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Post by HighCotton on Jul 5, 2015 18:19:35 GMT -5
My wife says, "No Interstates - just backroads" as we head back toward Indy from Fort Kaskaskia in SW Illinois. I decide to entrust the guidance of the GPS and we end up crossing this bridge on my BMW K1200LT motorcycle (would rather have been one-up on the KLR). She held tight and kept her eyes closed the whole time...so much confidence in my skills! Anybody recognize it?
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Post by firstwd on Jul 5, 2015 19:02:21 GMT -5
YES!!!!!
Don't know the name, but it's right by the HGC camp where the youth hunt was held.
Fantastic bridge and fun to cross. :-)
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Post by dbd870 on Jul 5, 2015 19:13:22 GMT -5
Yep been on it - bet it was fun on a bike
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Post by Woody Williams on Jul 5, 2015 20:42:52 GMT -5
The Wabash Cannon Ball Bridge.. It's an old rail road bridge converted to vehicle traffic. Farmers that farm both sides of the Wabash needed a way to get the equipment back and forth instead of going all the way up to Vincennse to cross. Costs you a dollar to go across it. I've been over it many time hunting in Illinois from the Indiana side deer camp.. It's one lane so you might have to give to oncoming traffic.. historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=indiana/wabashcannonball/
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Post by HighCotton on Jul 5, 2015 21:12:08 GMT -5
The Wabash Cannon Ball Bridge.. It's an old rail road bridge converted to vehicle traffic. Farmers that farm both sides of the Wabash needed a way to get the equipment back and forth instead of going all the way up to Vincennse to cross. Costs you a dollar to go across it. I've been over it many time hunting in Illinois from the Indiana side deer camp.. It's one lane so you might have to give to oncoming traffic.. historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=indiana/wabashcannonball/Absolutely! Somehow, I figured you'd know it well, Woody. Strangely, I had never heard of this bridge before. It's definitely a cool bridge. But, it was quite a surprise when I rolled up to the span. Two up on a big bike. Not too fast. Not too slow. Pick a side and stick with it. One shot deal because you really can't stop and put your feet down...not enough room. Now I know why the lady rolled her eyes as she took my dollar!
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Post by duff on Jul 6, 2015 5:08:57 GMT -5
Used to drive that while working as a student fishery biologist for Ball State. It was bad enough in a 15 passenger van hauling a 20 foot boat...no way with a bike!
20ish years ago it was also known as "purple head bridge" due to a suicide years prior. Not sure if it was a true story or not but all the locals knew it by that name
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Post by dadfsr on Jul 6, 2015 5:52:22 GMT -5
Kind of looks like the old Brown Street bridge here in Lafayette that was taken down probably close to 50 years ago...I can remember going across that with my Dad in a Culligan truck full of exchange tanks and thinking the clatter of the boards sounded neat-now I know better!!!
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Post by dbd870 on Jul 6, 2015 6:10:33 GMT -5
The Wabash Cannon Ball Bridge.. It's an old rail road bridge converted to vehicle traffic. Farmers that farm both sides of the Wabash needed a way to get the equipment back and forth instead of going all the way up to Vincennse to cross. Costs you a dollar to go across it. I've been over it many time hunting in Illinois from the Indiana side deer camp.. It's one lane so you might have to give to oncoming traffic.. historicbridges.org/bridges/browser/?bridgebrowser=indiana/wabashcannonball/Absolutely! Somehow, I figured you'd know it well, Woody. Strangely, I had never heard of this bridge before. It's definitely a cool bridge. But, it was quite a surprise when I rolled up to the span. Two up on a big bike. Not too fast. Not too slow. Pick a side and stick with it. One shot deal because you really can't stop and put your feet down...not enough room. Now I know why the lady rolled her eyes as she took my dollar!
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Post by Woody Williams on Jul 6, 2015 7:40:34 GMT -5
One early very frosty morning on the way over to Illinois to deer hunt and riding with Timex in an UTV we got turned sideways on the bridge after hitting a slick spot. That was "fun"!
First time over it in my 4Runner I was a little apprehensive.. Then I thought "You big dummy! This thing held up a rail road train at one time!" Hunting the east side of the lease we didn't have to pay the toll as we cut off on the levee to access the lease. Hunting the west side of the lease it was a dollar over and a dollar back. That is probably the only way St. Francisville has to make any money..
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Post by kevin1 on Jul 7, 2015 4:32:49 GMT -5
Wifey and I were on our way to Panama City, Fl. a few years ago, I missed a turn on the Google map I had printed somewhere in SE Alabama, so I kicked in the Tom-Tom GPS. Getting lost in a very rural part of Alabama at night is no fun, especially since we had zero cell service there, so I figured that good ol' TT would save us. After about 1.5 hours of "turn left, next turn 15 miles" I finally just gave up on it and looked at the moon. Figuring that dead reckoning generally SE would at least get us headed toward Florida I just kept heading SE. Finally, we came to a small town, and saw a Waffle House open. Now, Waffle House isn't my favorite place to eat, but by this time both of us were hungry, and badly in need of some coffee. As we ordered I queried the server as to where we were, and how far it was to a highway leading to Florida. She asked where we were going there, and when I replied "Panama City" she said "The highway to get there is two blocks down the street, it will take you straight to PC." So much for technological superiority...
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