HISTORY HUNTS WAREHOUSE: Run to the Border 8

The Map:

I came from the west (left) and turned north retracing my ride.
I had seen a Southern Pacific boxcar and wanted to shoot it on
my return. I find it strange I remembered. The KCS tracks
are the top ones, the UP are the lower east-west tracks for
those that care and trust my guess. Now the fun stuff. I was at
a cross track just to the left of where you see "Train Shots".

Hum, "KCS Connection". I must have been in an important place?
I love confluences of waterways, crossroads and cross tracks.
I've never had that diagnosed. We all remember Cream's
rendition of Cross Tracks and that famous line, "I went down to
the cross tracks for to catch a ride". Great memories. Great song.
I can hear Jack Bruce's bass as I write.

Looking east. There's my car.

Could the "MP" seen on the next car signify Missouri Pacific.
Was I in a museum?

This is looking south at a continuation of that line of cars.
What's a Hydra Cushion? A Hydra is a muti headed snake?
At first I thought it said "Hydro Cushion" which sounded
like a pretty good addition for my bike's seat from hell.
A muti headed snake seat would be no improvement,
though similar .

This page has brought out the experts. First Everett took
a break from rebuilding the Red River and Gulf at that
Southern Forest Heritage Museum and then Marion, the
house expert on all things lumber mill oriented had this to
say about the "HydraCushion" box cars.

"The HydraCushion rail car was another development of International Paper Co. It has a long travel coupler with springs and shock absorbers to lessen the impact of coupling and making up long strings of rail cars. They sold the patents and manufacturing rights to Union Car company in the 1960's, I believe. I.P.was quite a power house of patents and innovation in the 1950's and 1960's for paper processes, products and engineering. Because their staff engineers were old operating and construction personnel they could design, build and put a paper mill on line faster then anyone else in the 1960's and 70's. I.P. developed the paper milk carton and sold the patent and manufacturing rights to a subsidiary company called Excello".

You don't get that info in the Sunday paper.

Now here's Everett's reply to my mentioning the old company names on the cars.

"Just a note on reporting marks on RR cars and locomotives".

"A railroad is limited to 4 digit numbers on Locomotives, and 6 digits on freight cars. With all of the mega mergers that have created our 4 big systems, all 4 of them are approaching or surpassing those limits and the UP has the biggest problem of all. The solution is that UP is allowed to use all of the reporting marks of the companies that it has absorbed, so you often see: MP,C&NW, SP, D&RGW, WP, TP markings on freight cars that all belong to UP. UP is still renumbering locomotives to try and get them all in, but rather than use any of its "subsidiary" companies, UP created the marks UPY which stand for UP yard loco, and they number the yard or switch engines with that mark and number".

I know, that's a little technical for some, but not others. It is the tip of the iceburg for v8 rail enthusiast. I've still got my training wheels.

Back to the ride.

I looked back at the cross tracks and started to leave, thinking,
"Shucks, I guess there won't be a train today". That worked
back in Pineville.

I looked down the tracks one more time.

I get an award for that one. It didn't stop for the shot.

Headed for Orange.

I next went south of I-10 for the ride home. The clouds
kept it bearable. I returned to 90 after its escape from
Lake Charles where its route had changed many times.

The next point of interest was the terminus of US 165.

A deserted full service gas station marks the once busy junction.

Between Lake Charles and Jennings it's open country, the coastal
plain I spoke of. Being south of where we were earlier, the "coastal"
part seems more relevant.

This is also a self awarded award winning shot.

The road stretched out toward Jennings.

I have no idea of the significance of the next shot.

I may give myself another award in the Misc Category.
Jennings is next. Put on your track walking shows. (Little Feat)
And I'll be your Dixie Chicken.

Jennings Next. All aboard. CLICK HERE TO GO TO JENNINGS
PS: I assume everyone knows all these railroad names and can associate the initials I use. For the record, KCS is not "Knights of Columbus in Sulfur". KCS stands for Koni's Citrus Stand, a great place to get your fill of grapefruit juice. Sorry for the confusion.