The Hoxie Sub crossed the Current River over Bridge TA-237.1, and it crossed the Black River over Bridge TA245.1. Both structures were "drawbridges", and local history has it that the bridge over the Black River at Pocahontas, MP TA245.0, was the largest turn-span west of the Mississippi. That is at least at the time of its construction. From south to north the bridge consisted of a: 542 foot long open-deck pile trestle, the piles were last renewed during 1929, 54 foot deck plate girder, 440 foot through riveted truss (turn) 80 foot deck plate girder, 65 foot deck plate girder. Its total length was 1181 feet. It was an imposing structure, and it is depicted here during the winter of 1962-1963. After the abandonment of the Hoxie Subdivision north of Pocahontas, the Hoxie-Pocahontas segment became the Pocahontas Branch of the Memphis Subdivision.
Nice photographs of the bridges, Karl. I went back to the QA&P business car 6666. Read the history of the car located under the B&B site. Really very interesting. I hope that they keep it maintained. The lettering needs "sprucing up".
Thanks. Get those old slides digitized.These were almost gone, but photoshop did a decent job restoring them.
Black River swing bridge of the Frisco Railway at Pocahontas, Arkansas. The swing bridge allowed the steamboats to still operate, but not for long, a decade or two. Frisco bridge Pocahontas, AR old postcard view with steamboat-.jpg Those upriver freight steamboats were from about 22' to 34' wide and 90" to 136' in length. Fully loaded their draft was approximately 18". If stuck up river and a serious drought happened, they just stayed, grew potatoes, hunted and gardened for their food. When a new season was wet again, then they had a full load of potatoes for their revenue. If they pickup some passengers, if to many, those had to sleep on the roof. Read more. http://bridgehunter.com/ar/randolph/pocahontas-rr/ USGS Quadrangle map: for Pocahontas www
