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| Title: |
Ferry Landing |
| Description: |
The Missouri Pacific transfer between Natchez, Mississippi and Vidalia, Louisiana was the last train ferry crossing on the Mississippi River. An embargo notice was effective on 6 June 1982, for one month while repairs were made; but service never resumed. This is the movable cradle and the incline. The cradle could be moved up and down the incline with a locomotive to accommodate the height of the river. To the right of the cradle, and just above the incline, is the grade leading down from Natchez to the east bank ferry landing. Visit this album, in the lower right corner, for more Natchez-Vidalia images. |
| Photo Date: |
4/9/1983 Upload Date: 7/8/2009 7:48:20 PM |
| Location: |
Vidalia, LA |
| Author: |
Michael Palmieri |
| Categories: |
Scenic |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
2858 Comments: 4 |
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| Title: |
Ferry Landing |
| Description: |
This is the movable cradle on the incline from the Mississippi River levee, facing downstream. The cable enabled a locomotive to adjust the cradle to the height of the river. |
| Photo Date: |
4/9/1983 Upload Date: 7/8/2009 7:47:42 PM |
| Location: |
Vidalia, LA |
| Author: |
Michael Palmieri |
| Categories: |
Scenic |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
1568 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Ferry Landing |
| Description: |
This view of the MP ferry landing faces upstream, and provides a detail of the interface between the cradle and the incline. The freight cars are on top of the Mississippi River levee. Even though the ferry operation had ended in June 1982, the railroad was still parking cars in Vidalia. Moored in the river are the MP transfer barge STE. GENEVIEVE, a work barge, and the MP towboat NATCHEZ. The highway bridge connects Natchez, on the right, with Vidalia, on the left. |
| Photo Date: |
4/9/1983 Upload Date: 7/8/2009 7:48:01 PM |
| Location: |
Vidalia, LA |
| Author: |
Michael Palmieri |
| Categories: |
Scenic |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
1362 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Ferry Landing |
| Description: |
This view shows the ramp leading from Vidalia Yard -- in the distance -- up to the Mississippi River levee and the ferry landing. The dirt on the grade crossing in the foreground shows that the freight cars parked on the levee had probably been there for some time! |
| Photo Date: |
4/9/1983 Upload Date: 7/8/2009 8:34:30 PM |
| Location: |
Vidalia, LA |
| Author: |
Michael Palmieri |
| Categories: |
Scenic |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
1072 Comments: 1 |
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| Title: |
MP Towboat |
| Description: |
Missouri Pacific 800hp diesel towboat NATCHEZ (#285833) docked at Vidalia, Louisiana after rail ferry service ended in June 1982. The vessel's dimensions were 70.5x28x8.7 feet. It was built at Leavenworth, Kansas in 1960 for service at Natchez, and was sold to the Plaquemine Towing Co. (Plaquemine, Louisiana) as the AARON BANTA after the ferry service was officially abandoned in 1984. Notice the MP boxcars on the east (Natchez) side of the river, behind the vessel's pilot house. The tall pilot house enabled the crew to see over the tops of the cars on the transfer barge. |
| Photo Date: |
4/9/1983 Upload Date: 7/8/2009 7:47:03 PM |
| Location: |
Vidalia, LA |
| Author: |
Michael Palmieri |
| Categories: |
Scenic |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
1105 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
MP Transfer Barge |
| Description: |
The Missouri Pacific transfer barge STE. GENEVIEVE and a work barge were docked at Vidalia, Louisiana a year after ferry service ended. The barge's diemnsions were 286x86 feet. It was built in 1922 as a steel sidewheel carrier for the Missouri-Illinois RR and used between Thomure, Missouri and Kellogg, Illinois until 1961. It was rebuilt into a transfer barge in 1961 and assigned to Natchez-Vidalia crossing, being retired in 1982. The Natchez ferry incline is to the right of the work barge's crane, while the riverboat DELTA QUEEN is docked just upstream of the highway bridge and can be seen right above the barge's deckhouse. |
| Photo Date: |
4/9/1983 Upload Date: 7/8/2009 7:47:21 PM |
| Location: |
Vidalia, LA |
| Author: |
Michael Palmieri |
| Categories: |
Scenic |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
948 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Ferry Landing |
| Description: |
This view from Vidalia shows how the MP track on the Natchez side of the river passed right over the east end of the highway bridge on the left and then sloped down to the right. MP Boxcars are parked on the track down at river level. The incline and cradle are just to the right of the highway bridge. |
| Photo Date: |
4/9/1983 Upload Date: 7/8/2009 7:45:46 PM |
| Location: |
Natchez, MS |
| Author: |
Michael Palmieri |
| Categories: |
Scenic |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
937 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Ferry Landing |
| Description: |
This view shows the proximity of the ferry landing to the highway bridge. The face of the bluff along the track down to the river was unstable, and the gray rock along here was evidence of the railroad's continual effort to shore up and stabilize this area. |
| Photo Date: |
4/9/1983 Upload Date: 7/8/2009 7:46:24 PM |
| Location: |
Natchez, MS |
| Author: |
Michael Palmieri |
| Categories: |
Scenic |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
767 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Ferry Landing |
| Description: |
This view shows the grade leading down from Natchez to the Mississippi River, the track parallel to the river, and the incline and cradle. |
| Photo Date: |
4/9/1983 Upload Date: 7/8/2009 7:46:44 PM |
| Location: |
Natchez, MS |
| Author: |
Michael Palmieri |
| Categories: |
Scenic |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
949 Comments: 0 |
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| Title: |
Ferry Landing |
| Description: |
Here are some MP boxcars parked along the river. The ferry had been out of service since June 1982, and cars got to MP customers in Natchez via the ICG. The MP officially abandoned the ferry in 1984 and sold its Natchez trackage to the ICG. |
| Photo Date: |
4/9/1983 Upload Date: 7/8/2009 7:46:05 PM |
| Location: |
Natchez, MS |
| Author: |
Michael Palmieri |
| Categories: |
Scenic |
| Locomotives: |
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| Views: |
842 Comments: 0 |
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