City Of New Orleans - Bridges

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steamboat28

steamboat28

Joined
Mar 26, 2014
Messages
7
Location
KY
Hi! I'm a rail-travel newbie (my first trip is in a week or two) and I'm really excited about taking the CoNO and the California Zephyr because I've always been swayed by the romance of train travel. Except one thing: I'm scared of bridges. Not little tiny bridges, those are fine, but big ones? I don't know if it's some kind of travel anxiety or what, but the bridge that crosses the Ohio on the CoNO route north to Chicago has me a bit spooked, so I thought I'd ask a couple of questions here for an of you that remember the crossing (if you don't mind.)

About how long does it take to cross? Is it a rough crossing? Is it something I won't notice if I'm asleep, or are there any distractions you can suggest?

This is really the only part of my 22 hour trip I'm nervous about; I'm pretty sure everything else will be exciting and fun. I just..I've seen the bridge in question before, and my friends have stood on it (which isn't the same), and between the two of us we've got me being a scaredy-cat.

(also, tunnels. but that's another kettle of fish entirely.)
 
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I think you cross the Ohio river about 2:00 am going NB. Unless you are wearing night vision goggles , I wouldn't worry about it.

The CZ goes thru the Moffat Tunnel in CO, That tunnel is 6.2 mi long. I wouldn't sweat that one either. Train enters tunnel, it gets dark out the window, lights are on in the car,

train exits tunnel, all is well.
 
Joeker said:

I think you cross the Ohio river about 2:00 am going NB. Unless you are wearing night vision goggles , I wouldn't worry about it.
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that actually make me slightly more nervous, but thanks for the info!
Sent from my XT1049 using Forum Fiend v1.1.7.
 
I'm not trying to downplay your anxiety, but crossing a bridge at night is no rougher than rolling down the tracks. Unless you can see lights and/or reflections, you can't tell if your crossing a bridge or just traveling on land.
 
I have done this trip about 6 times in the last 5 years. Do I remember the crossing? No. Why, its dark outside. You hardly notice the difference. Yes, there is a different sound as you cross the bridge from the normal roadbed. The train travels about 45mph so it is travelling slower. Does it sway more, Hardly. You notice more swaying when the train is travelling on the ground than you do on the bridge, as it is travelling faster. If you are sleeping you may not notice the crossing at all. There is a mile approach on an embankment and then the bridge. Should take about 3 minutes in all to cross.
 
Your question was about the City of New Orleans. You will leave New Orleans at 1:45PM. There is a long stretch where the rail line was built through the bayou not many feet off the water.

If it is the height above the water that you are concerned about, this should be OK. I remember see an egret or some other tall white bird in this stretch.

I remember the train moved slowly through the bayou until we got to dry land.
 
While I have always been a fan of big bridge and enjoy every second I can looking at them and crossing them, I find some of the most "enjoyable" crossings are the high narrow bridges where it suddenly looks like you are flying since you cannot see the deck. One of the best is the Pecos High and it often garners a scream or 2 from someone in the Lounge who isn't paying attention until they see we are "airborne."
 
Joeker said:
I have done this trip about 6 times in the last 5 years. Do I remember the crossing? No. Why, its dark outside. You hardly notice the difference. Yes, there is a different sound as you cross the bridge from the normal roadbed. The train travels about 45mph so it is travelling slower. Does it sway more, Hardly. You notice more swaying when the train is travelling on the ground than you do on the bridge, as it is travelling faster. If you are sleeping you may not notice the crossing at all. There is a mile approach on an embankment and then the bridge. Should take about 3 minutes in all to cross.
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Thank you. I was trying to figure out how long it'd take to be back on solid ground, and I didn't have all the numbers. My brain is weird when it comes to things like this--most of my anxiety and fear comes from the feeling that I have no control over things, so the idea that it'll be pitch black going across this stretch bothered me. If I can't tell a difference, though, maybe I'll be too busy to notice.

The chance of me being asleep is slim, though, since I'll board the train in KY, so that bridge is the first thing to tackle before I wind up in another state.
 
My experience on the CONO was that a lot of the ROW was pretty bumpy (CN's standards aren't as good as NS's I guess...but that's another topic). Therefore, traversing the Ohio River Bridge should actually be a smoother ride because of the flatter surface and slower speed. How smooth? Well, I'm a very light sleeper and I never woke up when I crossed it (in a roomette).

As it will be dark outside, you will hardly notice it unless you press your face to the window. The reflection of the lights inside (I'm assuming you're traveling in coach), will obscure any decent view outside.

Relax. Enjoy the experience of rail travel. It's wonderful.
 
I'm terrified of driving over bridges and do my best to avoid them at all costs.

I've taken the CONO quite a few times and I didn't even know we crossed a bridge in the middle of the night.

The tracks/bridges over the bayous and Lake Ponchatrain are another story though, I try not to think about it which is really hard since it's daytime. :eek:

I just spend my time trying to see the ever elusive Alligators.

Rough, rough tracks and they have made me wake up in the middle of the night but, it's still my favorite route because it begins and ends in my two favorite cities - can't wait to go again.
 
If you're going to be riding the CZ won't you be crossing the Mississippi River also?
 
I don't like tunnels because I'm claustrophobic, and I don't like going over long bridges on a train (in a car, I'm completely fine, and I actually enjoy it).

In the tunnels, I usually just try to take slow, even, deep breaths and count to 50, or 100, however long it takes. It helps distract me and calm me. I've never been through the tunnels on the CZ route, but many friends on this forum have told me about them (location, length), and I'm going to be on the train with some of them this fall. I'm sure they'll help me drink wine and stay calm. :)

If I'm in my room or a coach seat when we're going over a bridge, I rest my hand on the red emergency window pull. I am NOT saying that to scare you. I just find it helps my nerves because it lets my brain know I have an "out" if something does happen and we end up in the water. Please know the chances of that are slim and I'm just finding a way to deal with the phobia. Maybe that would help you too.
 
OlympianHiawatha said:
While I have always been a fan of big bridge and enjoy every second I can looking at them and crossing them, I find some of the most "enjoyable" crossings are the high narrow bridges where it suddenly looks like you are flying since you cannot see the deck. One of the best is the Pecos High and it often garners a scream or 2 from someone in the Lounge who isn't paying attention until they see we are "airborne."
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I always look forward to crossing the Pecos High Bridge...crossed it on two round trips on the Sunset Limited. I have a proximity alarm set in my GPS to alert me when we approach.
 
Prior comment aside, I loved crossing the bridge into St. Louis on the southbound Texas Eagle. It was dark at that point, so we could see St. Louis' skyline for quite a while as we traveled along the river bank. Then, as we crossed the bridge, you could see the lights reflecting off the Mississippi and the Riverboats near the shore. It was really pretty, and since we were only going around 20-30 mph, we had an excellent view of the city for quite a while.
 
If you are talking about the bridge coming into St Louis on the Illinois side - the lead up to the metal bridge that crosses the river - is in fact very sketchy. Especially on a windy day. I've heard talk for years about it being replaced one of these days. Anyone who has seen that setup from the highway - has to wonder how it has lasted this long - but trains cross it daily safely. Although there was a derailment just past that location when coming into the St Louis station - can't remember how long ago that was ( May 2012 ). I'm definitely not a relaxed bridge person.

California Zephyr tunnel not really a big concern. Diesel exhaust smell is worst part - you are told to stay in your car and not move between them when going through tunnel. Now some of the rails being right on the edge of mountains is what I think would get most people concerned.
 
Bridges, tunnels, and mountain sides don't bother me. Statistically you're more at risk from a truck driver in the suburbs or countryside who gets his rig stuck at a grade crossing. It's like flying... the most risky part of the trip is the drive to the airport.

Going over the Huey Long bridge on the Sunset Limited is fun too.
 
xyzzy said:
Bridges, tunnels, and mountain sides don't bother me. Statistically you're more at risk from a truck driver in the suburbs or countryside who gets his rig stuck at a grade crossing. It's like flying... the most risky part of the trip is the drive to the airport.

Going over the Huey Long bridge on the Sunset Limited is fun too.
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That is true, but some people have phobias/anxiety that they cannot control no matter how much they try to reason it out.
 
AmtrakBlue said:
That is true, but some people have phobias/anxiety that they cannot control no matter how much they try to reason it out.

Going over the Huey Long bridge on the Sunset Limited is fun too.
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This, exactly. I know it's perfectly safe or they wouldn't pass trains across it twice a day. I know it's examined once in a while to make sure it's still structurally sound. I know that it won't take nearly as long to cross this bridge as I think it will, and it's less of a big deal than I'm making it, etc. Despite all that knowledge, I'm still pretty well terrified.
 
Just remember that the passenger trains are way lighter than the freights that run on the same tracks and bridges. Keep telling yourself that the bridge will hold the freight trains, so it is fine with this train.
 
about the only bridge that gets to me is the Mackinac,,, a few years ago my buddy asked me to take him across it,,, it's the stretch with the grates,,,, and i have been over it with a ship underneath with the smoke pouring through,,,, Amtrak as nothing like it,,, although the Moffat tunnel has never bother me,,,,,,, i think this video is a hoot ..
 
andersone said:
about the only bridge that gets to me is the Mackinac,,, a few years ago my buddy asked me to take him across it,,, it's the stretch with the grates,,,, and i have been over it with a ship underneath with the smoke pouring through,,,, Amtrak as nothing like it,,, although the Moffat tunnel has never bother me,,,,,,, i think this video is a hoot ..
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Were you actually on the grates? The right lane doesn't have grates (not sure if you knew that). It's still intimidating for some people, though, because then you're near the edge of the bridge. The toll operators do help people drive across if they're too scared. They call those people "Timmies" (for "timid").

I like driving on the grates. If you look down, it looks like you're hovering over the water due to your speed and the thin grates. :) It's a fun illusion (if you aren't scared of the bridge, of course). The down side is that I have a small car, so the wind coming through the grates tends to jerk it around a bit. Again, I think it's fun, but I've had passengers ask me to move to the right lane.

If I'm by myself, I stay on the grates, not just because they're fun, but because the right lane is usually full of trucks going 25-30 mph. (The speed limit on the bridge is 45 mph.)
 
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