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Scenic
Overlook & Bridges over the Pecos River
Pecos River CanyonPecos
High BridgeUS 90
18 miles East of Langtry, Texas |
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. |
| | The
"new" bridge over the Pecos River
TE photo, August 2000 |
| | Another
view of the Pecos River Bridge
Photo courtesy Richard Berger, April 2004 |
| | Another
view of the Pecos River Bridge
TE photo, August 2000 |
Pecos High Bridge
Pecos River Viaduct |
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 ForumSubject:
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
See
Langtry, Texas
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