Yancopin Bridge
Yancopin Bridge | |
|---|---|
 View from south bank of Arkansas River | |
| Coordinates | 33°57′19″N91°12′22″W/ 33.955304°N 91.206075°W |
| Locale | Watson, Arkansas |
| Location | |
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TheYancopin Bridgeis an abandoned railroadmoveable bridgespanning theArkansas River,and the last bridge across the Arkansas River before it flows into theMississippi River15 miles to the southeast. It is distinctive not only for its size and remoteness, but also for having not one but two movable spans, one having replaced the other due to riveravulsion.[1]
The Yancopin Bridge was originally constructed by the Memphis, Helena & Louisiana Railway, a wholly owned subsidiary of theSt. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railwaythat was known colloquially as Iron Mountain.[2]The Iron Mountain itself became consolidated with theMissouri Pacific Railroadin 1881,[3]but became fully merged later on in 1917.[4]The single-track bridge is an all-metaltruss bridge,designed with onelift spanand with lengthy wooden trestle approaches at both ends.
History
[edit]The bridge was reportedly completed in 1903, but the track segment served by this bridge, between Watson and New Latour, was not opened for service until March 1, 1906. Floods periodically brought changes to the Arkansas River channel and necessitated numerous rebuilding projects for the bridge over the years, including the addition of aswing spansometime afterWorld War IIas the navigable channel under the lift span drifted shut. Articles inMissouri Pacific Lines Magazinedescribe this bridge as being perhaps the most expensive bridge on the entire Missouri Pacific system.[5]
On May 11, 1941, Missouri Pacific inaugurated theDelta Eagle,the railroad's first diesel-powered streamlined train serving Arkansas. This train operated betweenMemphis, TennesseeandTallulah, Louisianavia the Yancopin bridge. Although this unlikely route was financially very successful during World War II, traffic gradually declined in the 1950s and passenger service was cut back on October 27, 1954 to include only aMcGehee-Watson-Yancopin-Helenaschedule. This truncated schedule often utilized Missouri Pacific's only streamlined motorcar known as theEagle,motor 670,[6]before passenger service was discontinued altogether on February 27, 1960, thus ending passenger train service over the Yancopin bridge.[7]
In April 1980, the Missouri Pacific began a major upgrading of their railroad line between McGehee andParagould,in order to divertchemical trainsfrom a route passing through highly populated areas ofLittle Rock.After installation of 127 miles of welded rail, trackside signals,centralized traffic controland numerous bridge repair projects, chemical trains from the Texas and Louisiana Gulf coasts began using this new line in early 1981. This usage was short-lived. In December 1982, the Missouri Pacific merged with theUnion Pacific Railroad,[8]and the new Union Pacific management determined that the route over the Yancopin bridge was surplus and unnecessary. Chemical traffic was again returned to the traditional Missouri Pacific route through the center of Little Rock, and parts of the railroad north of McGehee were embargoed and later abandoned.
In 1992, Union Pacific removed the bridge from service, and donated it and a 73-mile right-of-way to the State of Arkansas. This enabled the creation of theDelta Heritage Trail.[9]The bridge is maintained by theArkansas State Highway and Transportation Department,and the swing span is manually spun open and closed forloggingtraffic on the river for several months every year.
The area around the bridge is rich in wildlife, includingrattlesnakes.North of the Yancopin Bridge, the rail line/trail traversesold-growth hardwood forestwithin the Trusten Holder State Wildlife Management Area.
The bridge can be accessed fromWatson, Arkansas,via County Road 41.
See also
[edit]- List of crossings of the Arkansas River
- Oregon Trunk Rail Bridge– bridge in which a lift span was added to replace a swing span's function
References
[edit]- ^Robinson, Kat (2014-10-21).Classic Eateries of the Arkansas Delta.The History Press.ISBN9781626197565.
- ^Schwieterman, Joseph P. (2004-01-01).When the Railroad Leaves Town: American Communities in the Age of Rail Line Abandonment.Truman State Univ Press. p. 151.ISBN9781931112147.
- ^Barrett, Charles (1881-01-01).Analysis of the Wabash, St. Louis and Pacific Railroad, Missouri Pacific Railroad, and St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railroad, Central Railroad of New Jersey, Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railroad, Delaware and Hudson Canal Company, Michigan Central Railroad, Texas and Pacific, Missouri, Kansas and Texas Railroad, and International and Great Northern Railroad, Delaware, Lackawanna & Western Railroad, Showing the Present Condition of These Several Companies.Baker & Godwin, printers. pp. 8–13.Retrieved9 March2016.
- ^Solomon, Brian (2014-10-21).North American Railroads: The Illustrated Encyclopedia.Voyageur Press. p. 194.ISBN9780760347362.
- ^Dobson, Eugene; Merritt, James (Spring 1984) [1983]. "Yancopin".Desha County Historical Society 1983:25–40.
- ^Yenne, Bill (2005).Atlas of North American Railroads.Voyageur Press.ISBN9781610603454.
- ^Trains.Kalmbach Publishing Company. 1971-01-01.
- ^Klein, Maury (2011-05-18).Union Pacific: The Reconfiguration: Americas Greatest Railroad from 1969 to the Present.Oxford University Press.ISBN9780199708581.
- ^Simpson, David P. (2007-01-01).Preserving Freight and Passenger Rail Corridors and Service.Transportation Research Board.ISBN9780309097932.
- Arkansas Department of Parks & Tourism,"Delta Heritage Trail State Park"Archived2014-06-17 at theWayback Machine.2005.
- Dempsey, Joseph P."Yancopin Bridge",CornDancer: A Developmental Website for the Mind & Spirit. October 17, 2010.
- Houp, J. Randall."Yancopin Railroad Bridge: Bridge History",Bridgehunter.com. February 18, 2012.
- Missouri Pacific Lines Magazine, St. Louis, MO. January 1942, page 6; February 1942, page 4; January 1947, page 7; December 1950, page 12.
- Arkansas Railroader, Little Rock, AR. February 2006[1]
- Herndon, Dallas Tabor.Centennial History of Arkansas.vol. 1. Chicago: S. J. Clarke Publishing Company, 1922.
- Historic Review: Arkansas State Highway Commission and Arkansas State Highway and Transportation Department, 1913–1992.Little Rock: Arkansas State Highway Transportation Department, 1992.
- Bridges over the Arkansas River
- Bridges completed in 1903
- Buildings and structures in Desha County, Arkansas
- Railroad bridges in Arkansas
- Swing bridges
- Transportation in Desha County, Arkansas
- Vertical lift bridges in the United States
- Rail trail bridges in the United States
- Towers in Arkansas
- 1903 establishments in Arkansas
- St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway
- Pedestrian bridges in the United States
- Missouri Pacific Railroad