1859 UP/T&P Morely Bridge over Port Allen Canal near Baton Rouge, LA

(Archived Bridge Hunter; Bridge Hunter; Satellite)

T&P = Texas & Pacific

This bridge is the first bridge downstream from the Port Allen Lock.

2016 Photo by C Hanchey via BridgeHunter

MorleyMarina
The bridge was bult in 1959 as part of the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway, "a 1,050 mile inland channel running from Carrabelle, Florida to Brownsville, Texas."

MorleyMarina
"On Sunday, September 16, 1973, however, something went horribly wrong.
"As engineer Gerald Morrow raced his 100-car Texas and Pacific train from New Orleans to Shreveport, all signs indicated that the Morley Bridge was in the proper position for his crossing. What he didn’t know is that a power failure had hit the bridge while it was in raised position, and the bridge tender was unable to start a gasoline backup engine that would enable him to lower the bridge allowing safe train passage. Neither Morrow or the bridge tender knew that the automatic derailer located about two miles from the bridge, which is supposed to automatically derail any oncoming trains when the bridge is raised, was not working.
"When engineer Morrow and his brakeman, William E. Smith approached the bridge at full speed late that Sunday night, they saw that the bridge was in raised position and applied the train’s emergency brakes, but, by then, it was too late. The two engines and 16 cars plunged into the Intracoastal canal. Morrow and Smith, who were both in the lead engine, were buried beneath the other cars in 30-35 feet of water. Fortunately, none of the train cars contained chemicals or other dangerous cargo."
[In addition to the gas engine and derail failure, the railroad's signalling sysem had a big failure. It should have been fail safe and not provided a green signal if the lift span was not properly locked in the down position.]

D&S Marine Service posted 1:29 video
M/V Darian Alexandra passing through the Morely Railroad Bridge.

...