Done 2 HH The Red Sand Hill Railroad Part 2

Continuing west on S. Railroad Ave., I came to the new Amtrak Depot.
This is a Great Page which covers the depot and others. Click Here and
then come back. Then you can go back over there, haha, and visit all the
depots.

This is an unattended waiting room bordering a rough area.
I felt a little nervous in the day time. To add to it, it is a city
bus terminal. Across the tracks the competition waited.



I moved north, following my GPS and the still intact rails.



The new depot was where you see the red "X". Where
this small tank farm and cars below are located is at the
green "X".



It was either a work car, mail car or baggage car.





I moved north. There was a very large junk/ scrap metal, yard and warehouse with box car access doors. It was located between the green "X's".



I thought this was the end of the intact rails.



See the large junk yard in the distance.

The rails did continue.



A junk truck approached. I tried to move while
positioning myself for the next picture. It was not
my smoothest maneuver . The truck driver stopped and
asked if I was "OK". I asked if he could repeat the
question. He gave me that "Aren't you a crazy old f--t" smile.
I replied with a "Yes, I am a crazy old f--t" grin.



I always get a little excited about trestles. I had
been in a perfect position prior to the 40 ton truck
appearing. Repositioning was a pain.



Obviously, I was successful. I am good. You do realize
I hardly ever get off my motorcycle. I'm also a very lazy
old f--t.

I had to catch another profile.



I want to thank the good folks at Southern Scrap
for not running me off. They all seemed very nice.
That's a wild guess since I only saw the truck driver.



An older warehouse was further north.



The rails continued north. Good thing I was going that way.



The rails passed another tank farm.
My lust was almost overcoming. If I had had a red
flag, I'd have put it on the bike. It was completely obsolete.
There was NO rail traffic this far north anymore.
Still, if stopped, there would have been an investigation
and that might have led to more serious allegations.
I wonder what's more serious than stealing a railroad
caution sign?



I had thought the raised area to the right was
rail fill. Now I think it is a protective levee.
Remember the flood of 1913? No? I showed you a picture.
I flippin' give up.



The rails were dipping to the river. A gate made me detour.
This time.



The red "X" marks where the rail bridge had been.
It is at the place mentioned as Bridge Junction.
The railroad had at one time had the name "Lake
Charles and Navigation Railroad". Had it ferried
cars? Had it ferried them here?



The golden grass marks where the bridge landed.



This was the approach to the bridge or a levee or both.



I returned to US 171 and crossed the river headed
to Moss Bluff where I saw the railroad continuing.
This is where the depot was, I'll bet. Any takers?



The rails ran up to US 171 and crossed it. This is the
approach to the highway.



Another viewpoint. Don't be discouraged, it takes a trained eye.



The rails traveled through Belfied. Wonder where
that name came from (Long-Bel?) I'll bet. How
bout some history? Any takers?

"Long-Bell was another of the Midwestern retail lumber dealers, headquartered in Kansas City, who were seeking new sources of raw materials after the Michigan and Wisconsin forests were depleted. And it was only natural for them to follow the rails of Kansas City Southern, as they were spiked to the cross ties on the right-of-way south of Shreveport. In February-March, 1906, a Long-Bell excursion train, carrying top officials and customers, inspected all the Long- Bell sawmill plants, Bon Ami, Deridder, and Lufkin, Texas, before proceeding to Lake Charles to visit the prospective newest member, the Bradley-Ramsey mills".



I have mixed feeling as to whether this building
was there when the railroad came through. The
rails would have been on the back side of the building.


Adjoining it is this one. It was on the rails and the door
seems to verify that.



Leaving the red building this road rode the fill.



The rails leave 171 at Gills. At the next road I headed east to
meet them at Toups.



This is looking south back towards Gills.



This is looking north towards Gaytine.



I stopped there and shot my bike.



I arrived at Fulton, the junction with the NOT&M, also
known as the Missouri Pacific. I was at US 190.
Here's looking toward Kinder and Opelousas and Baton Rouge.



Here's looking toward Ragley and Texas.

A refresher:

"The Louisiana & Pacific Railway Company, incorporated under the laws of the state of Louisiana, owns and operates a tap line within that state, including approximately 80 miles of main and branch lines, its main line extending from De Ridder southerly to Lake Charles, approximately 45 miles, crossing and forming a junction with the main line of the New Orleans, Texas, & Mexico at Fulton, which is about 25 miles from De Ridder and 19 miles from Lake Charles".

"Located along the line of the Louisiana & Pacific are certain lumber mills, which are called proprietary mills because controlled by the same interests which own the stock of the Louisiana & Pacific. Some of these are at De Ridder, Bon Ami, and Longville, all of which points are north of Fulton, while one is at Gossport, near Lake Charles. At Bannister and Ragley, on the line of the Louisiana & Pacific, north of Fulton, there are non-proprietary mills".





Magnolia Church is mentioned on the last page. It
is just north of here. I just checked and I said we'd
come by here, I guess we're here. That's it. Well not exactly.
There's the Mason's Hall. I skimmed the article and I have
to tell you, I 'll have to go back and really read it. You
can read it if you read the next sentence or two.

This the Mason's Hall. I found something fairly
interesting which reflect the area. CLICK HERE



This was the end of the line on the first ride. I took some
other shots going home but they don't fit here. Nothing
real interesting, just the location of the Kinder depot which
is now in Ville Platte, it's new location.

I returned and went back by the church to get back in the
groove. I don't think even the paying readers have seen
those shots yet. At least they didn't say they had. That will be later.

It's later. CLICK HERE to go to page 3.

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