I Have No Complaints

My brother in law and his wife showed up to use, I mean, to see, my wife.

I was not a factor,

so I factored out.

The wind was a little strong and the temperature was dropping.

Nevertheless, the sun was out and it was otherwise a lovely day

but it was getting colder and the wind was getting stronger 

which meant tomorrow would be colder and still windy, probably.

I'd go for a short one and see how I held up.

In the wind and cold,  town is where you want to be.
So I went to town.

You learn tidbits like that riding year round.

Forests are not as warm as towns.
The plains are very cold and windy.
I had no desire to be on the windswept plains.
Forest, though less cold, did not seem inviting.
If you have any thoughts on this, good.

I know, this ride report is starting like meaningless chatter with
people you don't know and whose opinion doesn't matter.

In that vain I'll start the ride.

Yep, its the same stuff I've been posting for years. 

This is the south ally near Four Corners in Lafayette.

I was hoping my 2 newest best friends would be there, 

Woodrow, the engineer and Lawrence, the conductor.

If they were in the cab, they didn't holler like last time.

I didn't try to frighten them the last time.
Maybe I had?

The last train through didn't make the curve.
I didn't want to say anything but May Duh was on the ladder.
The memorial was last Tuesday.
Burial was unnecessary.

All four of  her engines were running and I figured she'd be leaving soon.

I'd run down to Cade and get a good shot of her coming through.

I then  heard that she could not leave until the the L&D train from Elks got to the Lafayette Yard.

I met  up with it at the Lafayette Airport.

This is the tail engine running backwards.
I know you were freaking because there is no one in the cab.

I wandered down to Acadiana Regional  (ARA) above New Iberia.

L&D RR1500 and Mz Utah were ducking for cover as something was coming.
All I heard was that there was a train coming from Bayou Sale which is east of Franklin.
That would take some time. 

The engineer said that 1500 needed some work because it was "bucking".

Sounds serious. These things are only 50 years old.

It had to push the cars back toward Admiral Doyle drive to get its train "in the clear".

All the above is filler.

Why I'm posting this one is that I saw something different today and if you 

stuck around, you'll see it, too.

The truth:

I had heard the Sunset Limited was a little late.

With the bro in law and the wife at the house the combo

of an Amtrak photo op and escaping could not be denied even if there had been a blizzard.

There is a large lot that had to have been railroad oriented across from the depot parking lot.

It afforded a wide canvas for a picture and I would need one.

 Here she came. 

I was using the old camera which requires double clutching the shudder button to clear it 

for the next shot. It is a pain and probably the single reason Kodak failed.

 I realized that I could not shoot fast enough to get each of the two engines.

 I zoomed out in a panic.

I didn't realize what was before me.

 I panned left (north) and saw the lead engine going into the depot.

It hadn't dawned on me yet.

 From the old Coburns location, meals were delivered to the cabin.

I missed the shot of the female waiting at the top and the fella climbing with the styrofoam boxes.

 Then I realized that there were three engines.

 I tried to think of different shots and blew the one I wanted, 

the special one on the outside of the westward curve.

 

 The horns blew as she was pulling out.

I took shots of each engine's number not knowing I already had them.

Then, at the westward curve, between the historic Alex. and BR branch switches, I blew it.

Who knows if I'll ever see 3 engines again. That was a first.

I've also seen a west and eastbound Sunset Special meet. 

I have no complaints, not even the in-laws.

There is one big complaint which did not go away with the election, 

but we have to take a break once in a while or go really crazy.