Did the railroad of the 1860s run through Orange about the area of the old US-90 route? Or was it further north...("higher" ground) out of that swampy area between Orange and Lake Charles? Was the problem with the railroad you cited related to the building of the line through flooded and swampy terrain, ability to obtain rolling stock (mostly manufactured in the north), lack of trained and qualified personnel to operate it or a combination ('all of the above')?
Thanks for the clarification... Jack