Railroad Bridges Over the Pecos

The first crossing sat at the Pecos's mouth, and trains between Comstock and Langtry reached it by the Loop Line, which dropped down steep grades into the Rio Grande canyons, through deep cuts and along ledges where rockslides were a constant danger. Moving the crossing five miles upstream in 1892 cut eleven miles from the San Antonio-El Paso run. The 1944 bridge was designed by Modjeski and Masters, with tall concrete piers by Brown and Root, and the Sunset Limited was the first train across on December 21, 1944. Its old grade is visible in Seminole Canyon State Park.

What the plaque says

Railroad Bridges Over the Pecos A major tributary of the Rio Grande, the Pecos River was long a barrier to transportation, particularly across the deep gorge that once marked its joining with the Rio Grande. Construction of the first railroad bridge over the Pecos took place in 1882 as part of the transcontinental route of the Southern Pacific Railroad across the lower portion of the United States. Access to the bridge, which was then deep in the canyon, was by means of a circuitous route and two tunnels. In 1890, Southern Pacific officials began planning for a new bridge, one that would cut directly across the ravine by means of a high-line viaduct that would save miles and straighten the route. Work began in late 1891 and was completed within three months at a cost of more than $250,000. Supported by 24 towers, the bridge was the highest in North America and the third highest in the world at the time of its completion. Passenger trains slowed to six miles per hour before crossing it and stopped while on the bridge to afford travelers a view. During World War II, the Pecos High Bridge became essential to the transportation of war materials. In response to heavier trains and the war demand, a new bridge was built in 1944, with special permission from the War Production Board to use "critical materials" in its construction. The 1944 Pecos High Bridge remains in use, although the gorge is not so deep as it once was, due to the rising of the river with the construction of Amistad Reservoir. (2002)

Where it stands

Worth the stop nearby

• Pecos River Overlook — steps away
  A roadside pullout at the east end of the US-90 bridge, looking down into the gorge that made the Pecos a barrier for travelers and a byword for the edge of the law.
• Seminole Canyon State Park and Historic Site — 2.5 mi
  The state park west of Comstock where rangers lead visitors down to Fate Bell Shelter and its Pecos River-style paintings, some three to four thousand years old.
• Shumla Archaeological Research and Education Center — 11 mi
  The Comstock research center that documents the Lower Pecos murals, which it calls the oldest books in North America, and opens its headquarters to visitors four days a week.
• Judge Roy Bean Visitor Center — 15 mi
  The state travel center at Langtry, built around the saloon where Roy Bean held court as justice of the peace for twenty years, in a town named for a railroad foreman.

More markers nearby

• Medal of Honor Fight, 1875 — steps away
• The Pecos River in Literature and Folklore — steps away
• Pecos River High Bridge — steps away
• Site of Vinegarroon — 4.6 mi