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18
miles east of Langtry is a thoughtful
courtesy of the Texas Highway Department. At the east rim of the canyon,
there are two spots for viewing the Pecos
River. One is south of the highway and might not be apparent to
the driver heading west.
Both are great for photos, but the South side location is actually
a roadside park with picnic tables. This is the best single view of
the entire region. Open 24 hours. |
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The
"new" bridge over the Pecos
River
TE photo, August 2000 |
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Another
view of the Pecos River Bridge
Photo courtesy Richard Berger, April 2004 |
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Another
view of the Pecos River Bridge
TE photo, August 2000 |
Pecos High
Bridge
Pecos River Viaduct
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Pecos High Bridge
Postcard courtesy Linda Kirkpatrick |
The old railroad
bridge over the Pecos
River
Old postcard |
Pecos
High Bridge by Mike Cox
In 1892, about a decade after the Southern Pacific laid its tracks
through West Texas, the railroad considerably shortened the route
by building a huge bridge across the lower Pecos. That river -- Texas'
westernmost if you don't count the Rio Grande -- winds like a rattlesnake
across West Texas, emptying into Lake Amistad.
An engineering marvel, the Pecos River Viaduct (as it was formally
known) spanned 2,180 feet and towered 321 feet above the river. For
years, the metal structure ranked as the highest bridge in the United
States and the third highest in the world. Postcards of the bridge
became a favorite medium for the classic "Having a good time, wish
you were here" message.
Gutsy local cowboys, confident they had a good horse and perhaps further
emboldened by a little whiskey, occasionally rode across the walkway
that adjoined the tracks on the bridge. There were no guardrails.
Naturally, any cowpoke who could walk his horse across a bridge taller
than a 32-story building earned quite a reputation. Such a fellow
would be a suitable partner for the Pecos River Queen, a gal as handy
at throwing a loop as she was pretty... More |
Langtry Texas
Forum
Subject:
Langtry Railroad Bridge
In the 1950s I saw the Langtry Railroad Bridge. I think it was around
1952 or 53. We had been to the Devil's
River where it joins the Rio Grand and I was returning with
with some kinfolks back to Crane, Texas so I could start Football
Practice early. The bridge that we went down on to about 100 foot
above the Pecos River was washed out later. They built a new one
around that time. The one thing I do remember is that the Army engineers
raised the railroad bridge several inches around that time to keep
it from being washed away while traffic was going over the bridge
[It was between 200 and 300 feet to the water from the bottom of
the bridge]. This was considered one of the great engineering feats
of the day. - Ray Best, January 18, 2005
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