A few days before Halloween I ventured out to the Sarto Old Iron Bridge in remote Avoyelles Parish to check out the local legend of a ghostly apparition known as The Marlboro Man who reportedly haunts the area. While talking to Mr. Boo (a local legend in his own right) of the Big Bend Post Office Museum, he informed me of another interesting bridge site less than a mile away on the other side of Bayou de Glaises. He said if I looked closely that I would see the remains of an old Louisiana & Arkansas Railway bridge in and along the bayou.
Boo told me a little bit about the old bridge site, stating that in the old days the L&A line from Simmsport to Angola via a ferry on the Red River ran straight through the area. A massive flood in the 1920s destroyed the railroad's bridge over the bayou and they chose not to rebuild it. In fact the damage to the railroad was extensive that they moved the line several miles to the west.
It should be noted that the Texas & Pacific Railway may have used the bridge as well. I've heard conflicting stories on the subject.
Boo also stated that he and a friend of his were planning on writing up a history of railroads in the area and he promised to send me a copy. I'm certainly looking forward to that.
After I did my exploring around the Sarto Old Iron Bridge (no I didn't see any ghosts) I hoped in my ride a headed for the other side of the bayou. To get there I had to cross a rather rickety old wooden bridge that I actually stopped and said a prayer before crossing. The Lord showed me mercy and I got across without incident though the clatter of wheels on wood was a sound that I never wish to hear again.
True to Boo's word down the road off to the right I spotted the concrete remains of the old railroad swing bridge in the bayou. It took a little time to navigate through overgrowth to get in position to get a handful of photos but it was worth the expedition.
I highly recommend making the journey out this way if you get the chance there is a lot of history stashed away if you want to take the time to search it out.
Check Out:
The abandoned concrete remains of the old railroad swing bridge in the bayou were on a T&P Ry branch line running from Bunkie to Simmesport. This trackage was owned by the Texas & Pacific Railway and met another T&P branch from Melville to Simmesport. The Louisiana and Arkansas Railway which was merged with the Kansa City Southern did not own the track from Mansura to Simmesport. They operated over track owned the T&P from Mansura to Simmesport and from Lettsworth to Lobdell.
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