I had stuck this one over in the "Really Mediocre Train Pictures" blog, where,
for sure, it had found a loving home.
Then I decided it also needed to be in History Hunts since that is what it was.
The hunt was born of my enjoyment of the soap opera between Edenborn and Buchanan back in the days
of the Great Railroad Expansion. If ever there was a game of chess on a serious level
theirs was it. Alexandria was one of the places where they sat eyeball to eyeball.
The T&P / MP bridge played a part in that game.
Read all about it in Fair's book, The Louisiana and Arkansas Railway: The Story of a Regional Line
I got mine used in great shape for 25 bucks. I could not put it down, but then I'm nutz.
Also, check your library. Mine had been a library book.
Here we go.
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. On the way I checked out a rail yard that served the closed International Paper plant. Then I moved to where you see BRVIEW E (bridge view east).
A very interesting and exciting visit to Alexandria is part of the Packton to Ferriday Tour.
What happened there proved that there is sometimes pretty good luck on the 13th.
All pictures have been enlarged to the size they were uploaded. Some are flat blown up.
The gray line on the map is me. As you can see this hunting stuff is not all fun and games.
There are places you have to go that are not in the Alexandria Tourist Guide
or presented for the Cleanest City Award contest.
But you do what you have to do.
And then there is big city traffic and those confusing "Do Not Enter" signs.
How was I to get anywhere?
for sure, it had found a loving home.
Then I decided it also needed to be in History Hunts since that is what it was.
The hunt was born of my enjoyment of the soap opera between Edenborn and Buchanan back in the days
of the Great Railroad Expansion. If ever there was a game of chess on a serious level
theirs was it. Alexandria was one of the places where they sat eyeball to eyeball.
The T&P / MP bridge played a part in that game.
Read all about it in Fair's book, The Louisiana and Arkansas Railway: The Story of a Regional Line
I got mine used in great shape for 25 bucks. I could not put it down, but then I'm nutz.
Also, check your library. Mine had been a library book.
Here we go.
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. On the way I checked out a rail yard that served the closed International Paper plant. Then I moved to where you see BRVIEW E (bridge view east).
A very interesting and exciting visit to Alexandria is part of the Packton to Ferriday Tour.
What happened there proved that there is sometimes pretty good luck on the 13th.
All pictures have been enlarged to the size they were uploaded. Some are flat blown up.
The gray line on the map is me. As you can see this hunting stuff is not all fun and games.
There are places you have to go that are not in the Alexandria Tourist Guide
or presented for the Cleanest City Award contest.
But you do what you have to do.
And then there is big city traffic and those confusing "Do Not Enter" signs.
How was I to get anywhere?
I headed out to the airport. This was taken 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, which is 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 gasped. It was in the process of being taken down.
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 southwest 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 Norfolk Southern led train was crossing the bridge very quickly.
I shot wildly, not being very good with the new tool.
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.
As I said, it connects to Monroe.
I went looking for a chance to shoot the bridge from the west bank There is no place 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.
Due to a number of overwhelming request, I've posted a few larger pictures.
Best sit down, they are exhilarating.
Before those pictures I need to explain how the KCS gets across the Red River
now that Edenborn's bridge is gone. It built a new one down stream.
That effectively ended Alexandria's riverside downtown rail presence.
The L&A / KCS yard was abandoned.
I'm not an expert, but the prior sentences sounded very "grounded".
I happened upon that bridge in another Alex visit. It was startling. That picture below this one.
It had replaced this one.
It is the only picture I can find of the old Edenborn bridge.
It is swiped, but swiping is better than hording.
If you don't want it out there and available for the sake of history, don't post it.
I've decided to add a little history.
The Jarreau fella mentioned was my wife's great grandfather.
Her family says I married up.
Now here are those exhilarating shots which I'm sure will be a "real pleasure" also.
I just realized they may be repeats. Oh well, sorry for the anticipation, but,
after all that reading I'm sure some pictures can't hurt.
Best sit down, they are exhilarating.
Before those pictures I need to explain how the KCS gets across the Red River
now that Edenborn's bridge is gone. It built a new one down stream.
That effectively ended Alexandria's riverside downtown rail presence.
The L&A / KCS yard was abandoned.
I'm not an expert, but the prior sentences sounded very "grounded".
I happened upon that bridge in another Alex visit. It was startling. That picture below this one.
It had replaced this one.
It is the only picture I can find of the old Edenborn bridge.
It is swiped, but swiping is better than hording.
If you don't want it out there and available for the sake of history, don't post it.
I've decided to add a little history.
The Jarreau fella mentioned was my wife's great grandfather.
Her family says I married up.
Now here are those exhilarating shots which I'm sure will be a "real pleasure" also.
I just realized they may be repeats. Oh well, sorry for the anticipation, but,
after all that reading I'm sure some pictures can't hurt.
That's it.