The Texas & Pacific's Railroad's Avoyelle's Branch

Everett had mentioned the Texas and Pacific Railroad Avoyelles Branch when I had sent him a picture of cracks in the highway in Bunkie. You don't send pictures of highway cracks? Almost immediately Mike sent me his latest "Railroader" addition, Living and Loving on the Avoyelles Branch. So, I guess the ball was in my court to show you the line which the story depicted. The ride didn't start with that intention.

The weather was unsettled. Storms were in the forecast.

I hadn't ridden in over 2 weeks, so the above was irrelevant. I put an old collapsible umbrella in the bike trunk and strapped a folding chair on the back of the bike for a possible Plan B. If the weather became the ride, the ride would pause. I have no quarrel with weather nor want to compete with or challenge it. I'm for co-existence. I would unfold the chair, sit in it and raise the umbrella. Then I'd drink the two ice teas I had brought. There were also some boiled peanuts in the trunk somewhere. I'd be fine. The storms were listed as the scattered variety. That meant they could be avoided, and if not, well Plan B has been described. The vision of me being Mary Poppins in a folding chair hadn't crossed my mind. "Co-existence" can have issues.

First some unfinished business:

Here's the rest of the Burma Shavic rhyme seen near Lemoyen. Of course you have to look on that page to get the first part of the poem.

How true that sign is, just by its lonesome. I saw in the ditch when I circled to shoot this.

That's what gave me the idea to add to Mike's story by tracing some of that steam engine's route off into eastern Avoyelles Parish.

I told the GPS wench to take me to Bunkie in case I got lost on US71. She told me it would be 24 minutes before we got there. I made her change that assessment. She doesn't like being proved wrong. You know one that does?

Soon we were crossing the T&P tracks that go to Opelousas at the Bunkie city limits. I crossed the main line which had been my companion on the way north. She told me I was here. Mz.Garmin we'll call her? If I continue to call her, "that winch", she may rebel and lead me astray or worse.

Let me mention again, you can click these pictures and they will get bigger.

The black triangle marked my position right in the middle of Bunkie's railroad district. To the right of the triangle you can see a rail line going east (+++++). That's the one we'll follow. It does not exist anymore but there is evidence, starting with this, so Mr.Everett, you know your stuff though I have questioned you.

Yes, I've questioned him, only because he does know his stuff. See how terms can be taken wrong. That's a problem with e-mail and the internet. Life long friendships can be wiped out by the wrong "smilie face" or lack of. Be careful out here. Where did that come from? I'll leave it, as it is the duty of us older Americans to teach the youth of today. Here's one, "If you are in a hole, don't keep diggin'".

I turned to look where they would go.

This group of ag business buildings was first. I went in and asked an older man (one to another) where the rails had run and he said "there". Here's there. Let me add, I've got a new thing going for old steel buildings. I'd hoped that he'd been a little longer winded and told me the entire rail history of Bunkie, but "there" had to do.

I could rattle off a long list of why I like these old buildings, but that would be senseless. Most people's minds are made up already when it comes to steel buildings and that's a shame. They may be old, they may not be pretty, but they are strong and they are still there because they were made of the right stuff. They have integrity, a facet some newer more flashy buildings don't.

I headed east on La.29 toward Evergreen, a gorgeous place. Soon I saw this. What this perfect concrete foundation had supported or led to, I don't know. The rails had crossed it and the wooden crossing planks were still in place.

Now don't get all disillusioned. This ride is not going to be all bumps in the road. Nevertheless, they are important evidence and keep you up to speed on the progression of the investigation. Just be thankful I don't show full size maps of where to find them, complete with coordinates in three different styles.

Next up was Evergreen.

Let me show you what I was seeing on the GPS. I was coming from the west on 29. I worked both sides of the bayou trying to see if there were any pilings still in the water or trestle parts on the shores of first, Bayou Huffpower, and then Bayou Rouge to the East. Why were the rails routed across 2 deep depressions when crossing just Bayou Rouge and going through town would have worked? On the land between Huffpower and Rouge I found a large plantation. Possibly, it was a stop?

This is the approach to crossing Huffpower, what I could see of it. The undergrowth is at its peak for the year. Winter will open up the views.

The picture was taken from the hump in La.29.

Here's another perspective. The land owner has kept the bed cleaned up. I would have loved to have walked out there but I didn't have time to stop and ask permission. It's on my list.

Here's the official Evergreen welcome sign. Dave has my Louisiana and Arkansas RR book right now so I'm not sure of this, but, it seems Evergreen was mentioned. The founding date jives.

Add "beautifull" to "historical". Bayou Rouge is in a somewhat healthy state due to Huffpower's addition, south of Evergreen, the once wide bayou is reduced to ditch size. Reminder: Bayou Rouge was a main steamboat route to Cottonport from the Atchafalaya. So, beside imagining those billowing steam engined trains, imagine their predecessors, the steamboats billowing clouds on the bayou. For more steam, just imagine the humidity. But not that day. The weather was delightful. It didn't get over 87F and the humidity couldn't have been much higher.

As the road enters Evergreen (a pretty name in itself) the bayou landscape unfolds.

This is all viewed entering town.

I crossed Bayou Rouge to check out where the rails had landed on the peninsula. Indeed there was a large farm there. This is looking right down the imaginary rails.

Crossing back over I could see where the bed headed through town. I then imagined a station, but found none.

Next, I was off to Cottonport. The rails went the direct route across the fields with no access until I came to Crackville Road at the imaginary settlement of Enterprise.

Here's your update map to keep you humming along. See Enterprise?

I know you are wondering, as I am, what was at Deals and Dora? Maybe Deals and Dora?

The answers are All Down the Line. (just a plug for the article over on Back Road Riding)

Cottonport was next. The line came right through here.

And down the main boulevard of the town, through downtown. Yes there were streets on either side of the tracks creating a boulevard. I would have named it Railroad Boulevard. They didn't.

This old house sat on the north side.

Crossing La.107 in downtown Cottonport, the next railroad associated building is this one. It may have been only a warehouse, but I think it was the station, also.

I followed the rails east as far as I could. At the end of the road was this place.

The "Squeeze Box" is reflective of the accordion, a main ingredient of most French and Zydeco bands. This place was hidden and is no doubt, a local secret. Don't be "hanging on" on the porch.

Returning back up the dead end road, I was back in downtown. Another steel magnolia beckoned for a shot.

I say cotton gin, but then I say cotton gin often. Yes, I knew you wanted a closer shot of that tractor, that's why this website is so popular, I anticipate.

Next is a bump in the road picture so you don't feel lost. I anticipated your need, again.

Still lost? The tour continues going east on La.29, a great adventure road. You can make a day or maybe 2 or a week out of La.29. I've made more than that from it. The places it visits are phenomenal. You want Cajun Louisiana? Follow 29.

I took 29 out of Cottonport and looked for access roads to the bed. Joffrion was my first chance but it only offered a hump which was negligible and I've learned to draw the line when there is a bounty of other pictures available. But, there was something you have to see. It blew me away. I like most people have a hard time getting rid of my used tires, being the environmentalist I am. I've been told that the EPA really frowns on burning them and the parish dissuades dumping. It further cost money to turn them in. So, this trucker/farmer has got it done in the true Southern Tradition of Inventiveness. He has built a drainage pipe out of his used tires. It is a model for America, if not the pipe, the resourcefulness.

The contributors:

He gets the Getterdone Bubba award for this outing.

At the head of the property was this old building. Associated with the RR, who knows?

Time was moving on quickly and I was still watching the sky for darkening clouds. All seemed stable for the time being. I was on La.29 right at Long Bridge. I came upon this in the road. another sign that road maintenance is slow, if ever in LA. I think these tracks were torn up in the early 70's, maybe earlier.

Looking down the once rail bed, this is what I saw.

Thrilling!

Next, I would get on La.114 which is basically a Marksville bypass and head north to Mansura.

In route I would leave 114 and see if I could see some evidence of where the T&P had crossed Bayou Des Glaises (the same bayou that forms Big Bend and ends up at

Cottonport)

I found this at the crossing. It had to be part of the bridge approach. I could see nothing in the bayou. The foliage was thick and the land private, so no snake bite walk could be taken. I love it when I have an excuse.

Back on 114, the "rails" soon joined the highway. At Bayou Grand Encore, the raised approach bed could easily be seen.

Maybe, only by me, but it's there.

I was almost to Mansura. No offense to Mansurians, but your town is known for its bars.

Here's a couple of historic ones. The one that is real historic, the big one, I just didn't see wasting any film on since it ain't pretty. This is Milburn's BAR and Packaged Liquor.

Across Bowling Alley Road is this pretty Easter Egg. I didn't catch the name.

Now we need another map to understand the complexities of Mansura's rail district.

Click it, then open it in new window so you can follow along.

I was coming from the south on 114 watching the GPS and trying to put the real messy world together with the neat little map.

This would be the curve to the east where "Ag Businesses" is written.

I also like big ag stuff. Go figure.

I would come back to this area. Something was pulling me up the line.

When I saw the RXR sign, I was wondering if it was a leftover. I forgot that there was an active line running through Mansura.

Moving across the bayou, I saw the old depot to the left. I'd come back to that, also, even though I figured it was not associated with the T&P. I could see that the T&P crossed the KCS and paralleled 107 through town. 107 has several neat old buildings on it. I have a whole page on Mansura somewhere? Stuff happened here long ago.

Honest, I didn't see the street name because the wonderful old software isn't real street name oriented. It is old railroad oriented. I just felt that I should go on the back streets and see what evidence the Texas and Pacific had left.

There was "some".

I wonder what percentage of the Mansurians knows what T&P stands for? I can imagine the guesses.

Here's an old shotgun that was adjacent to the tracks. Was this the location of the T&P Depot in Mansura?

Returning to 107, I stopped at the stop sign and shot this old service station (a lost term) and the adjoining old building.

I was then off to the depot. Turn where the sign points to the local library off 107.

You will now get 17 pictures of the depot and stuff around it. Hey, more is better.

That pole outfit was used for something, mail pickup, possibly?

I rely on you rail experts to hep me naw.

Everett has come to the rescue and explained the pole:

"Ah, the pole outfit. In the days when every station had an agent, and before radio etc, train movements were controlled by timetable and train order. The timetable told the engineer and conductor what time that their train had to be at a certain spot to avoid other trains, pick up passengers or what ever. IF for what ever reason the dispatcher overrode the timetable, or the train was an extra train not on the timetable, its movement was controlled by train orders telegraphed from the dispatcher to the appropriate station agent that could get them to the conductor and engineer of the train. The pole out in front of the depot told the engineer if he could just blast on by the depot, or if there were orders at the depot for him. It had a paddle on the pole and a light for at night. If the paddle was straight up and down or the light was green, he could keep on going. If the paddle was up at a 45 degree angle, or the light was yellow, that meant, slow down, and the station agent will hand up Form 19 orders, which were usually on green paper and handed up to the crew on the fly. If the paddle was straight out, or the light was red, it meant stop for Form 31 orders, which had to be signed by the engineer and conductor, and the train physically stopped. Form 31 orders were usually yellow as I remember. So the pole is called a train order signal. Now days with radio, GPS and computers, the dispatcher not only knows exactly where every train is, and how fast it is going, but can contact the crew at any moment to transmit information. Today's version of orders are now called "Track Warrants" and a warrant allows a particular train exclusive authority to occupy a particular piece of track for a specific time period and it is all done with GPS and wireless internet etc."

Now we know. Thanks Everett.

Everett just added this explaining this picture of the mast:

"You can see the train order signal out in front, and it is bidirectional. The signal to the right of the mast governs train movements from right (north) to left (south), while the signal on the left of the mast governs movements from left to right. In this case, there are no orders for trains in either direction. This type of signal is called a semaphore signal, with the arms. There were other types, that rotated so that when the arms were perpendicular to the track the red light would be on, and it would mean stop."

There were a bunch of rail support plates. I copped a spike.

And piled up timbers. (Forget about it Cindy)

And what looked like a work car wheel. It was yellow. I though about you Everette.

I took the next picture because I thought it might be significant to one of the really intense rail nutz that read this thing.

I didn't realize I was getting the fullness of this shot when I shot it. I was just aiming at the far away Mansua sign. I didn't realize I was capturing where the switch had been to allow cars to take the side track to the station and the oil business close by.

This is from the west end, right across the street from the oil business.

Having tried the doors and taken every angle and all the stuff on the ground, I felt complete and headed back to the ag businesses to investigate further.

I immediately thought I'd hit the Holy Grail. On the map, you can see that the T&P not only crossed the KCS but merged with it. Not shown is the western connection(because there was none as I first believed!) You can see the Highway 107 crossing in the distance. The map I used is old. 114 now makes the bend following the black line and aligns with 107 so what you are actually seeing is the 107 crossing near the depot. That threw me off until I compared maps. This is important and I want to get it right as it was the high point of the investigation.

The map of my movement in Mansura is below. The picture above was taken from where "X Tracks" is marked on the map looking toward the depot.

Right where I guessed the "X" to be was here. The cement doesn't jive with rails being exactly there. Ah, Now I get it, I think. the picture of the old rails is the cross track. It did not cross at right angles. There was no western merger.

Here's looking from the eastern merge tracks back to the T&P main line where I'd come into town.

I was overwhelmed by the excitement. I could absorb no more railroad stuff (like you probably feel) and headed back to Bowling Alley Rd to cross over to 107 and the quick way back to Cottonport. I then hooked up with 362 and 361 for a great ride back to US 71.

On the way I stopped to take a picture of Bayou Rouge.

The once proud bayou has been reduced to nothing south of Evergreen. It is now cut off from the Atchafalaya and Bayou Des Glaises.

Best picture of the ride: Old building and dog on 361, Bayou Rouge, same spot.

Runner Ups, maybe if the mirror had been cleaner:

I was attempting to demonstrate what a great road 361 is.

And: Harvesting on La.359 below LeBeau and the Port Barre turn off. The wires detract from the whole thing and it almost got dumped.

That's it. The Avoyelles Branch is almost invisible now except for what I found. I think I found it all, but maybe not. Winter could help. Louisiana gets pretty thick in summer. Ghost? Yes, there are ghost. I think I found Yvonne's house and I know I actually saw her crossing the street in Mansura. She smiled and waved as I waited for her. She's a little my senior, 78, Mike estimates, but still cute.

PS, yes, I hit rain on the way back but not quite enough for Plan B. so I still have some peanuts left. I drank the teas.