The Simmesport Louisiana Railroad Turntable

First, here are some black birds in my back yard.

A week after the black bird sighting, today, I took this ride. I had no idea where I was going. It was cold with 25 mile per hour gusts and a steady breeze of 24 miles per hour and it was cold, I said that.

I didn't want to go out on the plains as I'd be knocked over. [remember, I ride a bike] I chose to follow the bayou to Port Barre. I turned east which put the wind at my back, somewhat, as I sailed down US190 to US 71. On 71 I'd just ride up it into the wind. I didn't care as long as I wasn't getting knocked over. Why was I out in this? I'd gotten cabin fever and out is good no matter what out is, sometimes. I always enjoy 71. It's an old friend, a somewhat boring old friend, which may have led to the urge to ride on top of a levee. Duh.

I got a nice shot of the bike when I took a break. Remote levees are good for break and bike taking. There are other advantages but I couldn't think of any, so I did a U-turn.

I was on the official Atchafalaya Basin Floodway Levee. I went back to 71 as my urge had gone to mud and it was cold and very windy. What was I thinking? Once, I would have just kept going like a bird headed to South America.

Soon I was at Rideau Road. I decided that I'd go to Palmetto. Maybe I'd see a choo choo.

I took several shots of some old places in the Rideau community, ones I've taken 50 times before. The best one is the church. I've never been able to find the old graveyard since the last time I found it. The founder of the community is there and I'd like to say hi.

Sure enough, when I got to Palmetto, I saw a choo choo.

It had one of those Norfolk loaner engines pulling it. Maybe it was headed to LeCompte. The train was coming from Melville. Maybe there would be another one. I headed on down the line to Melville. I'll use any excuse to go to Melville.

At the intersection of 360, the Bayou Rouge Road, and La.10, the Palmetto to Melville Road, I decided to stop because I'm always thinking of you. I know some of you lay awake at night wondering how does a railroad get across a levee. Sometimes they don't go across, they go through. This is so interesting.

And then they take these things and slide them down in the slots.

I don't want to rain on anyone's high water abatement attempts, but I ain't seeing a real tight fit down there at rail level. Those rails are going to keep the shades from dropping in your window, Casey. BTW, for the disoriented, that picture is looking toward the wet side.

I got to Melville and rode around a little to see if I'd missed any Texas and Pacific RR memorabilia from my last history hunt through here.. I don't think I have a picture of a Melville "Railroad Ave." sign. Check that one, Louise.

I took RR Ave west until it stopped and turned north into the neighborhoods. There was an old church I'd missed, also.

Everything was underwater here in 1927. Anything from then and still around represents a miracle.

That's it for the "generic mini-ramble down familiar roads" part of this article. I decided to lean into the cold wind because I was feeling hot about my prospects in finding the location and further varifying the historical existance of the Simmesport Locomotive Turntable. As Keith had said, "I've heard the turntable mentioned numerous times around here, I just never paid much attention to it. I didn't know there was a debate over it's existence... ;)".

Keith is only 25 and has yet to learn what some debate or seek headed into the wind driven cold. But, he does want to get to Naples, so he must be aging.

To the thousands that don't care what a turntable is, besides something on which old people used to replicate music, you might want to get off now. You can find your way home, I left crumbs.

For you four that are still on board, I'm going to try to explain why there was that device, used to redirect a locomotive, and where it was located in Simmesport. I'm going to semi-quote some people who know a bunch about railroads in Louisiana. I want to pull it all together. Like I just told Keith, some one dropped the ball and didn't list this important piece of equipment and it's importance in why and how the railroad worked on the line that stopped at Simmesport. Young Keith knew about it, the lady I talk to today at the site knew about it. Of course, she's 74 years old and had a head start knowing about it being born 20 feet from the depot. Even the fella from out of town I talked to on the T&P history ride knew about it, why don't more? Shouldn't it be taught in our public schools?

Virgil had asked his group about the possibility of a turntable. A noted historian in the group started with this. I'm leaving some out to lessen confusion. Mine. I'm not mentioning his name because some people like to remain anonymous when being quoted. Here's his thoughts, if not exact quotes:

In 1895-96 the St. Louis, Avoyelles & Southwestern RR built a line from Bunkie to Simmesport. [I didn't include his mileage since it didn't make since to me]

The SLA&SW was sold to the Avoyelles Railroad in 1899.

The T&P bought the Avoyelles RR on 20 Dec 1900.

In 1904-05 the T&P extended the line south from Simmesport along the west side of the Atchafalaya River to a connection with the T&P main line at Mellville. [it was the subject of the Melville-Simmesport history report if not mentioned during that report]

His thesis:

So, from 1896 until 1904 Simmesport was the end of the line. There may have been a need to turn locomotives there, or engines may have just run backwards in one direction.

Me: Reverse running was not a good thing. The engines were turned if there was a turntable and there was.

He goes on:

We know there was a wye, but we don't know when it was built. If it was built when the railroad first got to Simmesport, there would have been little need for a turntable too!

Me: He says that a wye existed. I do not believe the wye existed before the south route to Melville was built in 1904-1905.

He continues:

Railroad Ave.identifies the location of the railroad before the L&A arrived in town, so I suspect the wye was built fairly early in the railroad's existence.

ME: I have my suspicions about "Railroad Ave". I've been there and what is named RR Ave, may be the bed itself. There is another road, Mission Dr. which is very close to RR.Ave and the need for both is not clear. If a boulevard was the intention, then it would be named RR.Boulevard, and I believe the railroad which came to Simmesport in 1928 was called the Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company, just to be clear for all of you wanting to Google these terms. And it gives me another chance to be a smartass.

He continues his spiel, and I'll include it, as it may interest 2 of the 4 remaining readers.

After the T&P completed the line between Simmesport and Melville, the track between Bunkie and Melville (47.2 miles) was operated as one branch, and there probably would have been little need to turn anything at Simmesport.

Me: I'm going with the 1905 date for the wye which would have eliminated the need for the turntable, if the wye was built then. In reverse thinking. If you had an operable turntable in place, why build a wye if the trains could be turned in Melville and backing a steam engine can cause derailments? Just being adversarial, my mission in life. And, how much room was available and did the location of the sawmill cause a problem?

Anyway, this is "what is" and what I suspect. It is a crude drawing so don't go digital on me. CLICK THE MAPS TO MAKE THEM LARGER, HIT THE BACK BUTTON TO RETURN HERE.

The red line came in from Mansura. That was the pre-T&P Avoyelles RR.

The green line is the T&P's extension from Simmesport to Melville.

The yellow line, which I'm sure I found, would complete the wye "Y" formed by the old Avoyelles, T&P to Melville and the addition of the right branch of the "Y".

There was a wye at Melville also formed form the T&P's east-west route [where we saw the choo choo] and the Simmeport to Melville route where Mr.Bearb lives.

So, probably the turntable was not needed after the yellow stretch was added.

Through with that. Now for some pictures.

Since I'll try to conduct this as a tour, lets start by making believe we are a choo choo coming from Melville. After leaving the levee and doing a zigzag at the school, head north, still on La.105 to La.1, continue across La.1. You are basically on the tracks. You come to a fork. One goes left and one goes straight. I contend, at this point or just beyond, one went right. Illustration time.

If no cigar, it's close.

You are at the corner of MLK and Murphy Lacour.

Murphy LaCour is the left fork. MLK might follow part of the right fork. Next please. Notice the raised area to the right, that's an old bed after the left fork has begun.

Out there, I contend, it went. It had to skirt the old sawmill pond. I am wondering if, maybe, the mill might have been a hindrance to a wye at one time?

Here's a picture of the pond area and a shed that might have been associated with the sawmill. I later went around the corner and saw lumber in piles in it. That doesn't mean anything but could. Then, it could be a spur to the mill, but wait.

I know, this is tedious. Not as tedious as being there.

I next proceeded straight to the corner of Mission and MLK, past the fire station. Here's looking west toward Mansura. You can see the bed clearly.

I turned east, looking for signs of the right fork headed toward Railroad Ave. I saw it at the apartments.

And there were the rails coming from Mansura.

And they joined about here?

Here's looking at where we are going next, to the station and the turntable. Click the maps and they get larger.

The lady said the station was in the area between what is called Railroad Ave. and Mission Drive, the straight road. She said the turntable was at the end of Railroad where I have the yellow line pointing down. My suspicions are this: the station was closer to Evangeline, the turntable was where the broadest distance is between Railroad Ave and Mission, the red line. I am having severe computer problems and this is becoming a war. Obviously, I cannot get a clear picture with GE. This is the place to look if you want to try to figure it out.

I didn't have the benefit of overhead sight when I was there, but now I'm seeing stuff in my pictures. This is looking from Simms St. toward Norwood down what is called Railraod, which should be going straight, but was curved around something.

Looking back toward Rairoad, I caught the curve going the other way. That is Mission to the right. The next cross street is Simms and the station was suppose to be on the other side of Simms between RR and Mission.

This is the area where she said the station was. I am standing on Simms looking west.

I am considering the possibility that Railroad Ave was the railroad. I've said that. I've been up since 3:45 and I'm loosing it. It is the gravel looking narrow road. Possibly there was no Railroad Ave. prior to the rails being torn up? I've said that. This is getting more tediouser. I should have taken some wider shots. Oh, well, I guess I blew it again. I can't go back, Keith, it's up to you.

Next page to get out of Simmesport and continue the ride. CLICK HERE

By the way, this is what a turntable is.

Keith just sent this one which is another overhead shot before the mill ponds were filled in. The right arm of the wye can be see. I used Christmas colors to coordinate with the season. Click Pic to enlarge.

For those whose imaginations are running on empty, there really are some old rails in Simmesport that require just looking. These are near where the T&P angled down Mission Street to the depot or took the Melville branch.

I'm through with Simmesport.

This is going to get sloppy real fast.

I headed back to Plametto looking for the depot's location. I shot this and blessed it as the place.

Looking from the police station, here's a better view.

Next, I pegged it, ending up in Port Barre.

Mercy, mercy, mercy. After the town was alerted of my article on the Opelousas and Gulf Railroad (short version of the name since I forgot it) and realizing what a tourist attraction the old route could be, they put up signs that make the location extremely identifiable.

Or: so many of my readers have come looking for it, they had changed the name of the road so that there wouldn't be so many wandering idiots looking for the old right of way.

There it goes off to the east, all the way to Melville where it met the T&P. Been there, done that.

I had never looked down the OG in Port Barre going east toward Opelousas. I figured it was time to do that. Mercy, mercy, mercy. This was where it crossed the Courtableau. I was going to draw a map but the computer is frying. There were 32 dogs barking at me and I was getting nervous that Shepard might get loose. I had a Shepard, they like rump roast.

There was no trestle and not much but water, so I didn't bother with a shot.

That's it. Now to fight the computer.