KCS Neches River Lift Bridge, Beaumont.
I stumbled across this by accident whilst exploring downtown Beaumont, Texas...but that's another story!
Built in 1941, it carries Kansas City Railroad freight traffic across the Neches River in the port area of Beaumont TX. In fact, it is just possible to see quite a large ship moored behind the bridge on the right of the photo. It was very late in the day and sadly, no trains crossed the bridge before dark to enhance the photo. I have since discovered that an average of 50 train movements per day is not uncommon, still to the chagrin of local residents who have been complaining of in-town road blockages by stopped trains for many decades. I've also read that the bridge lifts an average of 231 times per year but do not know if that is still the case....somehow I doubt it. What I do know is that for the last decade if a lift is required it has been done remotely from Kansas City, rather than on-site.
The bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places but doesn't seem to have been listed. Currently, plans are afoot for a new bridge to alleviate traffic problems so maybe this wonderful structure is heading into the last years of its operation?
KCS Neches River Lift Bridge, Beaumont.
I stumbled across this by accident whilst exploring downtown Beaumont, Texas...but that's another story!
Built in 1941, it carries Kansas City Railroad freight traffic across the Neches River in the port area of Beaumont TX. In fact, it is just possible to see quite a large ship moored behind the bridge on the right of the photo. It was very late in the day and sadly, no trains crossed the bridge before dark to enhance the photo. I have since discovered that an average of 50 train movements per day is not uncommon, still to the chagrin of local residents who have been complaining of in-town road blockages by stopped trains for many decades. I've also read that the bridge lifts an average of 231 times per year but do not know if that is still the case....somehow I doubt it. What I do know is that for the last decade if a lift is required it has been done remotely from Kansas City, rather than on-site.
The bridge is eligible for the National Register of Historic Places but doesn't seem to have been listed. Currently, plans are afoot for a new bridge to alleviate traffic problems so maybe this wonderful structure is heading into the last years of its operation?