Winslow Rail Road (tunnel, and bridge #1)

[godfather]

ChadMexico and I went out to the winslow rail tunnel and #1 bridge today. I was only able to get one good pic of the tunnel b/c my camera sucks.



Bridge #1 is rumored to be the tallest RR birdge in NWA. We spent a good amount of time out there hoping to get a few shots of a train crossing it, but we never got lucky. We did walk out to the first platform to snap a few pictures, and enjoy the view. I figure that I will borrow a better camera and continue out to the middle for some more shots during the winter months.

From the tracks leading from the tunnel.


From the first platform.


looking down


Sorry about these next few. As I mentioned my camera sucks in low light.



1944 is stamped in the concrete, but it is hard to see here.


looking down the tracks.


Looking up at the platform we were on.


Origional foundation in front of new foundation.


The tunnel is actually not as tagged up as I had expected, but I didn't even bother trying to get a picture of the walls due to the camera issues that you see above. I will try and get some good shots from inside nextime. Using Google earth, it looks like the bridge is about 60' tall. GE shows an elevation difference from the track to the valley of roughly 60, but it sure looks/feels higher.

[slow_walker]

where exactly is this bridge at, because I've accidentally found a similar one and I wonder if they are the same line. I didn't have any luck trying to find any info on the railroad bridge I found.

Here's the link to the posting I made a while back.
viewtopic.php?t=2021

[godfather]

I think that is part of the same line, but I'm not sure. I read your post when it was first up (before I was a member) and was very interested by it. In fact, I think we are headded out that way tomorrow afternoon to find your bridge, and tunnel. I will trace the line on GE and see if they connect. This bridge is located a few miles south of "downtown" Winslow, AR. Winslow is considerably south of the bridge that you found.

[godfather]

I traced it on GE, and it is definately the same line. It splits in Rogers, but the eastern path leads to your bridge which is alot bigger than it looks. The pillar on the south side of the road seems to be the middle pillar of the bridge. N Old Wire, and County Road 44 are on either side of that pillar. The maps that you posted made me think that Old Wire might have a small tunnel like the one you found...guess I was wrong. I am getting even more excited about seeing that place now.

[ropingk]

great pictures

[godfather]

Thanks, but I wish the ones under the bridge, and in the tunnel had turned out better.

[Split]

Yes, great pics, good camera or not. I definatly gotta go there sometime.

[godfather]

Just let us know, ChadMexico knows the owner of the property right next to it so we can pretty much drive right up to it.

[slow_walker]

I figure that I will borrow a better camera and continue out to the middle for some more shots during the winter months.

We're getting pretty close to winter, any plans to head back out here yet?

[godfather]

I had wanted to go when the leaves were changing, but I have had alot going on that has kept that from hapening. Just let me know when some of you want to go, and we can plan a trip. This will be alot easier for me than the Dish as it is much closer.

[TooMuchCoffee]

I took the "excursion train" to Van Buren a couple of years ago. According to the tour guide, the bridge is 120 feet tall. Also, when the line was originally built in the late 1800's, there was a disease outbreak, most likely measles. It was reported to have killed anywhere between 1000 to 4000 workers (both numbers seem a little high to me). Anyway, the deceased workers were buried within a couple of hundred feet of the south entrance. According to the guide, the current line believes they were buried in the track right of way because the railroad didn't want to buy anymore land for "just" a cementary. And that the line could possibly run over the bodies.
But now for Uncle Coffee's safety lecture of the day:
You can't hear "the train a-coming" if you're on the other end of the track. And according to a supervisor at the ambulance service who is also a huge train freak, there is no safe place to be in the tunnel if a train comes along. So be careful kids. And as always, wear clean underwear.

[godfather]

LOL I like the clean undies part

That tunnel actually does have the cutouts in the walls that are a few feet deep. That pluss the distance from the track (or where the train would actually come to) gives quite a bit of safety space...not that I'm suggesting this. The location of this tunnel also causes the trais to pass somewhat slowly so there would not be a large ammount of wind.

I was thinking the bridge looked taller that 60' but at the same time I have worked 45' in the air on lifts (sizzor and boom) and the 60' from GE didn't really suprise me too much.

[Willard]

Also, when the line was originally built in the late 1800's, there was a disease outbreak, most likely measles. It was reported to have killed anywhere between 1000 to 4000 workers (both numbers seem a little high to me)..

Remeber that in the 1800's the track beads, the level cuts through land, the tunnels, and the bridges were all done by hand. Railroads employeed anywhere from 5,000 to 10,000 workers depending on where the project was being done so those death numbers seem about right.