Nostalgia & History > A railroad in a highway

You are looking at US Highway 80 a heavily traveled road (coast to coast)  road and this portion known as Lancaster Ave (named for the president of the T&P railway).  For a long time I had forgotten that in downtown Ft Worth the highway had a Texas & Pacific spur that came across it and took part of the west bound lane.  The siding was several blocks long and included fruit and vegetable companies and hardware warehouses  that daily got several cars.  The first view is looking east with the huge T&P freight station on the right.  In the distance you can make out 3 freight cars.

The second picture shows just how bad the freight cars on that siding could congest a major highway.  This picture looks west and includes a PFE reefer at a dock.  Note that cars would also park into the west lane further restricting traffic.  When an engine was switching the siding it made traffic even worse.  So the bad traffic we all know very well today  existed even in the 1930's-40's.

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Wow, that area has sure changed, at least on the north side of Lancaster, I guess at least a couple times over. I imagine all the warehouses were removed when the original I-30 viaduct was built through there (and Lancaster at ground level widened to four lanes). Then in the 1990s, I-30 was rebuilt on the south side of the T&P depot and tracks, the old viaduct was removed and the north side of Lancaster is being redeveloped.

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Historic gems.
Bob

Czef:  You are correct on all counts.  The only things that did not change is the T&P freight house, post office and T&P station and offices on the south side of Lancaster St..  They are still there although the passenger station is now apartments/condos .  But, the station serves TRE and the Airport rail service, so it is still railroad related.

refarkas Wrote:
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> Historic gems.
> Bob

i agree Bob!  Love looking at such jewels after zooming in on them and viewing, or trying to read, the signage on the buildings and etc.  Note the 2nd photo near the PFE reefer at the dock of the Ft. Worth W?o. Gro. Prod. Co. dock.  Looks like a man standing dealing with some merchandise on the dock.  Also, the 2nd vehicle from the bottom with 'POLY POPS' painted below the back window.  Wonder what that was?  And then the last vehicle going down the street.  Is that a Railway Express delivery truck or a U.S. Mail or otherwise?  Then the 1st photo with the writing in the advertising on the big building on the left...some soaps, etc.  Somewhere down this street there has to be a little 'hole in the wall' hamburger joint with a counter with a 'good greasy hamburger, fries and coffee' waiting for us!  Probably lots of tobacco smoke too that I wouldn't miss.  Love these old scenes!
CF 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/01/20 21:23 by rrman6.

Poly Pop was a local  powdered drink mix.
https://www.star-telegram.com/news/local/fort-worth/article230403314.html
Bill in Ft Worth

Hi Tom. Thanks for posting those wonderful pics.
Here are two "Now" shots of Lancaster Avenue from this morning.
Bill in Ft Worth

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Interesting before and after, thanks for taking and posting those, Bill. Looks like the eastbound lanes of Lancaster are the old US 80, and everything north of those lanes has been completely changed.

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And what's with the 'lightning catcher' in the median.  My, how things have changed.

rrman6 Wrote:
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> And what's with the 'lightning catcher' in the
> median.  My, how things have changed.

Modern art, you know.

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And they light up at night! 
Bill in Ft Worth