The weather was becoming troubled as I assessed whether
to head off to Opelousas to check on what was happening with
the AKDN RR. I'd follow the Lafayette rails first and then head
north.
That was a bad idea. Constantly monitoring the Lafayette
frequency, I was soon caught up in Lafayette's rail traffic.
There was a local train or two, there was a west bound freight,
there were work crews and there was the Sunset Limited passenger
train, all vying for the use of 6 miles of track.
This is my journal entry of how it all went down.
I rode by the salt mine and shot down to the Vermillion River.
It's never the same, thus my fascination.
As I crossed the mainline rails near their turn south on Cameron,
here came Mr. M's L&D tug headed to the yard. I'd limber up
and chase him.
I'd chase him when he got by.
He beat me to the yard, but not by much. There he sat
preparing to drop his cars.
I rode around for another shot of his train. The clouds were
affording a better photographic environment. Most of the
time the sun has no mercy and the pictures stink.
Note the L&D train chaser car to the right of the train.
He's a professional, I'm an amateur.
There's the grain train from Crowley.
In the meantime the L&D had dropped her cars and was
waiting to get back on the main to make her way to the
BR. (Breaux Bridge Rt.) and then she needed to get down
to Elks. Traffic would make it difficult.
The famed "alley" where I take a lot of shots is just to the
to the left of the train.
Ah, I did take one from there.
This is why Mr. M couldn't get back on the main immediately.
This is taken from the lot next to the University underpass.
Something would have to give.
Mr. M and the container train met at the 901 switch.
I rather like this shot.
Mr. M won the "chicken" contest this time.
That finished, I decided to diversify the train chasing epics
by including the guys that keep the rails safe and working.
This time I'm going to feature "Le Blank the Welder".
I shot this truck believing it to be his. Possibly it is one of
the crew's vehicles. It is mysteriously parked against a switch
as if barring it from being tampered with.
Le Blank was down near Pinhook with a high rail truck
welding away.
The bridge part? was still there.
I took the above shot from the alligator skinning parking lot.
I needed to get back to Pinhook so I took the bookstore
parking lot, this time avoiding the crazy lady . I sat waiting
for traffic to ease and then I noticed the concrete patches.
There had been spurs here that lined up with the old Shilling
Shack (part of the Budweiser property). Wow. See the ancient
steel building in the alley? The red arrow points to the Pinhook
mainline crossing.
This is looking back east where they crossed Pinhook.
I just made myself crazy switching back and forth from
my old map to the new one. Lafayette has changed so
drastically that trying to figure old rail routes is a challenge.
But, some of the crazy turns the incoming rails from the
south take suddenly make sense.
Checking back with Mr. M., he was still sitting at the 902
or 101 or one of them.
The 101 is in the foreground.
I knew why. I rushed back to Pinhook and the alligator parking lot.
The Limited had been sitting for 11 minutes at the 140 until
Le Blank cleared up his welding operation.
Here she came. You can hear her before you can see her.
The car is at Kaliste Saloom Rd.
The low place with the dark lines is the Vermillion River
rail bridge.
And, drum roll, I blurred the best shot so badly I chunked it.
I raced to the station.
This field was all rail stuff at one time. I found the base of
a water tank out there. I may have been just in time. It
is now gone.
After the Limited cleared, here came Mr. M, under steam.
This was taken at the Shilling Shack where I will look closely at
theevidence on the ground. I know there was a siding on the
west side. It is still there. I bet it lines up perfectly with
what I found on Pinhook. Heck, we are looking right at it.
I gave Mr, M. too much of a lead by shooting too many shots
at Schilling. I blew the river crossing shot and didn't catch
him until Kaliste Saloom where five o'clock traffic had already begun.
After getting swept off on KS. It was time for some quiet.
I followed the BR a bit on the way home.
I saw something down by the bridge I hadn't seen. I will
take a ride down there. The prospects are killing me even more now.
Across the road was a scene which is very common along
our bayous where the trees grow thickly.
Oh yea, I gotta take a look. That next.
