Yuma riverfront, and a record breaking flight

December 18 (Monday)

We were back in downtown Yuma to the riverfront area. We stopped at Pivot Point Plaza and the Gateway Park. Lots going on here, historically. The Siphon alignment is shown below. (see post here for more information on the siphon) The old train track came through here as well. The original ferry crossing is shown below, which was replaced by the railroad bridge and the Ocean to Ocean bridge (see far right of the diagram below). There are also walking and biking trails in this area. It's hard to believe how damming of the Colorado River has changed the way this area is used. The flooding and varying water levels are now controlled, and the precious water is now better used.

The old railway track alignment

This old diesel locomotive was built in 1907 and presented to the City of Yuma at the end of its useful life in 1957. The first train arrived in Yuma in 1877. In order to accommodate both trains and steamships travelling the Colorado River there had to be a way of 'swinging' the train bridge out of the way to allow the steamship to pass, then close the bridge again to allow trains to cross. The solution was a pivot bridge. A concrete pier was the central point and the bridge swung on its axis.

Oil tank tender

The engineer?

The whoa mechanism (brakes)!

Must have been a nice smooth ride!

Wonder how many miles to the gallon this thing got? 12,000 gallons.

The pivot bridge

Prior to the train it was the ferry that was the primary transportation link across the river.

Interesting to see the three eras of transportation…….the train bridge, the old Coast to Coast bridge and the modern Interstate 8.

The bridge in the foreground is the Coast to Coast bridge which was the first vehicular bridge across the Colorado River.

Coast to Coast bridge on the left. The train bridge on the right.

Interstate 8

These American Coots are looking for a meal. Very clear water in the Colorado.

Ready to dive

Down he goes

Success! Weeds I think.

Water is so clear

A very pretty area in the river lands. 

The old mission. In California.

Nice place for a walk.

Nice spot for a picnic.

The center of the river is the Arizona/California state line.

Nice place for a bike ride.

Next we drove over to the beautiful City Hall. The grounds are nicely landscaped. Inside the atrium hangs the 'City of Yuma' plane that set the record for the longest flight of 1,124 hours in 1949.

After World War 2 ended the Yuma air base closed and the fortunes of Yuma declined. In 1949 the local Jaycee Club decided to help advertise the near perfect flying weather in the area by hosting a marathon flight. The plane below stayed aloft for over a month, being re-fueled by handing cans of gas, and pilot necessities, up to the plane from a speeding convertible. Quite the feat!

The gas cans handed up to the plane.

A great source to read more on the early history of Yuma can be found here: http://www.visityuma.com/history.html

I'll leave it to the experts to give you the historical facts.

.....and that was Our View From Here!