It was a beautiful December 21 st afternoon. I told my wife I was leaving as soon as I mopped the downstairs bedroom. You have to be affirmative with women.
I didn't get out of Breaux Bridge before I saw a train. The L&D was at the Enterprise Petroleum plant.
The engine can only get 5 cars out of the yard at one time,
so it's a building situation which takes a lot of time since
the yard is across the Lafayette highway.
Here is the train that is being built. The tracks to the right
go to the plant. The tracks the cars are sitting on are the
old Baton Rouge Branch of the Southern Pacific, Lafayette to Anchorage.
I'd spent a day or two watching the Breaux Bridge polka.
I didn't need to spend another minute.
I'd stroll on over to New Iberia where 1708 and 1501 were
hauling cars out "The Mop", a nickname for the old Missouri
Pacific line that once went to Port Barre. This is where it
crossed the Southern Pacific and went off to Jefferson Island
or joined Pershing St. for a ride down into Sugarcane Alley.
There they go crossing Old US 90, southbound.
Here, they are passing the MoP yard on the northeast
side of New Iberia next to the historic sugar mill that is being
torn down.
I let them go and headed to Baldwin where I thought I
might just catch the Amtrak and a waiting BNSF freight.
I really thought I'd be late, but didn't worry about that since
it was such a pretty day. A ride down Sugarcane Alley on
the "Old 90" is never work.
I swear the dispatcher called the train a CSX freight. But it wasn't.
Sorrel was still hopping. The mill in New Iberia was finished.
At Baldwin, the BNSF waited.
I rode to Cleco quickly and turned slowly to my parking place.
My front tire washed out. Notice the pattern in the mud.
See the imprint of my boot to the left of it. If I had not hit
the grass, it would not have been pretty. Stuff happens fast,
even when you are going slowly. Wear a helmet.
Here she came. I never tire of this train or this neat place.
I am never bothered, there is no one around and the rails
are always a show. I could picnic here and it would be cool.
Barbequing by the Charenton Canal Rail Bridge would be a hoot.
By the way, Baldwin is a real rail center with the Louisiana
and Delta having a branch and branch office there.
No wavy hand. The hand must not be a general issue. 188 has one.
Why do they have the curtains pulled? Are they navigating
with only the use of the camera?
And away she went, possibly on TV?
The freight never moved. Something must be coming
behind the Amtrak.
It's all a game of hide and seek. That BNSF train is a mile away
or more, thus the contortion of the rails compressing.
The train is beyond the crossing at La.83.
These long distance shots produce a water color effect I really like.
Some may say they are flawed. Yes, if you are a strict purist.
I rather not live within those confines.
Since nothing was happening, I hauled it to another favorite
place, the Bayou Sale sidetrack.
It is lonesome place and it has a great overpass which frames
my shots of trains for my new book.
The confused dispatcher said that a train would be here for
the BNSF to meet. There was no train and the light going west
toward the BNSF was green.
Something was coming from the east and it was not stopping.
Some people don't get my hobby. I once didn't understand
"fishing". I fish for train shots with a camera. Now, does it
make sense. If not, slap yo mamma.
Here I was doing test shots and to see if the train at Baldwin
was coming despite the lights. Obviously, the dispatcher had
changed the game plan when I was busy. These shots were
taken from a distance, also, but not as far as the Baldwin shots
were. Check out the green lights.
A train was coming from the east. Yes, these shots qualify for my book.
A little cleaning up will make this one perfect.
I raced back to Baldwin because I knew the BNSF would
be able to leave as soon as the west bound got by.
And, I was right.
Here's a picture of my bike. Yes, I had enough time to
walk over and do it before that slowpoke got into close shot
range.
Maybe I should have monitored it a little closer.
This next shot is down and dirty industrial, the kind I like.
I had a nice little scenery shot to end this, but it would have spoiled the mood.
I'll never get tired of doing this Old 90, "The Old Spanish Trail".
It's a great road for train chasing and scenic beauty.