Texas and Pacific Railroad> Melville to Crowley> The Lost Loop, Rayne to Crowley

 This one does get to the T&P tracks going into Rayne & Crowley, eventually.  I have cut a lot of the silliness out, but that's not saying much. It is too long to proof read.

I have a hard time finishing projects. It has been a life long battle. Many skirmishes have been lost. Lately, I am a little more determined. Very determined.

The Opelousas, Gulf and North East Railroad Project is going to get finished. I have declared war. The little railroad, spanning all of 57 miles and existing for only 10 + years as an independent entity seems like a very weird choice to take on as a project. If the little railroad had only lived a few years and died, then I'd agree and just let it go as a blip on the historical screen. But, the little railroad was to be seen by an admirer in its time of desperation and subsequently adopted by the mighty Texas & Pacific RR as a means of further exploiting the blooming trade in southwest Louisiana.

I never take on large projects without incentives. I am not a historian but a gatherer of incidental, easy to find facts, usually available through Google. Re-presenting that stuff alone would be soulless. When I pursue a subject, it has to have human connections. Mike Wilson has put a face on my Texas & Pacific outings as his father was connected to the railroad for many years. Everett has added his expertise helping immensely with my understanding of Crowley. Mark and his father have assisted in raising my interest and helping peg the "OG" in and around Opelousas. In fact, I think that Mark might have introduced me to the railroad. And, Al, seeing his wonderment as we rode through the museum which is Lewisburg let me know I'm not crazy. I'm ignoring what you just thought. Then there's this. I've ridden the lands of the OG for 10 year thinking I'd seen what there was to see or understood at what I was looking. It became apparent that I was clueless, raising the old red flag which says to me, "It's not done yet, dummy". Armed with those incentives I have battled on. I know this will not be the end of the trail but will be the end of a pretty good outline from a gatherer of incidentals.

At the end of this page there will be a list of links to all my on the ground investigations done earlier. I'll also lists Mike's stories which are relevant to the rails between Melville and Church Point.

The next picture will be of a 1925 map that shows the rail line (in red) drawn from Melville to Opelousas to Church Point to Rayne where it turned west and headed to Crowley. The original planned route never considered Rayne. That story will be included. To quote, "Rayne and Crowley were quite competitive". The intensity of that competitiveness was brought to court.



This page is a teaser. There's much more work to be
done. I have to go back to Crowley and walk the tracks with
my drawing pad as there is stuff in the bushes which I don't
want to leave out.



And, I'll tell you where you can buy this book.
And, for those who like ROW pictures, oh yes.
And, there will be a few old rail ties in a ditch.
And, there will be towering rice castles.
Prepare for the excitement of it all.

First a couple of thoughts, historians are people who escape the present by dwelling on the past, and, historians are people who call on the past in order to understand the present and plan for the future, a scary place because most people don't do that, including our leader.

I'm not a historian though I do subscribe to the above.

First, before we dive into the muddy water which describes my understanding of the Crowley rail alignment and historical ownership, there is news and miscellaneous pictures to get out of the way. I thought of adding them onto the end of the Crowley urban RR tour, but figured you'd be so confused, dizzy, or bored by then these would never be seen. Yes, I know you and me.

First the news. The Teche Bayou train bridge at Breaux Bridge is no more. This has made me very sad. It is a a travesty. It was a link in the Southern Pacific's Atchafalaya Branch, the historic 10th Wonder of the Railroading World. Scroll to the right for free Kleenex.



A few of you have seen this, but the world has not.
Please don't consider yourselves diminished for seeing it again.

The following is going to do it for the early sugarcane ride requirement.
I'll add a few more when the air gets cold and the mills are bellowing.



Here's a tractor trying to hitch up in mud.



Brown topped road. Yes, it's against the law and a real problem.
But, what can they do? Most keep graders and push the heavy
stuff off to the side, but that makes it worse because you can't
see it as easily. Hitting this at 50mph could be lethal.



Most of the time it's like this.



It is so muddy that 2 tractors have to be used to move the
wagons.



While on the subject of sugarcane, on the third trip to
Crowley I could not stomach US 90 so I went through
Abbeville. First I went to St.Martinville (the above pictures)
and ran the old SP branch ROW from St.Martinville to
Delacroix (UL Experiemental Farm) to La. 182 (Old 90)
on the Lady of the Lake Rd which is a pleasant putt.





Descending from the historic location of Delacroix, there was
a trestle which must have been both high and ascending because
the train had to rise to the level of the Coteau Ridge on the
Cade, US 90 side (SP connection).





The ridge is far back in the picture. The trestle must have
been a quarter mile long. Spanish Lake lies to the south (left).
As best as I can get from local residents, this road, to a point, was
the right of way. The bridge was installed in 1984 which
is probably the date of the ROW being covered by gravel
or blacktop. My guess. The blue stuff in the trees is humidity.
I think the rails were pulled in the 40's.

Here was the railroader's problem, Bayou Tortue.



On the ride to find the Lost Loop, I went north to Arnaudville,
but decided to take a paved/gravel road south of town that would
save some miles, if not time. I get tired of the same routes
and I mix it up a little when I can.

Traffic was light this morning. The weather, fair, with a
slight breeze from the south. Temperatures were hoovering
in the low 80's. Chances of thunderstorms, slight.



The first landmark is where the Southern Pacific crossed the road.
The RR's hump marks the end of the pavement. I know there's a reason.
Possibly the rails act as a congressional district border or parish line?
Or, being a bit more romantic, possibly there was a settlement here.
Checking, yes there was, it was called McVeigh. It is listed as a SP stop.
In fact, there's an old song, "Waiting at the McVeigh Station". Stump
the band. The roads original name was "Blink Light". Gotta be a story
there. It is now McVeigh Road.



Past McVeigh, the road descends from the Teche Valley
natural levee , then rises to the natural levees of Pont Broulee
Vermillion Bayou, Bayou Fuselier and Bayou Carencro.
These bayous lay at the base of the Coteau Ridge or in the
basin between the Ridge and Teche levee. I could be wrong.
Fuselier actually travels from the Teche to the Vermillion.
How about that for throwing a wrench into the above. It
made for good reading, anyhow.



Up a ways it is high enough to raise cane again. The combined
bayou systems that lie ahead no doubt added to the elevation
with their yearly flooding, depositing another layer of silt each
year. The Coteau Ridge may also add to the rise in elevation.
Ok, I won't start that again.



This is the Bayou Pont Broulee (burn point?) bridge.



This one is looking over the last stretch of Bayou Fuselier
before it joins Carencro to form Vermillion.



On the next one we'll visit Kaplan. Yes, I took the "scenic
route" to Crowley/Rayne.

For the last 2 days I've been teleconferencing with the highest authorities concerning a nine mile stretch of railroad that dropped below Rayne and turned due west to intersect with Crowley. I was dealing with only a drawn depiction of this route from a 105 year old document. I had no idea how far it had dropped and if it even penetrated into southern Crowley. That story is for the next page.

On the last page we were near the settlement of Lewisburg. The station and warehouse there are unbelievable relics. I wasn't going to post a picture because it's been shown here many times and it makes me sad to see it slipping away. I know, I'm so sentimental.






I was now at La.358, I decided to go west. I've done this
route a million times and felt my interest drained. I stopped
my westward trek at La. 35 and turned south thinking
I'd ride it to the last highway before you slide into the coastal
marsh. Then I saw a road turning back east that interested me.
Of course that brought me back to the "rails".



On the last page I promised that this one would have some
"old rail ties in a ditch" pictures. I am not one to disappoint.





These two locations can be seen as no. 11 and no. 12 on
your map (above). Come on, did you really look? You
must be a die hard rail nut.

The road that connected them is this one.


Yea, and I'll ride down anything to see historical trash.

I then ended up here. I was back on La.357 going toward
Church Point. If there hadn't been a sign and I didn't have
a GPS, I would have gone the wrong way and not be here,
today. Maybe it was La. 178? I really haven't a clue.



Oops, wrong way, here ya go.



Next up was this Smithsonian level relic. You think I'm
being sarcastic? Have you seen the junk they collect?



I entered Church Point. The rail route through town is a
scenic one. The businesses are well kept and clean. These
historic buildings religiously retain their railroad days look .

First stop was this construction supply company at the end of
a dead end road. The road was public but I knew I was going
to get approached. True enough, when I turned around to leave,
an obvious worker and a person looking "management" waited
for me in the road. I pulled up to them and stopped. The
management guy said that his employee had said I was taking
pictures of his place of business and he wondered why.

I turned the wheel of the bike so he could see the GPS with the
old rails showing next to his store. I told him I collected pictures of
businesses that were serviced by railroads, mostly historic railroads.

I have learned not to mention "website" or "internet". "Pictures"
are accepted technology. Tourist are welcomed. Bill Gates isn't.

They both laughed as if relieved I was not with some agency or
worse. I now realize they were laughing at me, wondering what
kind of nut just fell off the tree. He told me that indeed he'd
unloaded many a box car. I asked him about what date the
tracks were pulled up but he couldn't place the date and seemed
be tiring of the moment. I told them thanks and they could rest
assured I was not with the CIA which brought a hardy laugh.
Here's his place. No, honestly I should have gotten the loading side
that was next to the tracks and I'll just let it go. The next two
exhibit that feature.

First, here's the old Texas & Pacific/ Opelousas, Gulf and
North East route through town. The old elevated warning
signals are still in place on the main drag (La.35) right in
front of the depot.









You see how neat!.

Next up is the depot.



And, you will have to click this explanation to read it.



Sliding out of town I took a couple of shots of interesting places.
One was probably a hometown landmark, the Ideal Garage.



And you know there had to be a fuel depot, "bulk plant".



I rode down to Branch. I decided to call the rail hunt
off as below Branch the rails ride the side of the road all the
way to Rayne and there's nothing more of interest.

So, I took off on the next pretty road east.



Yea! It's La.1101.
Actually, it's as straight as an arrow after the sign thing.

Which let me look up.



No doubt it was "Led Zeppelin On Tour". Wait, we have
to sing "Communication Breakdown" as it's this site's anthem.

Hey, girl, stop what you're doin!
Hey, girl, youll drive me to ruin.
I don't know what it is that I like about you,
But I like it a lot.
Won't let me hold you,
Let me feel your lovin charms.

Communication breakdown,
It's always the same,
I'm having a nervous breakdown,
Drive me insane!

Hey, girl, I got something I think you ought to know.
Hey, babe, I wanna tell you that I love you so.
I wanna hold you in my arms, yeah!
I'm never gonna let you go,
cause I like your charms.

Whoa. "Felt a tingle up my leg", quoting Chris Mathews,
MSNBC, describing his feelings for Obama. I wonder
if Obama gets tingles for Chris? Maybe?

Closing in on home, October 1, 2009, the season starts.






This page gets a little manic. You may want to take a sedative first. It was written as a means to compare notes with fellow rail-oligens in the field. If you come to a point where all of this becomes too technical, feel free to leave and have a seat in the lobby until the whistle is blown.

As you know, or could have known if you had read the previous 98 pages having to do with the OGNE Railroad, I have physically pursued this old railroad at length. I've also pursued what history I could find without getting off my butt. From what I've read, the railroad got off the ground about 1904, or a little later, but that could be completely wrong. I'll go out on a limb, further, by saying that the financiers were in New York, New York, so big you have to say it twice.

To support my guess at the OG's date of birth, I found a clip that mentions the approval of plans for the Bayou Courtableau Bridge at Port Barre, an important link in the Melville branch of the OG. The date reads, "February 27, 1906".



Then I found this genealogical clipping. Charles was a surveyor
mapping the proposed railroad in 1905. He, according to that court
case, was the chief construction engineer of the OGNE. Whoa!



This is his court testimony when Crowley residents were suing the city and the railroad in
an appeals case after learning that Rayne would definitely be included in the route. The two towns were bitter rivals and the citizens of Crowley had put up $70k by way of a tax election. The plaintiffs claimed that voters would not have voted for the tax had they known that Rayne was included in the route and would be the first to intersect the Louisiana Western on the proposed OGNE line. Later, I found a schedule which shows that both towns had OG connections with the LW, but Rayne would still hold an advantage dealing with the OG to the north.

Here's the chief engineer, Genung's testimony.
Notice the tricky question, "running to, Crowley,
thence to Rayne".

The route to which the Crowleyians objected was
the one that went to Rayne, "thence to Crowley".



Wonder where he hid them?

Here's a little history that led to the south branch from Opelousas to Crowley
being built. Old DD was born in Breaux Bridge. How about that. These guys
were rock and roll, getterdone, rain or sun.

"In 1886, through the assistance of his brother, C. C. Duson, who had resigned
from the office of sheriff to go to the state senate, and with the aid of some
others, Acadia parish was cut off from St. Landry parish, and later the parish
seat was located where the city of Crowley now stands. At that time there
were not more than a half-dozen houses in all of the western portion of Acadia
parish.

In the autumn of 1886 the town of Crowley was located and laid out.
The difficulties encountered were many, as it seemed impossible to get the
confidence or co-operation of anyone, not even the railroad company. All
other efforts having proved fruitless, Mr. Duson went to C. P. Huntington of
the Southern Pacific R; R. and succeeded in having a depot located at Crowley,
but not until he, Mr. Duson, bad personally guaranteed the agent's salary and
other expenses connected with maintenance of the depot for a period of 6
months, even to the extent of paying $100 for temporary installation of
Western Union telegraph service.

By 1890 the railroad's books showed that Crowley was the second largest shipping point between Lafayette and Houston, Tex. From the date of the first sale Mr. Duson concentrated his efforts upon the development of this immediate section, making rice the principal product. He bought the first binders and threshing machinery, built the first irrigating canals, assisted in building the first rice mills, and along with the building of immense canals developed the road system. So fast were the improvements and rapid the agricultural development, that, regardless of the efforts of the Southern Pacific R. R., it became impossible to get outgoing and incoming transportation sufficient for the section's immediate needs".

The Opelousas, Gulf & Northeastern R. R. was induced to build a line to Crowley, which was shortly followed by the Frisco system.

From:
"Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events,
Institutions, and Persons", Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp.
134-139. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century
Historical Association

[But the write skips and does not name a date that the the OG "was induced"].
I suppose we can believe it arrived in Crowley and Rayne around 1907.

In the taxpayer lawsuit, it is mentioned that construction should be finished 18 months from the end of surveying. Genung was in the field in December of 1905 in Roberts Cove, 8 miles from Crowley. He would have to abandoned the plans for Branch to Crowley and replace then with a route from Branch to Rayne, then one going 2 miles south of Rayne and turning west, 7 or 8 miles, to Crowley. It seems to me, at best, the rails to Crowley, via Rayne, would not be completed until late 1907. I now see that on two occasions I came to the same conclusion.

The lawsuit attached the results of a tax election in May of 1905. The tax was to be levied in 1909". I think the court date was in 1906 or '07. I wonder what kind of welcome the OG got in Crowley when it arrived the next year? By the way, the plaintiffs lost and were stuck with a tax to cover $70k in 1909. The OG was bankrupt in 1915. Could a backlash and the rr's demise dovetailed.

The following was probably copied from the
a state agency record book. The OG would
have a "high tech" control building where
the OG crossed the Western Louisiana RR


Below are shots of the intersection and trains traversing it.
We'll be there momentarily.



Here's the1913 Louisiana Western (SP) Freight Schedule.
Stops are shown at both Rayne and Crowley.



This clip shows that the OG name came to an end in 1915.
The Texas and Pacific bought what it had not already
assumed at an auction.


Below was its route. I suspect all of it was absorbed by the
Texas & Pacific for a while.



The following investigation covers the 11 miles between
Rayne and the OG's connection with the La. Western and the
Frisco on the west end of Mill Road in south Crowley. That
last sentence can be challenged for historical correctness.
Carry on if you must.

Here's the 1912 account. The Frisco (earlier the NO T&M?) rails
and depot were above the Southern Pacific route.

Therefore, it is my feeling that the OG extended the full length of
Mill Road and connected to the Frisco as she turned north
toward Eunice. "On the ground" evidence tends that way except
for a pesky switch which was identified as being used by the
Southern Pacific. That may still not be a problem with my thesis.

The OGNE RR Depot at Crowley.



The Frisco Depot at Crowley, north side of SP tracks.



Where was the Southen Pacific Depot? I think I know where
the water tower was. And, the Rayne SP Depot was downtown.
I've found no historic pictures of the OG Rayne Depot. I would guess
that it was in the neighborhood of the control tower. By the
way, though the tower was built by the OG, the SP trains had rights
over the OG ones.

Since this will be the shortest page of the next 5, I'll stick
this info in here. There will be a lot of pictures and confusing
explanation before we get to the Frisco/AKDN end of this ride,
if we do. Since I'm doing history right now, here's something on the
Acadiana RW Co, successor on those rails to Eunice from Crowley.

Click this to enlarge. It explains what many think is a recent railroad.
This is a very dated clip, 1990.


Here's the simplified map from the law suite.
Seems Robert's Cove missed the boat. Those
two ditch scenes with ties lying in them were
on the Lewisburg (Opleousas end) to Branch
section. I may have failed to note that on one
of the last pages.



Rayne to West Crowley

When I'm looking for something I like to start in a familiar
place, then work into the unknown. I knew where
the OG came into Rayne, north of Interstate 10. I'd been
there and done a full report on its route all the way to the
"Southern Pacific" tracks. Past there was Indian Country.
If La. 35 hadn't done a chicane, then it would be here. Maybe
this was old La.35, also.



I'm not saying this old bridge was a trestle.



Those are makeshift power or telephone poles down there.
Check out the nub on one where a glass insulator would
screw on. I have a few of those as my father in law chased
wire for a while. BTW, I mentioned this in another ride:
If you get bored of riding in the same old places, follow
some power lines. I've followed rivers and rails and found a
lot of stuff. I think power lines could be the new rabbit for
any ol' bored hound dog. You could always write that it was
an electrifying experience. That was bad.



This lines up with this. The train passed through here.
and continued between the break in the trees on the
other side of the SP and US Highway 90.



Well, maybe in the last days of its existence. That control
tower with all the bells and switches was here, on the left
before the UP/SP east-west tracks. We are coming from the
north, headed south across those tracks. Notice the shell
road. It lays on top of the rail approach to the the Southern
Pacific tracks. (UP now) It is on Everett's map below.

A block above this dryer is a large open lot. It is where the depot was.
Everett has offered up a map and comment.

"By the way, the Rayne depot was one block north of the rice dryer. The tracks were there at least into the middle 1980s, and the depot was where I show it on the photo that I included. The tracks served both the rice dryer and the bulk plant, but did not look at all used at that time".





Here's looking from the other side of 90 and the SP back
to the last shot. I figured the street to be partially the right of way.

Below are waypoints placed at approximate positions where the OG
ran across the fields to Crowley. This may be the only list available
in the world, so guard it well. I may one day waypoint places where
they are instead of from where I took pictures of them. That explains
why each spot is not on the same latitude or, possibly Charles Carter
Genung was not such a hot surveyor?



The numbers on the left correspond with the numbers
on the map. Click the map if you can't read it.




This next picture was taken when I hadn't found the ROW yet.
Many were taken that were guesses. I kept this one because
I liked it. After I looked at it I started to think, what is a hill
doing out here? Was I looking at an ancient chenier or salt dome?
Or, was my camera tilted?



Can you believe this? I think this one is Number 12. There's
a patch in the road where the rails ran. I lost it. I had gone
into withdrawals and written off the OG as being harder to
follow than the old military railroad up at Claiborne when I
tried to follow it to Fort Polk. This was going to be a cinch.


Rice farmers/ crawfish farmers will use the old right of ways
as levees, they are freebies, why not? The MP from Pecaniere
up to US 190 is a great example of putting an old raised ROW
to work.



Look familiar? They all start looking the same after a while.
Can you see the difference between the two?



Besides the ants from hell, what do you see in this one?
You wouldn' t see anything but grass if I hadn't pulled as
much as I was able before they got to me. Yes, those are
railroad ties. Waypoint 1o, I do believe. You need to come
here and look for rail spikes. Fire aunts, don't do it.



I have no idea where this house was. It's a nice house or
probably a store. Or, a store and house. I've been told to
to stick a house in every once in a while because people get
dizzy looking into ditches. It was taken on the same day
so I didn't have to borrow a Mississippi house this time.



It is true that this page has been light on pictures. Before
it's over, you'll be so sick of pictures you'll ask
me to please only write about it. Writing is tough. I rather
show you and let the pictures write their 1000 word's worth.

On the next page we go amongst the mills and support
businesses which were along the rails that ran north of the
OG, Frico, and the UP/SP/WL main line in south Crowley. We'll
be riding though real history, a history that in reality was not
that long ago. A hundred years back a young railroad came
through. It was a needed conduit for business and travel
in what was a few years earlier, the Wild Wild West.
Can you imagine? Below is a picture of the last group
I guided through there. Yes, there was some dissatisfaction
and they are still bugging me for their money back. The
short guy with the ten gallon hat is the scary one.
"Doc" somebody?



I came into town for my second taste of the railroad portion of Crowley's historical district. Crowley may or may not emphasize the railroad's contribution to this beautiful city. Much is made of its Greek and Victorian mansions. The rice industry is of course recognized in the tourist pamphlets with a few shots of the mills and dryers. But, I'll be danged if I've seen any pictures of the old rails soon to be covered by ground or blacktop. The next 4 pages will preserve for posterity what I could find. If these are not enough, I shall return. I may, anyway. I was like a kid at Disneyland.

Everett had mentioned the junkyard. Finding it gave me confidence I was on the path. For economy sake, I've combined both exploratory ride pictures to try to contain confusion. I know it is going to be tough. It was for me and I've been there 3 times.





I know there are not many people posting pictures of junkyards.
Consider this a slap in the face. You need to get real about the world.
There are junkyards. [Was that too militant?]

Get ready, not all that follows may be a walk in your park?
It is a walk in mine.

I rode beneath the La.13 bridge and shot back toward the
junkyard. Ah, the OG/T&P? rails were there coming west.

But, the rails that we're about look at are not the OG&NE RR's.
They either belonged to the mills, or belonged to the Frisco
or Southern Pacific. From what knowledge I've been privileged
to, that is my assumption. [Thanks Everett]





Near that location was this house. The new cement piers
tell me it was moved there.



Proceeding west on E. Front Street, I looked back and could
not pass up this shot. I believe that is the "Standard Mill", the
namesake of the road I'd just come in on.



On the south side of Front, the metal buildings began.



Next was what I'm calling a water tower location. It's time
for a map. This is the simple part of the trip. Enjoy, it
gets dizzying. The yellow line is my path. See where "House"
is written? The tracks directly to the right of it is the present
day main line of the Union Pacific which I'll refer to as the
Southern Pacific because this is a history site and I want to.



Sure looks like a water tower spot. Why didn't I look for
a pipe in the ground? Because I don't think fast or possibly
I was just a little excited? Who me?



I've had to use all the evidence I can find in these pictures
to locate these places. I've got to take my time and label
the waypoints. Committing them to memory is committing
them to mayhem.



On the north side of Front St., more rail doors can be seen.
They were on both sides of the street. I suspect they may
have been in the street.

Across the street was this one.



Look, I actually took a placement picture. Hard to see, but
confirmed, we are at N. Ave. K which is 2 blocks from La.13,
the eastern official border of the "Historic Railroad District",
according to me.



In three blocks, approaching Parkerson Ave, the main drag,
we'll see this, a very interesting building and location.






It is in an interesting location since it's on the corner of
Parkerson and Front, across N. Ave G from the Frisco Depot.
My point is that it would have been on the rails.

This is the E.1st St. side of the Frisco Depot.



This is the east side. The mills are to the south.



Point of reference. Here we cross Parkerson. Look ahead
at West Front . I think it can be placed "in evidence".



The feed store below is at N. Ave. F. It is a fine building.



I do believe those are rail doors.







The building is "L" shaped. This is across the back. Was
there a siding or were these or the other, truck doors?
"It's hard to tell, it's hard to tell, when all the doors the same".
Notice, that La. Rice Mill is across the multiple tracks from
here. When we head down from the other side you won't
be lost. This all drove me crazy trying to fit these pictures
together. My life is already too confusing to let a pile of
mill and rail shots push me over the edge. Of course, if
you've kept up, you know I had a mini breakdown and
dumped this project earlier realizing that I was obsessing.
My therapist said it was OK and so here we are at the
corner of Front and Ave. E. The place to be.



Here's another side note: Old Crowley was set up like this.
Streets north of the tracks, running north and south, got
alphabet names. Those running east and west, got number
names, except where a person or place was important. I'm
seeing a pattern. Towns where roads fronted on the railroads
were either named "Railroad Ave. or St.", or "Front Street".
Look for that in your neighborhood.

Next was the historic bulk oil and petroleum products "plant".
I first saw these cast iron tank supports, then cement ones.



Further east, upon closer inspection, I saw the old brick
supports.



This building probably was not the first edition but rather
an addition.






For those who are fuel pump fanatics, I included t his shot.
Sorry, the pumps are not very visible. Check out the back
up mirror.



We are near Ave. D. on Front. The next page takes us into an
alley which I'm having a hard time naming. Garmin shows
the next road west going south as "W.Front" as if it W. Front
turned south. Very strange. The alley is next. If there
was a place that looked like a hobo jungle, the alley is it.


The Alley to US 90 and Beyond.
Click the maps to enlarge. Or open in another window.

The Alley waited. I was past Ave. D, maybe that's Ave C?
If I show any confidence in my analysis of the following,
you are misreading me.





The dark alley lay ahead. Was I going where I shouldn't?
See "Alley Start". For the sake of argument, lets assume
that is where the alley started.



There was the usual warning sign and another which folded.
I wondered why.



The position of the "2 Tracks" warning is confusing. I ran
into this in New Iberia. The warning sign is for the rails after you
turn, in this case, to the left. There would be 2 rails there, one
noticeable, one, not so much.

This big one lay ahead. It was obvious that it was served by
the rails. It could have been by the Southern Pacific or the
Frisco. I found something.



I rode down there and walked back. I had seen something
and couldn't U-turn the top heavy bike. Look above the
bike for a pipe hanging down.



That's right, I was riding on the mill's service tracks.
One more rail tie shot.

I'm glad those sand bags were there. They mark where
the connector rails went off to meet the SP mainline . This
all sounds very trivial. But, this small root of information
could grow a tree of information concerning the history
of alliances within the milling community and possibly
spill over to political implications. The world has been
a web forever. The internet did not invent that web,
it only amplified it while broadening its scope.

Actually, the rails to the right of the bike connected to the
rails on the left of the bike, the ones that are under the
gravel. Those rails would turn toward the south and
connect with the SP. Sorry, I couldn't say that with a
straight face.



You see?


My thoughts are that my GPS was off, showing south of the
rails I was on. These rails all merged and run into the
the present day AKDN or what was the MP or the Frisco or before that
the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico RR. Wait, I'm scaring
myself.



The north set of rails, not the ones under the road, still
seemed viable. This north spur of the Friso/AKDN could
still reach the mill.



I was now where you see "T-Turn" on the map.



I would have to go north (right). A tank car can be seen in
the far distance.



I mentioned that the alley seemed a likely "hobo jungle".
I should have said that between the alley and he SP could
have served that purpose. On the north side I saw this
large block of cement. I was not inclined to venture back
in there to investigate. I do back off at times. More lately.



There were piles of trash and rails.



This must be looking west?



This, for sure is looking west. Why did I post this picture?
Some one might see something I missed. It's happened before.



When I came to the end of the alley, as I said, I had to
turn north and then back west to follow the rails. I was
now amongst the top tier of rails spurred off the AKDN.

On the map I have labeled, "Angled Building" I noticed it
because Mark had mentioned an angled building in Opelousas.
Both were built to coordinate with an angled spur.



The bushes to the left are where that tank car was. I think.
It is the line that is second closest to the SP rails.




You can see the chicane in the rails to the left of "Angled Building".
I believe that's where Louisiana Bag sits. By the way, the rails
where "Angled Building"is, happens to be the same set that
went to the Frisco Depot. So that spur went across Parkerson,
the main street of Crowley, to the depot. It had to have gone
on the other side of t he big mill, also.



I was moving in on US 90. A bulk plant looking place was
along the way.






Also, closeby was this collection of cement blocks next to the
rails. They are marked "Cement" on the map.



I turned west on US 90 and saw where AKDN crossed over
US 90. The picture below may be what I saw on the
north side of US 90, as the AKDN rails travel north to
meet the trunk line. I've been waiting for a place to plug
this shot in. I think it works here.



I rode west on 90 until I got to Roller Road. There I turned
south, crossing the SP/Up main line. I noticed some old
rails off on the north side. They would open a whole
new can of worms.



This is the end of exploring the rails on the north side
of the SP. There is so much more below that main line.
How it all fits together drove me crazy and there is still
a missing link. Oh, the next page we'll start from where
we started this side, back at La.13, and see if we can get it
figured out.


When I first came in from Rayne I was intent on following
the OG/T&P. (Yellow Line). I hadn't an idea what I was
doing. I would follow what rails or evidence of rails I
could find.



This is looking back at the OG&NE right of way as it
heads back to Rayne. Everett documented the OG&NE
crossing at Rayne as still in place as late as 1935. A little
bird suggested that the OG rails may have lasted until WWII.



I still can't figure out how to convert these mundane gritty
images of a historical industrial area (I almost used "park")
with old rails sinking into the ground, or preserved in hard top,
into Romance on the Orient Express. It is a tough sell and
my readership reflects that. Maybe if I provided popcorn
I could sell this stuff?



Map alert:



Old maps always wake the drowsy reader whose imagination
has been unfed. Well, it's feeding time. On the last ride
I found an old mill and something very interesting in the
ground next to an invisible set of rails. What I found was
right above where that flag is by "Mill". First we need
to turn off Mill Street onto S. Avenue J.





Looking east, there's the old mill. Everyone I asked knew
what the below it was. Where have I been all my life that
I didn't know what it was?




OK, do you know?





Most answers were like this:

... the round thing with the electric motor named Link Belt is a 'capstain', like on a sail boat or big boat, it's used to pull things, like an anchor with a rope by winding it around the slowly turning round thing, ....like rail cars in this instance....Link Belt is a company that makes all sorts of winch equipment all the way up to cranes and drag lines and the like.

Al added this as he always knows one notch more:
"Hey! that capstain is also called a "Cathead" fyi".
Thanks Al.


Rolling on. I didn't see anything special here, I just felt it was
my duty to get some rhythm going with the documentation.





To slow the process, I took a picture back the other way.
See, when the warning sign said "2 Tracks", it wasn't kidding.
Best I can tell, both of these were OG&NE. For the sake of
continuity with the story line, let's call them that anyhow.
Everett has suggested that I go to the parish courthouse
there in Crowley and pick up a labeled map of the old railroad
district which states which of the 3 rail companies in town
owned what set or rails. I'm sure a new edition was out
just this year. I'm sure I'd get the stare.

Have you ever gotten THE STARE? If not, then you don't
know what it is. THE STARE comes from a person who
cannot imagine anything out of the little box they call their
life. Or possibly it is born of some sort of prejudice.
It is sometimes referred to as "Giving a person a hard time".
That action is usually accompanied by THE STARE.

I think if I went to the courthouse and asked for a fully
documented map of the rail district in 1930, I'd get THE
STARE. I'm thinking maybe the library, where they are
more tolerant of nuts, is a good idea.
Hey, you STARING at me?



Ok, we're going west again. See that 30 mph speed limit
sign?



We are now at it.



The rails just keep on coming. See them in that crossing,
but you can't see them in the grass. What if the crossing
is removed? Then you won't see them at all. A whole
century of history will go poof and people will continue to
walk around doing their thing but something will be
bothering them and they won't know what it is. Then they'll
snap and realize what happened and wonder why it happened
and who let it happen and then dismiss it and it'll happen
again.



Next was La. Rice



I don't usually drive into a business. Yea I do. I'd do it again.



Because you never can tell what you''ll find. La. Rice accesses
the Southern Pacific. I count 5 sets of rails. I was wondering
where all the rails were that my Garmin GPS showed.
Yes, back then it connected to the SP, also.



See on the map to the east side (right), the rails merging
into 2 and then one? Look below. Someone just mentioned
"the little things....". Indeed. I was having an Indiana Jones
moment.



Zooming out, you can see a train has an easy off and on.



Back on Mill St. We continue on. Evidently, we are at
Ave C. I first saw "avec", which means "with" and thought
"with what"? Thinking of something to have with "with"
I flashed on this, one of my favorite local ads of all times.
It went like this, "Laissez Le Bon Ton Roulet avec Gallo".

Hey Gloria, you remember that? Gallo is, of course, a brand
of wine. Yea buddy, screw top for easy on and off, too.





Right when things started to get boring, a set of rails crossed
the street.



I dismounted and once again got THE STARE from passing
motorist, women, and children.



No trucks, I agree.



The crossing was off a switch. It was still there and seemed
undisturbed and unpreserved. "Unpreserved" is code that
some Indiana Jones types use. I'm sworn to secrecy.






Then a distinguished guest had this to say about what
I called a "OG&NE switch", " The "OGNE Switch" is a standard
SP switch stand made by RACOR. Note that the top of the stand
where the switch target (silver thing with number on it) has "SP 10" on
it. Interestingly enough, the target I think is an MP target, either that
or the yellow one with 711 is MP and the silver one with 875 is SP or".
He continued for 3 more pages but that's the gist of it.

The "yellow one" is later.



You can't have too many crossing pictures. Of course I
jest, you can have too many. But, this one serves a purpose.
See the brown building down the way on the other side
of the street? See the brown cover?

This one? See the rails in the grass? They went under the cover.


I made up fifty little maps. The only relevance this one
has to where we are is "Switch". So here we are and
it's a SP switch. I was going into hysterics figuring
my OG&NE mission was over and that my thesis was shot
dead in the water. To the rescue came Everett. He told
me to calm down, take a deep breath and relax. He said
one possibility was that the SP, the oldest company in
Crowley, had built the whole complex or part of it and
that.......well he made me feel better, that's what counts.
Ok, look at the map, follow the bottom rails west, left.
The next biggie will be the "Turn" and understanding it.
That locked me up for 2 days until I thought of Google
Earth.




I had to stop and take a picture, it was time. Up ahead is
Western Ave. There is an Eastern Ave. I believe that they
form part of the border of the original town layout or possibly I'm
only being romantic yet again.




I actually tried following the US90 detour as I find all detours
a challenge. I got lost in southeast Crowley. There I got
The STARE big time and split.



Here's a look back to the east. Consider it a refresher on
where you've been and what you've seen. This shot was
taken from the Turn area.



Whipping around you see .....



Walking forward and turning around you see this.........



Turning around and looking, you see this............if you look
through binoculars.



Those tracks are turning toward US 90 and will cross it,
joining the main trunk line of the AKDN which was the
MP and the Friso and the Colorado Southern, the one that
built that lovely depot in 1909. The rails look dead but they
are not. Back in that turn there is a switch which connects
to the next stop.



Yes, I paid them a visit, also.


I thought I was in Texas.



That's looking back at the AKDN rails. I should have picked
up some rice.




This is looking west toward Roller Road.




This is why I said, "Texas". Those border ties didn't come
from the garden supply store.



While I was there I zoomed way down the tracks toward
the AKDN and saw this white thing. I need to know what
that is.



See the junction down there? I told you.
I took another picture for some reason?




Now, for the sake of continuity with the other pages I'll
include this shot. I went on around the west end of South
West Rice Mill and took a picture of their old rail feed
from Roller Road, that's on the map.

The SP main line is to the left. It had serviced this mill.
All of that is in the next edition entitled, "The West Side Story".
I'm holding back on the huge map offering until then.


On both north and south of the Southern Pacific explorations
I ended up here, the Roller Road and Southwest Rice Mill
area. The old Frisco RR, coming south from Eunice had split to
serve both sides of the main line Southern Pacific. How the
agreements, coalitions and arrangements of rails between
the 3 main entities transitioned through the years I have no idea.
The fact that there were 3 choices in town surely helped the
millers. On the last page I showed you how the SW Mill was
now using the AKDN rails as its connection. On this page you
will see how that mill did have a direct connection to the SP.

That map leaves out most recent additions, it is meant only
as a general location reference.




On my first visit I saw this connector coming off the SP.
Being that I was to the west of the AKDN/ T&P / OG&NE
I found it really interesting that the rail system would have
this "satellite" spur. I saw it as a disconnect between the
SP and whoever controlled the Frisco loop (AKDN). It
descended and crossed Roller Road, where I am standing
in this picture.



As I said, the spur crossed the road and landed next to
the SP fill. A train would proceed for a distance on those rails
and then come forward though a switch to go across the road.



The switch did not look that long out of service.



'

Someone forgot a flatcar on the rails next to the SP.
Coming back across Roller Road the rails went to the
access doors at SW Mill.



The rails on the west side Roller Road passed the flatcar
and went to the Riviana Rice Mill. You can see the trace
in the grass going right between the 2 buildings. On the
big map offered at the bottom of the page, you can see
my believed configuration.



Back as SW Mill you can see the deteriorated condition of
the historic rails. It looks like someone has been here on
a "preservation" expedition. (refer to a previous page for a
hint at what I'm saying).



The building down at the end is the one now being serviced
by the AKDN spur. Those rails are on the other side of
the building.



This is a shot of where AKDN's west loop crosses US 90,
the otherwise unused loop that only serves SW Mill. It is
the loop that is shown on my Garmin map as meeting the
OG&NE somewhere east along Mill Road on the south side
of the mills.


Looking down the SP/UP rails from Roller Road, this is
who the rails are. The spur you see is the one just mentioned.
The cross track down there is the outer loop of AKDN crossing.



To the three that stayed with me on this one, thanks for the
company, additions, and positive critiques. I would address
the rest of you but you wouldn't hear me. You won't be
getting this map. It is large, and will only stay in my account
for a short while. So, download it soon. Suitable for framing.
Click the thumbnail below. What I may have missed is this:
to the west of the flatcar the spur may have rejoined the
the SP. I can see evidence in the picture that it did. I rode
out there and took a look down the SP rails and didn't
see any evidence, but I think that I was too far west.
That's it for Crowley. CLICK HERE to continue the ride
home on the second ride to Crowley.



You know, I spent hours explaining how a bunch of old tracks use to run. I think I was obsessing. I'll never get that intense about anywhere again. But, like I said, Crowley was an important place which deserves exploring and understanding, maybe?

On the way back I wasn't feeling too well and didn't want to chance passing out on the interstate so I did the smart thing and rode some loster than Moses gravel road across the Bayou Teluge Wilderness.



Big rains equal high water.



Emerging from the wilderness. I found my way to La.1112
which is near La.98 west of Roberts Cove.



Al just sent a note saying it is a Massey Ferguson set up
for this and that and his note has melted somewhere.
Let me see, he said it's set up for ditching and leveeing
which makes it definitely a rice tractor.

Here, I found it:
The tractor is an old Massey Ferguson rigged up for 'ditchin' and 'puddlin' and levee work with a small backhoe attachment. A long time back there were quite a few 'brands' of tractors being sold, no more

Then there was this. I'm sure it's a valve of some sort.



Last place I remember was Scott, La.

Here are some shots around town.





















Where the west begins and this ends.
Oh, what about the Lost Loop of the Opelousas, Gulf and North East
Railroad and later the Texas and Pacific? It's not lost anymore.