News reports say that the historic Vicksburg RR station is flooded by 10 ft of water. Saw several RR cars also in water hight unknown. Since I know absolutely nothing about the city have several questions.
- There are 2 RR stations listed in my SPV atlas.
a. The A& V ( Alabama & Vicksburg later the YMV rr) station located on the Meredian speedway line.
b. The YMV (Yazoo & Mississippi Valey RR later the IC) apparentley located close to the river?? This was probably the ICG’s river route from Memphis to Baton Rouge?
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I found no listing on the KCS web site lists for service outages?.
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Is the Meredian speedway especially in La still above water?
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Is KCS still the only RR in Vicksburg?
I was there many moons ago, but mostly remember the bridge with the track and road alongside each other*, and the paddlewheel steamer**.
*See http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=244611 (not my photo) - note the cars behind the tree leaves just above and to the right of the locomotives.
I did a little research including on the City’s website, but could not find any answers to the station question. From the USGS topo map on ACME Mapper 2.0 it appears that all lines there were IC. There was a north-south IC main line on the east bank and down fairly low. The line coming across the bridge - at about N 32.31227 W 90.90086 - at about elev. 160 or 180 ft. above sea level (topo map is hard for even me to read and interpret) turns about 90 degrees from east-to-northerly and joins it before they both go down to about elev. 120 heading northwards through town. Then, a little ways further up in town - about 3 miles - a branch turns about 90 degrees from north-to-easterly and winds through the bluffs to climb out of the valley to head just about due east towards Jackson on a very curvy route, including a short tunnel under U.S. Rt. 61 at about these Lat./ Long Coords.: N 32.34422 W 90.88365 I believe/ speculate those routes comprise the Meridian Speedway, and if so, it is surely underwater for at least the segment through the downtown area. I too didn’t see anything about service disruptions on the KCS website; and I have no idea if any other railroad now runs to Vicksburg.
*The SPRAGUE, which was “the largest steam sternwheel towboat ever built for inland river service.”, per: http://www.steamboats.org/steamboat-pictures/sprague.html
The depot standing in water is on the WATCO line spun off by KCS (was just there in Feb). Vicksburg Southern (VSOR) now operates the Redwood Branch. The nicely restored MS & Yazoo Valley depot you see standing in water is about a mile east of the river.
(midSouth had their operating hub here, KCS hardly even stops here, but has a neat climb to get up to the Mississippi River bridge.) Both yards in town are ugly in terms of condition and operability.
With MC’s assistance above:
Link to WATCO’s “full-page” map of the VSOR (1 page, approx. 889 KB in size, not much help, though):
http://www.watcocompanies.com/Railroads/VSOR/VicksburgSouthernRailroad-07.pdf
OK - I believe the depot you’re referring to - with a caboose next to it - is along Levee St., at the western end of Jackson St., at about these Lat./ Long coords.: N 32.35259 W 90.88291
Links to a photo of it dry, and a short - 23 secs. - video of it partially submerged:
Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Railroad Depot at: http://www.flickr.com/photos/paul_lowry/4828927114/
Video at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FLM9bDljWg0
I was in Vicksburg yesterday, which was reported last night on their local TV as the peak, but water will be high for at least a month.
Meridian Speedway is high and dry. I did not see any trains but did not have time to lurk and see.
Mac McCulloch
The depot in question is some 1 1/2 miles up the Yazoo River from the Mississippi River.
I wrote a fairly detailed story about the Yazoo & Mississippi Valley Station situation. I invite you to read it at http://www.oil-electric.com/2011/05/yazoo-mississippi-valley-railroad.html
Robert in Port Townsend.
www.oil-electric.com