Train Chase: Williams St.

I had planned to continue the rail ride to Morgan City. My progress only netted 4 or 5 miles. I made the mistake of repeating Williams Street. There is a Louisiana and Delta Railroad yard there. I passed it successfully but got tuned around at the historic depot. This will be 1 page of bizerk nutz as I sat in 96 degree sunshine and watched diesels move cars around. I know the sheriff's department has been notified. I purposely removed my helmet to reveal that I was not a middle eastern Muslim terrorist, but simply a barely gray haired little old man. Being unprotected from the sun's radiation only made me crazier. I think at one point I became molten.

The story begins:
I stopped to shoot the obligatory engine shots
at the entrance to the NI yard. I thought the
train looked pretty good, ready to hit the big
time even though I figured it wasn't. Notice
it's pulling cars which came from the carbon
black plants. They are southeast of New Iberia
down La.83 and the other down 317,south of
Centerville. This train must have pulled them
here.

Cool, through with that.



I mozzied on down the line to the station. Remember,
we did that yesterday. The big UP Roadrunner was still
there, sick? There was one other engine, a Louisiana and
Delta engine, number 1504, Mz Patoutville. The L&D names
their engines. Actually it's just Patoutville. I added the "Mz"
because vehicles of any kind get a lady's name except for
some of mine who are called alternative names.



A fella came out of the L&D office and told the engineer
something. Mz P. took off. She could have gone to the
old MP yard by the once MP shop or gone to where I had
just came from, the Williams St. yard.



Following these beast around is fun on all kinds of levels. My
electric train quit running in 1959 and this is the best thing
since.



Where ya going Mz P.? How bout takin' me?



Bam, she smacked right against the south end of those
carbon black cars. What was going on? I knew, from having
watched the dance up at Ville Platte. She was going to
assist in getting those 2 engines at the head of the long
string of cars back on the south end. Everything just stopped.
I think they had to map a strategy.



I rode back up to the front to see what was running. An
engineer had arrived in that auto.



He was busying around in the cab of 1501. 1500 was
on the back end. I don't know their names though I'm
sure they come from good families.



He went to open a door on the side. The thing seemed ill.
He reached in and a crillion horses complained. It was
like what you do when you bypass the governor on your
lawnmower. The thing revved but it was not hitting on
all cylinders. Maybe that is why there were 2 engines.



I raced back to the other end. I saw this nice tree and
thought it would provide a great frame for my next shot.
In reality there was only this shade tree on the whole
stretch and I was going to use it.



I was temped to stay and watch all the maneuvering,
but I broke lose. I headed back to the station.
I thought the big church looked pretty cool from
behind and figured not everyone took this pose.
So, being one that treads where others fear, I shot it.



I passed the Parish Courthouse and came to the end of
Williams Blvd. where the rails bend toward Olivier and
Jeanerette.



This little place looked like a barber shop of old. I was
near Konrico Rice.



I decided that I'd give the engines enough time
to get something done and then I returned
to the dance. I knew I couldn't leave. It was
getting good. They were going to dance the
Rubic Cube Shuffle.

1504 had 1500 attached to it. 1501 had a gondola
attached to it. All were still facing the same way.

If they had gotten reversed, I'd lost it. But,
there they all were in some kind of titanic
huddle. What's the plan girls?

See 1500 lurking behind Mz. P.? Ya'll getting
a little close there.





This was cute. It reminded of Ville Platte.
There must be some step that includes a gondola.



Next, whoa, there are my two boxcars from yesterday, the
Golden West Service and the Western Pacific. 1501 is sitting
by herself, wall flower. The tank cars are on another track.



1504 and 1500 were at the south end with the gondola.
It's one of the pipe gondolas from the pipe yard at the
Port of Iberia.



My two boxcars were behind the pipe dola.



An open boxcar beckoned me. If I thought it was going
anywhere, I might have been tempted to jump in.



The two engines pulled the line south stopped and backed up.
The two engines pulled the line south stopped and backed up.
The two engines pulled the line south stopped and backed up.



3 of the tank cars were evidently cut lose and placed in
front of 1501. This tale would eventually be played out.
Everything had a reason though it eluded me.



It was going so slowly I had to take a ride. I went over to
the MP yard and low and behold, Mz Mountain Laurel sat
there. I hoped she wasn't sick. Had she lost her invitation?
Pray tell, had she not been given one? No way she was sick,
the L&D has a great shop on the Avery Island branch. She
was fine physically, but could the slight of no invite have
hurt her emotionally? Had the dance been just for those with
the "right" clothes? She still wears her old rags and doesn't
have a new spiffy orange dress like the other girls.

Speaking of the L&D shop, Joe is the boss there.
Lurleen is back. She and Jim Bob at the main office
had a little spat. So said she threw a tie plate at him.
I know how that hurts. I had 43 thrown at me, not to mention
the spike collection.

BTW, the Breaux Bridge Railroad Museum is temporarily closed.



While there, I had to shoot another obligatory
picture of another lost sugar mill.



Our trees are priceless. We'll really see some fine oaks at the
end of this one.



I rode back by the old MP shop just to make sure she was
doing OK.



Past the shop, what is left of the Jefferson Island branch
makes its way to the UP main line. That's Rose Hill Cemetery.



There she makes the curve. It is one half of a "Y" that was
here.



Back at the dance, 1501 was sitting with her 3 tankers.
Was she through dancing?



1500 was hooked up with the gondola.



1504, Mz P. sat by herself. What had happened.
Had there been a fight?



There's a lot of getting in and out for Mr. Engineer.
I have a feeling it's Senior Engineer. Just a hunch.



Mz.P. had backed into the carbon black cars.



1501 fired up. An engineer or brakeman was on the lead car.
The excitement was similar to Elvis joining the band.



1501 pushed the cars across the road and backed up leaving
them there.

Mz. P. pulled forward, strutting to the music.



And hooked up, the brakeman still in position.



She was making a run for it with those tanker boys.
I was in hot pursuit. I saw myself as her chaperon.
Through downtown New Iberia we flew as she tried to elude me.



The tank cars were in front, with that brakeman pointing
the way hanging off the lead car. It was a sight.
He must have felt like Superman. Hope there weren't any
bugs. Did he have cinder goggles?



Past the station she cruised.



My zoom was working for once, so I was able to
keep an eye on them.



Here they are making the Jeanerette bend.



I got stuck a couple of times and had to hustle.
Here, on the south end of town, it got trying.



I raced down old 90 and slid up into a field. She wasn't
getting away from me. I stand for no hanky panky.



That was the last I saw of them until I checked out a crossing
and could barely see her light backing into a siding and sneak
out of sight. They thought they had outrun me and were safely
hidden away.

Better think again. I'm sure you have seen people do a
"double take". The brakeman did just that when he saw me
shooting this at Quachita Feed. I don't know what the name
of the petroleum business was, but Mz P. was dropping the tank
boys off there and then going home. I had not trusted her
and now I felt bad.





I rode back to the dance for one last look. 1501 and 1500
were still swinging.



One was at one end, the other at the opposite end. Wonder
if they were going to "push and pull all night"?
Ya know, I don't make up all this great prose. I steal
a lot of it which brings us to the Rolling Stones Lyrics
Break for this outing. The "push and pull" quote came
from here, "Loving Cup".

Use your best country twang accent while singing this.
Or not, but you'd be cheating yourself if you don't.

(M. Jagger/K. Richards)

I'm the man on the mountain, come on up.
I'm the plowman in the valley with a face full of mud.
Yes, I'm fumbling and I know my car don't start.
Yes, I'm stumbling and I know I play a bad guitar.

Give me little drink from your loving cup.
Just one drink and I'll fall down drunk.

I'm the man who walks the hillside in the sweet summer sun.
I'm the man that brings you roses when you ain't got none.
Well I can run and jump and fish, but I won't fight
You if you want to push and pull with me all night.

Give me little drink from you loving cup.
Just one drink and I'll fall down drunk.

I feel so humble with you tonight,
Just sitting in front of the fire.
See your face dancing in the flame,
Feel your mouth kissing me again,
What a beautiful buzz, what a beautiful buzz,
What a beautiful buzz, what a beautiful buzz.
Oh, what a beautiful buzz, what a beautiful buzz.

Yes, I am nitty gritty and my shirt's all torn,
But I would love to spill the beans with you till dawn.

Give me little drink from your loving cup.
Just one drink and I'll fall down drunk.

Neat song, they were playing it at the dance.



The choreography has to be intense.
I needed to get away. I think some kind of magic was in play there.
Nothing ever happened until I left. The story of my life.
The USL farm seemed the place to go.



What a nice little ride it is through there.



I pulled over in St. Martinville and lucked out with an
almost car less shot. I tried one further down in the really
good stuff but failed. It was 5pm.



North of St. Martinville and St.John is one of the prettiest
places on Earth. It is on a deserted farm which backs on
Bayou Teche. Moss is getting hard to find. This place is
an oak and moss garden. It looks haunted even in the daytime.













Another obligatory shot. Ya have to be good to the one
who brung ya, dances included.



"Good night and thank you so much".
Jagger just said that. So, I guess I'll be
movin' on too. BTW, if you don't have
Exile on Main Street from 1972, the
Stones have re issued it. They threw in
a cd of unpublished songs. Most are great.
One or two are really weird because you
know the music, but the words don't match.
Or, you know the words but not the music.
And, you think that you are glad they
chose the right ones. That's just some
free info I had lying around. Now every-
thing is tidy. We square for this hoedown?