I am obsessed with old rail spurs, especially ones no longer on maps. This newly found one, on Pinhook, is near the crossing.
Today afforded a better look. This is looking north. I think
that is all the description I should give now or lose your
attentiveness.
I believe the above shot will line up favorably with the one below,
each receiving a way point on my GPS which reminds me to
download it before I forget. The premium members got a
full length movie of this location.
Having done as much as I could, as there were these drunk
looking guys at another access point, I rode toward the depot.
I stopped at the old Gerami Warehouse to get myself arranged.
Then I heard a horn blowing. Yes, I was in the right place again.
I, having mastered dialing a number on my cellphone, called
my wife so she could co experience the train happening with me.
Notice the curved track below. Why? I'm saying multiple
alignments (several previous side by side track right of ways)
were used in the approach / exit of the rails leading into
Lafayette, thus the wavy tracks creating a chicane of sorts.
GPSing doesn't work because what is available can be off 20
feet and that's outside the margin of error that I am willing to accept.
If I am being inflammatory, again, that's OK.
To those accusers, I say, "On Guard, Miss Sure".
I'm glad I mentioned the untrustworthyness of the GPS.
I will now have to do an analog survey of the Pinhook spur.
Darnit.
Though she had to rely on my play by play, she squealed
with glee. (I made that up). Actually, I threw the phone by
the tracks so she could listen to the entire 5,820 feet of it
while I yelled at the phone explaining each car that passed
above her, some with numbers and some less vividly.
I don't know if she heard it all because she was not there
when I picked up the phone. I called her back and she said she
had hung up when she figured I'd gotten run over, finally.
I then thought strongly about going north. I was
going to get more photos of the old Southern Pacific
route out of Lafayette. I got onto Martin Luther King
road and decided my timing was not that good so I aborted
the mission. I was getting some pretty fierce stares by
what appeared to be out of work dread locked NFL wide
receivers. BTW, you can tackle by grabbing the hair. It
is not part of the uniform. That's a fact.
From there I went on out to the yard. I'd listened to the
radio and the dispatcher was fussing because the relief
crew was not "on board" yet. Then someone finally picked
up the radio and took the warrant. I lost interest in this
bunch and rode west. If they ever caught up with me,
then we could jostle.
Below is a cement maker. I have enjoyed it for a long time
and while I was at the stop light west of Scott, I had my
chance to share it with you.
At Rayne I pulled in under the bridge. For some reason,
maybe the radio squawk, I thought the lingering train
had gotten by me.
I turned my back and dang if he didn't. They are so quiet
on the welded rails. I'm now thinking of all those once rail
walkers and the mangled bodies I keep finding. Putting
2 and 2 together sure explains a lot.
At Crowley, I could not believe it. AKDN's Mexican crew
was working on 3018's (Tiger) birthing spur.
I actually rode right between their bucket and the truck,
amazing them with my riding skills. They clapped and yelled,
"otra vez", but I didn't think I could do it going in the other
direction.
I'd seen these guys several years earlier up at Bunkie.
They are workers. I wonder why some of those angry, out of
work NFL receivers couldn't do that kind of labor?
Hair length requirements, drug tests? No way, Jose'.
I guess they put a derailer there to keep themselves from
being run over by a quiet train. Actually, it is there because
there are rules. I see them all over these days.
Below, cars are still stored on the old NOT&M rails going to
Eunice. That line to Eunice is where the burnt bridge is located.
The New Orleans, Texas, and Mexico built the depot in Crowley.
Maybe some of these worker's ancestors were instrumental in
that construction? It does have a south of the border flavor.
I, after seeing the Mexicans, decided to continue the chase.
If they could work their butts off, so could I.
I caught the container train east of Mermetau. It was stopping,
or slowing down, precipitously.
It's on the far left. This shot was taken at high speed which
attests for its worth. Possibly you can see the black
smoke the engines were emitting. That kept me going as
I knew I was gaining on them.
I had time to set up in Mermentau as the train approached
at what had to be 10 mph.
I ran down to the water and caught this shot, unhampered
by the usual foliage.
I had asked Dave where he thought the old bridge had
crossed the river. He was right on. It was between the
new span and the rail bridge. Can you see the support
behind the orange topped pipe?
Looking across the river, the east side support is in the right
foreground and the west side can be seen, barely, on the
west shore. Or, maybe it can't, your call.
Needing to go north, I backtracked to Estherwood. I've
been misspelling that name for years. At Plaquemine Brule
(burnt persimmon) Bayou, I took the required shots of
what appears to be a small gas pipeline compressor station.
And an ancient water pumping station for the rice fields.
Since Virgil had mentioned seeing another pumping station
up at Hathaway, I'll show you the pictures of it here. Getting
water to the fields was a big deal. Though some would think
it, our rain supply would not do the job.
Cool, huh?
Then I took some shots of the bridge. It's a pontoon type
having only one lane. A very long time ago I was lost out
here, and maybe a little inebriated. But, I remember crossing
the bayou on a ferry. Later I returned and the ferry was gone
and the road blocked.
I crossed the bridge and saw this neat area on the east side
of the road. No it wasn't "neat". Garbage was everywhere.
I wanted the shot so badly I picked it all up and put it in a
barrel that was for that purpose. There was a towel I wasn't
going to touch. If I was a good person I'd picked up the trash,
anyway, without the inspiration of a misrepresentative photo shot.
So, don't start giving me any accolades. I wouldn't have.
What kind of animal dumps on this beauty?
I guess the same kind that doesn't need to pick it up, eh?
Just as I was thinking that, a garbage truck showed up.
It was a supernatural statement.
I've always wanted to get a shot of the climb from the
coastal plain to the high Cajun Prairie. Today I'd get some
of it. It is quite a little incline for south Louisiana.
More garbage on the side of the road. I had cut it out in
another version of this shot. But why? Maybe it will be a
lesson to some reader who doesn't think about crapping on
the rest of us. You might be surprised at what an offended
person could do. Just saying. I'm sorry, I just saw Deliverance
for the 43rd time and it makes me a little crazy. What were
those city folks thinking about anywho? The music is great,
ain't it. Gets the blood stirring!!
The same bayou can be barely made out to the right. It was
covered with frost damaged water plants and was pretty
in person.
Across I-10, I caught this strange shot.
That was a Crowley police car going the wrong way. Honest.
Can you imagine?
Then he was gone. The other cars were frozen in bewilderment.
As was I.
I can't get good bird pictures, but this rice field was covered
with what I think are egrets.
Then I made a little mistake wanting to save time. This
road had been freshly graded. The gravel was very thick.
It would have been impassable on the DL. The 21 inch
front wheel of the DR barely got me through.
At Maxie, I tried to get to the burnt bridge on the
old NOT&M route from Crowley to Eunice, but couldn't, and
it was too late to walk. I've been given some photos of the
bridge and the giver does not want to be associated with them
for a reason. But here they are. He asked me not to
post them in fear of getting in trouble. So, I have removed
his fingerprints, so D., don't worry. I'll take the rap if the
authorities come snooping. These pictures are priceless
and should not stay in some vault.
Back in Lafayette another train waited to leave.
Just kidding, that's the same train that left before.
The bridge part remains on the Bud siding. It is still unidentified
and unclaimed.
Here's the train that was leaving.
Here it came, no, that was the earlier train.
Remember, it's the one my wife enjoyed thinking I was beneath.
This is really the setting sun over the train that was leaving
as I worked my way home. It was a good ride but my shoulder
is a bit sore this morning. I think it was the gravel riding?
No cards, please, I'll be OK. No need to put "sending me condolences"
on your to do list.
More later.
PS: The Vermillion Bridge I'll get later if I get past
that other list, you know, hers.
