Chasing Old AKDN 701

Topping the Rayne overpass is always the height of anticipation.

This time a far off  ex-Santa Fe led train could be seen on the Elenore Rd. end of the Crowley sidetrack.

I recrossed the bridge and went beneath it for this zoomed out shot.
I had gone to the Lafayette yard. There was one in the starting blocks headed west, but it was dead.
There was heavy work being done near Duson. Everything seemed shut down west of Lafayette.

Going to Elenore Road was the better plan.

Heading toward Crowley, the target of my outing.

I had heard on train radio that the Acadiana Railroad grain train was going  to Crowley from Eunice.

Catching it has been a void in my collection.

I'd followed a crew around Crowley after the bridge had burned. 

They were  using Mz. Tiger, a GP10.
The engine had to be brought through Kinder to
get down to Crowley which I was told  was expensive.

      Description from Wikipedia:

  GP10-Illinois Central RR 8063, Built in December 1954 as IC GP9 9063 (c/n 19905) on EMD Order 5359, it was rebuilt at Paducah in 1970 to a GP10 8063, later becoming CC 8063. It came back to the Illinois Central RR in 1996 and was later sold to Railserve
Still later, sold to AKDN RR.

I went looking for her.

But, I had an idea that AKDN would be using another engine. the one they have perennially used for the

Eunice to Crowley run.
I looked on the north side of the mainline.

I looked on the south side of the US 90 yard.

I looked on the west spur coming off of the yard.

I looked at the Crowley Split. 

The track going straight crosses US 90, then the mainline and may service a mill on the south side.

There is a storage area at the west warehouses on the south side, also.

The rails bending left are a continuation of the yard nowadays.

They merge before US 90 and cross skirting the mainline to the north side, then join it.

At one time they served the north side of the mainline and the depot.

I thought I saw  her yellow nose sticking out.

She was on the white line,  on the  spur bending west. I had looked down the west spur from its west end
 but couldn't see her because of the bend in the track and the foliage.

The red lines are the US 90 yard and access to the main line (yellow)

You can click this map and get a larger version.

The car that was dropped off can be seen where the white line, below the yellow,  bends straight going east.
Click the map.

I looked toward Eunice and wondered if I'd heard wrong on train radio.

I rode around dazed and confused.

I came upon a pile of refuse.

There were ties in the pile and cement. 

What historic evidence had been destroyed this time?

This was on what I call the Missouri Pacific side of the mainline.

The south side, in my opinion, was served first by the Opelousas Gulf and North East RR

and later by the Texas and Pacific RR.

Now, there's a mystery. Was that true how long?

The T&P was owned by the Missouri Pacific.

I'll have to check on the abandonment dates.

The T&P continued serving Church Point until the  late 70's.

Below CP, into Rayne, may have been just a bit earlier.

From Rayne to Crowley, much earlier, I'll guess.

Shortly after 11:00, here she came strolling in.

Switching had to be done.

All but one car was cut off.

 This from Wikipedia

 The EMD GP30 is a 2,250 hp (1,680 kW) four-axle B-B diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois between July, 1961 and November, 1963. 948 examples were built for railroads in the United States and Canada (2 only), including 40 cabless B units for the Union Pacific Railroad.

It was the first so-called "second generation" EMD diesel locomotive, and was produced in response to increased competition by a new entrant, General Electric's U25B, which was released roughly at the same time as the GP30. The GP30 is easily recognizable due to its high profile and stepped cab roof, unique among American locomotives. A number are still in service today in original or rebuilt form.

She drug the lone car over to the south side.

It seem Old 701 is well ventilated.

She passed Mz Tiger without even saying hello.

I ran over to the lot behind the first set of warehouses where you see, "car dropped off" in white.

Click the map and you can read all of that.

She backed off the white line into the white spur that serves the warehouses above.

This one may have been an invasion of privacy.

I believe this property was an old mill.

Leaving the car,  she ran back across the highway by herself.

She returned to the deserted cars, hooked them up and drug them onto the north route 

which meets the mainline.

It was about 11:35.
She would zig passed the stored car on the old mill/depot route.
That's the mainline at the top of the "S".

The brakeman had walked from the crossing to here.

He got on the engine for the short run to the switch for the mill.

I don't believe what you see in the foreground is the mill switch but

another which goes off to the south side.

A crossing is right there and this should be easily solved.

The only thing I can see is an old switch to the MP north side.

I don't believe there was a switch to the south between the road (left) and the mill (right)

Here he is switching to the mill off of the mainline.

See the "ready cars" on the left.

He's pulling empties to switch out.

Without the motorcycle these shots would be impossible.

I'll end  this sequence with a few shots of old stuff in the vicinity.

This is an old warehouse still serving that purpose.

And, this is an old feed store still serving that purpose.

A non functioning extension of the mill rails can be seen in the foreground.

I may have to retract that. There is fresh ballast on them.

12:26, the train is moving in reverse.

The train backed up the mill approach and onto the mainline, then down the mainline approach toward
US 90 and the the US 90 yard.

The brakeman rode the lead car in preparation to "flag" the highway, evidently a requirement even though there is a functional signal there.

At MLK Park, the engine emerged  by itself. It had left the pushed cars in the yard.

It would go to the switch and reverse back into the yard to pick them up for the return trip to Eunice.

She would have to climb through Crowley to the elevation of  Interstate 10.

And go under it.

The brakeman would have to flag the crossing of La.99 which shadows I-10.

The speed limit does not apply to the train which probably never exceeded 25.

I would meet the train at all but 2 crossings on the way to Eunice. 

I'm sure the crewmen were amused.

I really do like the "Plains" shots.

 I had anticipated the best shots to be at Mowata. 

I don't know.  I changed positions before the train arrived.

Looking toward Eunice, 701's destination.

This sign was bent down as if hit by something,  possibly the train.

Maybe it was too close.

Maybe a person riding on the side of the car hit it?

Too bad.

Here she came.

Mowata had a large yard at one time.

There is evidence of at least 3 crossings on the road.

Approaching the Bayou Mallet trestles.

Coming into Eunice. This is very close to the right of way of the Southern Pacific 

which originated ultimately in New Iberia, ran through Abbeville, turned 

north at Gueydan and crossed old US 90 at Midland, then proceeded 

north though Iota and into Eunice, then competed with the Iron Mountain 

into Mamou.

The bend coming into Eunice doesn't seem "right".

Then she would  head off to  the AKDN yard in north Eunice.(south of the mainline)

This shot is taken from the other end, (MLK Ave)

This is at Coburns. Those cars are sitting on the old Southern Pacific rails to Midland.

The flat car holds the remnants of the bridge that was burned.

This is another shot of the yard approach area where the cars will be picked up by Union Pacific RR later.

Her job done, AKDN 701 rests until the next time.

She's been at it for 50 years now, more than most mortals work.

These engines are rated at 40 years but don't tell her that.

The G30's are amazing engines. You should read about them.

Even their naming has a story.

I then ran over to Opelousas where a new resident was interned at the repair shop.

A brief search revealed this.

It is an Ex Canadian National .

...... identified them as GS-413a (7100-7101) and GS-413b (7102-7107). ... CN rebuilt them.

CN 7101

  It is a   SW1200RM, GS-413a
    renumbered from 7301:1 in 1986
    retired 29 February 2000
    sold to Canac, early 2000

CN SW1200 family

Info can be found Here.

Here are the usual suspects.

Then, who's working? 

Good Ol' 701.

BURNING HOUSES

Coming  home, the final demise of the sharecropper homes was seen south of Arnaudville.