion on the third day over 150,00 people gathered to enjoy the music and the amusing side shows that arrived in a variety of vehicles colorful as though it were a circus parade entering the town. Two people drowned in the fast-rushing Atchafalaya River due to a treacherous current and under tow.  Undercover police officers made more than 100 drug busts and one person died from a drug overdose. Some of the acts that were scheduled to play at the concert included: Pink Floyd, Ike  & Tina Turner, the Beach Boys, Boz Scaggs, Chuck Berry, B. B. King, Melanie, Brownsville Station, Joe Cocker, CSN&Y, Country Joe McDonald, and John Sebastian.

I started noticing how many of the posts were rail ties.

They may have come from the abandoned Texas and Pacific RR.

approach to the old Melville Atchafalaya  rail bridge crossing.

 A train was crossing the Melville bridge as I arrived.

 This is one of my favorite places.

 The new growth cane is coming  up. Matured, it will obscure the elevated rails.

This is the Morganza  Floodway rail crossing.

 Continuing east on what was La.10.

 At McKneely, the work continues.

I thought I'd seen a supply train on the new rails. 

When I got to a place where I could shoot, it was gone.

They were working on a Saturday afternoon. There must be unhappiness in the home office.

This has been going on forever.

 There was work west of La.77, also.

 In Fordoche, I stopped by the old depot. (rip)

I noticed what was probably the depot tracks in the crossing blacktop.

Sure enough, the depot tracks were on the west side.

More temptation. I stayed strong.

 I shot back toward the new sidetrack construction.

A train sat on the old sidetrack (above map)

Were those the green cars I'd seen?

The pictures above were taken with the Kodak which does not print a time stamp, 

one of the reasons they went bankrupt.

Below are maps and areal views pertaining to the above ride.



The Festival of Life  grounds.

The beach and the location of the stage are pretty evident.

 Here's where it was.

 This was the ride's route.

 At home, Maggie and I did  laundry while I told her about the Long Way Round.

This is a rare attentive moment.

Oh, I hadn't fed her yet.