Moss Point and Mississippi on the Marshland

Severe storms are threatening the Pascagoula, Mississippi, area as the Mississippi Export Railroad's daily manifest train rolls across the Escatawpa River Marsh into Moss Point, Ms. Aside from a hand operated drawbridge the export crosses the marshland entirely on sunken fill. It's an uncommon practice for a railroad to simply build through water, and not over; but The morass that the Escatawpa River becomes as it flows into the Pascagoula River Delta proved to be a nearly impassable obstacle for the Moss Point and Mississippi Railroad when construction was underway in the 1880s. It was then decided to just lay fill and run the railroad directly through the marsh onto dry land in Moss Point. Even though we aren't far from the Gulf here storm surge, and flooding are a relatively uncommon issue for this stretch of the railroad. Occasionally strong seiches will back water up into the marsh, and overtop the railroad. Without fail, however, the roadbed holds, and trains resume running as soon as water clears the railhead. It's a unique location to take a photo, and this day the murky weather made it a great one.

 

Thanks for looking!

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