Model Railroading in the Big Easy?

I don't think there are basements in nawlins. I read somewhere that because of the groundwater level cemeteries have to bury the dead above ground. The groundwater situation would tend to preclude the ability to have basements. At least dry ones.

Eric

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Cetainly true in the French Quarter and the Garden District but the more modern parts of the city might be in trouble. Such great town, I hope everyone there is OK.

If the city floods, it'll probably have a bad effect on the heritage trams (street cars) running there.(Charles St.?) And is there still a river front tramline there? If so, they may have to replace those trams with DUKWs. It all sounds pretty nasty. News reports say that the people are being evacuated by road, is there still a railway line into New Orleans, and if so, is that being used to shift folk, even travelling out in box cars would be better than walking. Regards, Bill.

Regards, Bill.

Still a lot of rail including AMTRAK service. The problem is the rail comes off the bridge over the Mississippi and into inside the levees and therefore most likely in pretty poor shape. The AMTRAK station is very near the Dome.

The rail from the east crosses the delta and goes through Gulfport. W/B rail will be nil. I would guess the rail infrastructure is pretty much beat up, washed out and unusable for a while, across the entire area.

bg

Regards, Bill.

Bob, Thanks for the info. in re rail access to N.O. I only visited there many years ago, probably well pre-Dome. Being on a railfan tour, I'm sure that we must have come in by train, but nothing sticks in my mind about the station etc. I'm not in the States, so am out of touch with the rail scene there, which is why the question was asked. Regards, Bill.

OK, no basements already! What a mess they have down there and every hour that goes by seems to give up more bad news. I wonder why folks originally settled the location? Its seems that living in a giant hole next to a monstrous river, bodies of water that flood and is prone to be hit by ocean storms would discourage folks even if the location was otherwise ideal for commerce or shipping. I know the area as changed over time and large areas of wet lands have been lost., but still why choose to live below sea level, river level or lake level anywhere? New Orleans is such a wonderful old place I can see why people choose to live there. But what motivated the early community to build, expand and survive in that particular low spot and what protected them?

It was not always that way. It's the result of all of the sediment and silt washed down the river over the centuries. This web page explains a lot of what has happened:

I wonder why houses in the Flood Plains around there are built of Timber and Sheetrock? Wouldn't an European brick style building been a bit more sensible? They seem to last! Rob

The earliest settled part of New Orleans was above sea level and above the level of the Mississippi River. This area is known as the French Quarter. Later, as the city expanded, it crept into the lower elevated areas and dikes were made to hold the water back. Tom Cummings Sulphur, La.