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The Mountain Creek Interurban Bridge

In the spring of 1930, an 8-mile spur for the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad as needed to

pro!ide rail a""ess to the #est $allas industrial distri"t to transport materials to the main linenear #estmoreland Rd% and Illinois !e% 'ngineers ere fa"ed ith the great ph(si"al diffi"ult(

in )ringing the line do n from the high prairie, a"ross old Chal* +ill and into the rinit( alle(

hile also "rossing se!eral rail lines and high a(s% #here the tra"* "rossed .efferson /l!d%

and the e isting $allas Ft% #orth Interur)an 'le"tri" Rail a(, a three le!el "rossing as

"reated% Considera)le land as e "a!ated to iden .efferson and sin* it )elo the ne

railroad% he Interur)an ran parallel to .efferson and the ne trestle ould "arr( it a)o!e the

ne railroad2 all ithin a fe feet of ea"h other%

""ording to the $allas orning 4e s of 1930, this as one of the fe , if not the onl(, three-

le!el "rossing in the entire State of e as at the time% $allas Count( paid half the "osts of

sin*ing .efferson, hile Santa Fe paid for the rest as ell as )uilding the Interur)an trestle

"rossing that as also *no n as the ountain Cree* /ridge% he trestle as made of

reinfor"ed "on"rete, as 15 ft% ide at the top, 67 feet tall and a)out 600 feet long% It as the

most pretentious ele"tri" rail a( line )ridge in the state "onsidering the or* too* pla"e at the

height of the Great $epression% he "onstru"tion engineer as #%F% erritt of Gal!eston, son

of Fran* erritt, Chief 'ngineer of the Gulf, Colorado & Santa Fe Railroad% 1

:lans to demolish the old ountain Cree* /ridge in 1971 )( then $allas Count( Commissioner

$en!er Seale ne!er materiali;ed as the strong "onstru"tion pro!ed too "hallenging for the

re"*ing )all% Considered at the time, Faintl( reminis"ent of and a)out as useful as a Roman

<uedu"t , the )ridge as o!erl( sturd( and strong% ""ording to Seale, #e=!e got to remo!e

the )ridge e!entuall( to ma*e room for road idening and general impro!ement of #est.efferson /oule!ard% /ut )a"* in 1930, the( )uilt )ridges for the ages and tearing do n the

ountain Cree* /ridge is going to )e an engineering feat% I hope to ha!e it out of the a(

ithin the ne t si months so the entire right of a( ma( )e "leared and #est .efferson

/oule!ard idened through ountain Cree* alle( % Seale ent on to sa( the )ridge pro)a)l(

1 Sho ing :rogress on Santa Fe >ine Into #est $allas% Dallas Morning News , pril 58,1930, 17

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"ost ?100,000 in 1930 )ut ould "ost "onsidera)le more in 1971% he )ridge as unfit for

high a( use )e"ause it as onl( 15 feet ide% 5

he idening of .efferson /l!d% as a priorit( in 1971% /( 1973 ho e!er, the region=s

attention turned to "onstru"ting the multi-lane, high-speed $allas Ft% #orth urnpi*e 3 thatould parallel .efferson% he )ridge remained and .efferson as ne!er idened% It is still

standing toda( and as sturd( as e!er% he ountain Cree* /ridge as onl( used for 6 (ears

until the Interur)an=s o ner and operator, 4orthern e as ra"tion, ent )an*rupt in 1936%

he ountain Cree* /ridge represents one of onl( 5 remaining Interur)an trestles left in the

Cit( of $allas, the other one is at Clarendon Rd% near the enth St% +istori" $istri"t% he histor(

of the $allas Ft% #orth Interur)an line is mu"h older than the 1930 ountain Cree* /ridge

ho e!er% Its histor( stret"hes )a"* thirt( (ears prior2 to 1900%

he ele"tri" Interur)an Rail a( pla(ed a ma@or )ut short-li!ed role in the de!elopment of

inter"it( passenger transport in the $allas Ft% #orth area and it as !ital to the de!elopment of

the "it( of $allas% t one time, $allas had the largest ele"tri" Interur)an rail a( est of the

ississippi%6

he Interur)an pro!ided a transition from an almost sole relian"e on the steam railroad to an

e!en greater dependen"e on the automo)ile% Affering greater "on!enien"e and fle i)ilit( for

short-distan"e tra!el than the railroad, the interur)an greatl( in"reased passenger mo)ilit( in the

areas that it ser!ed% It <ui"*l( ga!e a( to the motor !ehi"le ho e!er, hi"h offered e!en

greater fle i)ilit( and freedom% he interur)an and the motor !ehi"le ere de!eloped in

roughl( the same period and had the latter ad!an"ed more rapidl(, the interur)an ould ha!e

)een *illed in its infan"(% s it as, the interur)an initiall( far outpa"ed its "ompetitor, onl( to

ha!e the motor !ehi"le surpass and e!entuall( destro( it% he inter"it( ele"tri" rail a( as a

5 /ridge /uilt for ges ena"ed )( #re"*ers% Dallas Morning News , ugust 1, 1971, 33 $allas-Ft% #orth urnpi*e Brged, #hate!er Its 4ame Dallas Morning News, Fe)ruar( 6,1973, 66 $allas rea Rapid ransit, 5015D +istor( of the Interur)an Rail a( S(stem and onroeShops EAnline , !aila)le2https2 %dart%org ne sroom onroeShops+istor(and:reser!ation%pdf , 50

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pe"uliarl( meri"an Institution, although su)stantial mileage as )uilt in parts of "ontinental

'urope, espe"iall( German(% Anl( in the BS ho e!er, did a idespread net or* de!elop% 7

Interur)an rail in e as totaled nearl( 700 miles% ost of this mileage as in pla"e )( 1913%

he industr( gre rapidl( during the earl( 1900s to fill the need for fre<uent passenger ser!i"e )et een ur)an "enters that "ould not )e met )( e isting steam-railroad ser!i"e% )out 370 miles

of the e as Interur)an ere in the $allas-Fort #orth area, here ele"tri" lines "onne"ted Fort

#orth and Cle)urne, Fort #orth and $allas, and $enison, $allas, Corsi"ana, and #a"o%

he $allas-Ft% #orth line as the )rain"hild of George % /ishop of Cle!eland, Ahio, ho

managed similar ele"tri" railroads in #ashington, /altimore and nnapolis% /ishop=s plan

)egan ith the a"<uisition of the Cit( Rail a( of Fort #orth in 1900% +e "hanged the name to

4orthern e as ra"tion Compan(% Further, he o)tained, )( a"t of the >egislature, permission

to e tend ser!i"e east to $allas, thirt(-fi!e miles from terminal to terminal% In 1905, the

s(ndi"ate a"<uired the $allas and Aa* Cliff 'le"tri" Rail a( for entr( into $allas% H

An $e"em)er 19, 1900, /ishop=s "ompan( )ro*e dirt on Ft% #orth side% he or* as di!ided

into 3 se"tions - Fort #orth, $allas and #est $allas% s the pro@e"t ad!an"ed, those se"tions

ere su)di!ided% he proposed route is a)out thirt( miles long, and is said )( engineers to )e

thoroughl( pra"ti"a)le, the greatest grade )eing that o!er the hill=s near #est $allas, hi"h

amounts to less than 5 J% 8 An $e"em)er 5H th, 1900, dirt as )ro*en in #est $allas ith

or* headed to ards Ft% #orth% /oth sides ould not let up until the( rea"hed ea"h other

some here in the middle% 9

7 George #oodman +ilton & .ohn F% $ue, The Electric Interurban Railways in America

Stanford2 Stanford Bni!ersit( :ress, 19 0D, :refa"e Ro)ert % Rieder, K'le"tri" Interur)an Rail a(s Handbook of Te as !nline http2 %tshaonline%org hand)oo* online arti"les e<e15D, Bploaded on .une 15, 5010%

:u)lished )( the e as State +istori"al sso"iation%H .ohnnie .% (ers, Te as Electric Railway Chi"ago2 Central 'le"tri" Railfans= sso"iation/ulletin 151, 1985D, 1618 Ground to )e /ro*en% #ill /egin on Interur)an 'le"tri" >ine% "ort #orth Morning Register ,$e"em)er 19, 1900, olume , Issue 7 , 89 #or*ing at /oth 'nds L For"es at #or* 4o at the $allas 'nd of the Interur)an 'le"tri"Rail a(% "orth #orth Morning Register , $e"em)er 5H, 1900, olume , Issue 3, 8

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he 37-mile line from $allas to Fort #orth as one of the state=s earliest lines, )eing "ompleted

and pla"ed in operation on .une 18, 1905% he lo"ation of t o relati!el( large "ities onl( 37

miles from ea"h other in an area ithout ade<uate steam train ser!i"e prompted the

de!elopment of an interur)an% $espite the earl( date of "onstru"tion, it as )uilt to !er( high

standards, ith nearl( half of the line dou)le-tra"*% Ser!i"e as of high fre<uen"(, ith>imited=s lea!ing on the hour ith a total running time of one hour% An $e"em)er 17, 199H,

"ommuter rail ser!i"e )et een the t o "ities )egan again ith the "reation of the diesel dri!en

rinit( Rail a( ' press% oda(, a R' train ta*es 7H minutes to get from $allas to Ft% #orth%

In terms of speed, a train ride )et een the t o "ities ta*es a)out the same amount of time as it

did o!er 100 (ears ago% 10

fter #orld #ar I, 4orthern e as ra"tion laun"hed an ela)orate pu)li" relations and ser!i"e

impro!ement "ampaign to "ompete ith the automo)ile and in"rease ridership% he

"ulmination of their efforts as the Crimson >imited , introdu"ed in 1957% num)er of their

handsome ar"h-roof interur)ans and mat"hing ar"h roof trailers had t o motors and ere

e tensi!el( refur)ished% >etter)oards and sides )elo the )elt rail ere painted "rimson% his

as separated )( hite at the indo s% he roofs ere )ro n, the under)odies )la"*, and all

the lettering and striping gold% he trail "ars ere e<uipped as parlor "ars and featured an

a ning at the rear and a lighted tail sign% he motored trail "ars ere indi!iduall( named

$ependa)le, Con!enient, :ermanent, Comforta)le, '"onomi"al, and Superior% he

line as pu)li"i;ed as he Route of the Crimson >imited=s and as non-stop% an( riders

ere attra"ted to this premier ser!i"e% 11 hese ere the last "ars to tra!el )a"* and forth to Ft%

#orth o!er the ountain Cree* /ridge%

4orthern e as 'le"tri" Compan( as hit hard )( the $epression, the automo)ile and )etter

and )etter a!aila)le roads and ent )an*rupt in 1936% 15 An 4o!em)er 5 , 1936, permission

as gi!en to re"ei!er %F% o nsend, re"ei!er for the 4orthern e as ra"tion Compan( tosal!age the rails, trolle( and su)stations for the Fort #orth $allas line that had )een ser!i"ing

the t o "ities sin"e 1901% he line had lost ?51,637 in @ust ten months% he tas* of transporting

residents )a"* and forth )et een the t o "ities ould no fall e "lusi!el( to the "ompan(=s )us

10 rinit( Rail a( ' press, 5017D% R' imeta)le EAnline % !aila)lehttp2 %trinit(rail a(e press%org east)ound ee*da(%html11 (ers, Electric Railway , 16H15 +ilton & $ue, Interurban Railways , 3HH

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line% It as reported that the "ompan(=s )us line had )een supplementing the trolle( line for

(ears%13

he last Crimson >imited )et een Fort #orth and $allas ran @ust )efore midnight on $e"em)er

56, 1936% his as pro)a)l( one of the last times the ountain Cree* /ridge as used% e asotor "oa"hes, then a 4orthern e as ra"tion su)sidiar(, repla"ed the handsome trains ith 30

passenger in Coa"h model 30 =s% 16 he "it(=s lo"al street"ar line operated until 197 and on

.anuar( 16, 197 at 5208 am, the last lo"al street"ar rea"hed the "ar )arn at 'lm and :ea*

ma*ing a( for an e "lusi!el( all-)us transit s(stem% 17

he freight rail line that ran under the ountain Cree* /ridge that as o ned and used )(

Santa Fe Railroad, "arried on as a railroad spur through until the 1980=s% ""ording to r%

George Ross ith &: Rail a( In"%, the pre!ious o ner=s representati!e, the rail a( as used

to transport "argo from industrial sites north of #est $a!is Road to the main Santa Fe Railroad

to the south% he former railroad spur did not ha!e refueling or maintenan"e stations on the

propert( and as onl( used to transport "argo% r% Ross stated that Santa Fe suspended use of

the railroad in the mid 1980=s and the rail as idle until &: pur"hased and de"ommissioned it

in the mid 1990=s%1

In 5009, the Cit( of $allas )egan a"<uiring mu"h of the land that "omprised the eight-mile

GCSF line for the purpose of using it for a ma@or pedestrian )i"("le trail% In 5017, $allas

Count( )egan designing the impro!ed surfa"e )i*ing and hi*ing trail that ill o""up( this

"orridor% Constru"tion is set to )egin in 501 %

13 Fort #orth Interur)an >ine $is"ontinuedM Count( to See* >and for +igh a(% Dallas Morning News , 4o!em)er 5H, 1936, 116 (ers, Electric Railway , 1717 >ast 56 +ours In $allas% Dallas Morning News % .anuar( 17, 197 , 11 rust for :u)li" >and, $halk Hill Trail %hase I En&ironmental 'ite Assessment( 5008,Se"tion 7%6 +istori"al Information, 19

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