Mastodon Train Barge

The Southern Pacific Railroad operated a huge barge, as seen in this early card, that floated trains across the Mississippi River from the West Bank to the New Orleans side aptly named the "Mastodon". Powerful tugboats, positioned alongside the barge, provided the power to move it across the river. Like the Southern Pacific's California train ferry, the "Solano", this vessel was the largest of its kind used to move entire trains and operated until the construction of the Huey P. Long Bridge.