Since he's here, I'm letting him carry the write since he comes over here
and asks one question after another, anyway. I've finally decided that since I have
to answer them, or he never goes away, I might as well write it up
as he does another impulsive interview. Any sentence with a question
mark after it is Phil's. There should be question marks before his questions.
What was on your mind when you took off yesterday?
It was Friday, the day I pursue the Amtrak passenger train, the Sunset Limited.
Where did you decide to meet that train?
Down at Bayou Sale where I'd missed her last Monday when I sat in the heat for almost 2 hours and seems she wasn't scheduled to run that afternoon. I had unfinished business there.
Were you successful?
Not exactly. I'd fooled around in New Iberia and was late by two minutes. I caught the picture below while still rolling down US 90. I'm glad I wasn't run over when my speed dropped like an anvil.
Did you have a Plan B?
I was without a mission. There is no catching that train.
If you miss that 10 second window of opportunity, you are done.
What was next?
I was off to Bayou Sale to see if there was a freight train pulled over to let the Limited go around.
Well, was there?
Yes.
Well?
I'm skipping all that for right now.
Why?
Because I want to look at tugboats and bridges, that's why.
Where were you shooting from?
Here:
What are you going to do now?
Shut down everything and go to bed. Time for you to go home.
The next morning I got up in my usual blur. Before I'd gotten through my first tanker of coffee, a banging was heard at the door. It was Phil. Yea, he's my next door neighbor with marital problems or child problems, whatever. I guess he wanted to share my escape pod this morning.
OK, Phil lets continue since you are here. Fire away with your questions.
So where were you?
Phil, look at the picture again. Right on the wall it says "Berwick". That would be a hint.
Berick?
Berwick, Louisiana, right across the Atchafalaya River from Morgan City.
Oh, why?
{I could feel that this back and forth was going to be a pain. I'd signed up for it when he'd wandered over last night and I let him sit in. I'm getting another cup of coffee and maybe that will take the edge off my impatience.}
Ok Phil, After missing the Limited and shrugging my shoulders over that failure, having learned to resign myself to such, I rode over to Bayou Sale and saw the tail end of a train at the end of the sidetrack there. To get to the head end of the train, I rode around to where the Centerville depot had once been on La.317, the road to Burns Point, which is a great ride.
Sure enough, a big mama was waiting there. I found this
picture a little funny since it appears that the long train
was waiting on the road workers. How familiar is that!
Not so, of course. They are parked where I believe the
depot siding was. The road runnerl would make her way around.
What was the plan?
Since I was on the DR, I hit it down limestone Boggy Road
to the old United Gas Pipeline crossing and shot toward the
depot. It would be something new. I'd try it with the new
Kodak. That was a disaster and I won't even show you the
results.
And?
I saw the light was red after it had passed it. I don't know
much, but that seemed strange unless she'd been given permission
to pass a "red". I hopped on the bike and and rode back to the
depot and decided, why not.
Why not what?
Chase it. I went up the ramp to US 90 and dropped the hammer on the
single cylinder 650 dirt bike. I was at 70 in a second. I caught the
the train in Patterson as it was slowing. I knew the bridge had a lower
speed limit but not that slow. It was stopping. My luck was steadily improving.
My left handed shots, at speed, are getting pretty good.
Phil, go home, get whatever situation that brought you
over here cleared up and then call me before you want to
come back over, or I'll shoot you with a low caliber gun
several times in your extremities.
Phil's back. And, so soon.
So, Steve, you were at Berwick. Is that where you were going?
Yes, Phil.
The train had stopped, but I didn't know for how long. My GPS says I was still for a total of 45 minutes on this ride. I think that is a conservative estimate.
Al, I went to where we were when the Limited came roaring through. But, the corps has added sea wall and you can't see the bridge from there anymore. My only option was to go on the river side, or my pictures, last time, were taken from near track level on that old sidetrack. {If you aren't doing anything, could you take Phil for a ride to get some ice cream or something?}
While I waited, I took a few shots of the gorgeous old bridge.
The train was stopped because it was "up". It sits almost
at water level when it is "down".
That was when the parade began.
I've never shot the upper "rooms". It looks like the windows,
if they were windows, have been covered by corrugated steel.
Then I heard a indescribably funny sound. It was coming down.
I guess it was a warning noise? As the bridge lowered, it hesitated.
I, in all my anticipation, just knew it had gotten stuck. After all,
it is old. I get stuck often.
Then there was the train horn again. What would follow would
be pretty scary.
Phil....What happened?
Well Phil, let's look at the pictures.
The train had pulled up to the signal and stopped.
The engineer or conductor jumped out. No, not literally.
He walked up the rails ......
.... and started working with the switch, marked by "S".
Those may be speed limits.
Then he went back to the shed.
I stood there watching him and the train. Then, from behind
the wall I heard a racket. OH NO. One had snuck up on me.
There were no less than 5 big UP engines crossing. That was
the scary part, the fact that 5 big ones can sneak up on me
coming across an ancient bridge. When I send out the last
announcement for the last page, you'll hear what it sounds like.
It was a LONG one.
After it had gone, he returned to the switch ......
..... and went back to his train.
Phil: Come on Steve, what happened next?
Sorry Phil, I have to take this in order and it'll all get mixed up. I told you when you came in that door you'd have to be patient, and I meant it. I can have Al here in 2 minutes and you'll be off to Bask and Robin's, pronto.
Phil: When is he coming?
Soon.
As the UP cleared the flood gates I got these. The quality is poor because I was shooting into a white light inferno. I need to play with that setting, duh.
This was near my perch at the flood gates. Notice the old
rails that came off of the main line and serviced the docks.
That's the ramp with the rails on it. Berwick is a very old
town. It predates the Civil War by a bunch.
I know you are interested in that Phil.
Maybe you'll enjoy the next sequence of events.
Oops, I forgot a few shots taken about the time the
BNSF didn't show up for the bridge. I'd thrown them into
this bunch which makes sense if ....... forget it.
I was up on the rails (or near).
Mz BNSF was down the rails on the side track.
Panning a little right, you can see the dock rails down there.
She pulled forward and stopped to let that UP cross the river.
That picture is interesting because it looks like she could come
off the main line onto the deserted spur to the docks.
I took a fast shot of the bridge at hand cart level.
I couldn't see the UP because there is a sharp curve on the other side.
After the UP crossed, and Robert got back in the cab, she pulled forward very slowly.
Over the underpass.
Past the tugboat landing.
And onto the bridge.
Phil: That's pretty exciting, Steve.
I 'll spare you the other 5 pictures. It was getting late. I think
it was after four o'clock. I packed up and headed through the
little neighborhood streets of Berwick and onto US 90. I was
riding along and then, mercy, there was the Union Pacific train
running on the side of me. I got up to speed. I'd beat that sucker
back to Bayou Sale and get myBS shot.
Phil: You weren't tired?
No young Phil, adrenalin is my drug.
Phil: What?
Don't worry about it and don't do drugs, even adrenalin.
I beat the train there by 5 minutes and had plenty of time
to choose my perch.
And, I nailed it. That's I 49/US 90 overhead. This is the
Bayou Sale side track area.
But, I wasn't finished with Mz 4790 yet. I flew down Alice C.
Rd and crossed the tracks as the last car passed. I hit 182
and accelerated. Soon I passed her and set up just east of
Albania Plantation which is east of Jeanerette. I went into
a deep ditch for a different perspective.
I nailed that one, too. It's all luck. The five engines were
so quiet I couldn't believe it. It was like they were electric engines.
which, of course, they are to a great degree.
She was gone and I would not pursue. There was no way
I could follow her through Jeanerette. I'd had a good run
and was ready to relax and putt on home.
I got to New Iberia, it was after 5 and almost 6 pm. The
Louisiana and Delta engine was coming back from the sugar
mill at NI and wanted me to document its run to the
yard.
Phil: Is that true?
Yes, Phil.
I did and shot a whole series of shots. I didn't make it home
until after 7.
Phil: Did anyone miss you?
That's it, go home Phil.
