HISTORY HUNTS WAREHOUSE: February 2013

Out of Time .... Baby, You're Out of Time

You don't know what's going on

Youve been away for far too long
You can't come back and think you are still mine
Youre out of touch, my baby
My poor discarded baby
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

Well, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
You are all left out
Out of there without a doubt
Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

You thought you were a clever girl
Giving up your social whirl
But you can't come back and be the first in line, oh no
You're obsolete my baby
My poor old-fashioned baby
I said baby, baby, baby you're out of time

Well, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
I said, baby, baby, baby, you're out of time
Yes, you are left out
Out of there without a doubt
Cause baby, baby, baby, you're out of time

I said, baby, baby, you're out of time.
Yes, the above lyrics by the Glimmer Twins will apply, just wait.

Here are two of the old Mountain Laurel RR tugs procured by the L&D RR in the dim past.

New Iberia Tourist Bureau Postcard

Sittin' here lonely like a broken man Servin' my time doin' the best I can Walls and bars they surround me But I don't want your sympathy Oh baby, oh baby, I just need your tender lovin' To keep me sane in this burnin' oven When my time is up be my rebirth Like I was worth on God's green earth My rebirth, my rebirth Baby yeah, mean its my rebirth, yeah Ice cold water runnin' in my brain Then they drag me back to work again Pains and blisters on my mind ? and my hands From livin' daily with those ? canvas bags Folks that feed me ? are drivin' me wild And I'll be happy like a newborn child We'll be together girl you wait and see No more walls keep your love from me Yeah can't you feel my love baby Babe I need you, squeeze you I love you, need you alright I said everything's gonna be alright And if you don't believe what I say just listen Can't you feel my love, can't you see my love Can't you hear my love, its getting louder I said baby, I need you, oh squeeze, please love I love you, I need you, yeah, yeah, right by my side I need you here by my side But I can't have you baby But I'll be home soonI'll be home soon

Source: http://lyrics-a-plenty.com/i/inside_looking_out.lyrics.php

The Animals Sittin' here lonely like a broken man Servin' my time doin' the best I can Walls and bars they surround me But I don't want your sympathy Oh baby, oh baby, I just need your tender lovin' To keep me sane in this burnin' oven When my time is up be my rebirth Like I was worth on God's green earth My rebirth, my rebirth Baby yeah, mean its my rebirth, yeah Ice cold water runnin' in my brain Then they drag me back to work again Pains and blisters on my mind ? and my hands From livin' daily with those ? canvas bags Folks that feed me ? are drivin' me wild And I'll be happy like a newborn child We'll be together girl you wait and see No more walls keep your love from me Yeah can't you feel my love baby Babe I need you, squeeze you I love you, need you alright I said everything's gonna be alright And if you don't believe what I say just listen Can't you feel my love, can't you see my love Can't you hear my love, its getting louder I said baby, I need you, oh squeeze, please love I love you, I need you, yeah, yeah, right by my side I need you here by my side But I can't have you baby But I'll be home soonI'll be home soon

Source: http://lyrics-a-plenty.com/i/inside_looking_out.lyrics.php

As their beauty faded so seemed their future. ...The Animals:

And, so it would be for L&D 1852
.

I found her all bright and shiny in her new L&D RR uniform.

The loss of her original outfit was sad, but the fact that the lady

has new cloths means that she is ready to continue the party.

I wasn't sure about the "black stripes" but they are part of the getup and have been.

Nothing happening, I left New Iberia and retreated to

Camp Pratt where it appears potential road work may commence.
I'd get permission from the Spirits of Soldiers Past, first.

For those not knowing, Camp Pratt was a Confederate training installation and prisoner stockade.

I've used it for years as a perch and rest area. The facilities are primitive but adequate.

Then I heard Union Pacific's 7505's engineer exchanging mournful rhetoric with the dispatcher.

It seems that all of the signals from Berwick west were still red.

Evidently, with permission, a train can go against a red signal, but very slowly.

I had time to get to east New Iberia and set up for a big time train shot, one

that has not happened in a while, maybe a week.

The old Missouri Pacific right of way at Nelson Canal Rd. would be perfect.

Looking east. Nope. No train yet. I would leave and venture out to find it.

Yes, she was crawling.

Time lapse was set at 2 minutes.

Moving to Central Drive, her pace was maddeningly slow.

The signal problem persisted.

I couldn't handle it so I went looking for the little Missouri Pacific yard house which a contact had told me still existed. After motoring back onto a private driveway and identifying myself as a reporter for the Baton Rouge Advocate, I took the shot while my awed audience observed my professional technique of almost falling off my motorcycle.

Thanks to Mike Palmieri, this bit of history (below) has been preserved from the 1970's. That is the old

sugar mill in the background.

Now that I've found the little house, the trailer is next.
I wonder if Struts still lives there?

It was time to check on ol', now getting older fast, UP 7505.

She had picked up steam and was at a full 30 mph gallop across New Iberia.

Evidently the light thing was fixed.

I didn't have time for a good shot and fired on the run.

I overheard the engineer saying that the crew was OUT OF TIME.

They are limited to a specific number of hours on the "road" and when that's up, it's up.

They could not make the Lafayette Yard and would have to stop the train

at the Evangeline Thruway overpass south of Broussard.

They had to get there quickly.

She and I were on the fly.

L&D RR 1852 had been joined by L&D RR 1200 for a pull into Lafayette after the tracks were cleared of the late train. A replacement crew had been ordered to get to Broussard quickly.

I beat her to Airport Rd and took my place in the ditch.

Your OJ was on its way.

They always are right next to the engines so the crew can OJ away, too many rhymes? OK.

And, that was the end of my working day.

I, too, was OUT OF TIME.

Copy? 2009 First New Iberia Rail Ride

I had done a little tuneup on Mz Guzzi. She likes the attention even if it is only psychologically beneficial. After our session, I checked to see if she was carrying all the support equipment she needs as a big boned Italian wench. We hit the road headed south. This was going to be a short putt so I headed to the most scenic stretch closest to the house. I think Section 28 road fills that bill. I was most distraught to find there is clearing going on in the once haunted woods. I hope the the landowners reap their due. It is a travesty. Let's move on.

Long story short, I ended up in New Iberia, coming in from the east on 86. I crossed Main and St.Peter and headed west. Let me say right here that I was almost tempted into doing a photo article on NI. It is a magnificently pretty and historical place. That is not true of all its area, but what town is 100% pretty? I knew I'd cross the Union Pacific tracks soon. I was south of the old Southern Pacific depot, an unfamiliar area to me. I came upon this large, rather ugly cement building which looked like it was a product of the post-Civil War, Reconstruction Error or maybe, the obamic novel, "1984". It was the parish courthouse, I think. It should have been painted gray. It was right at the tracks. It was closed for President's Day, I saw no American flags. February must be a happy month for our bureaucratic zombie clones with an attitude. That made viewing what was to come a lot easier. No traffic, no pedestrians, no winos, no screaming baby parades, no knife fights, no guns.

What interested me were the curbs on either side of the tracks and, was this the main line, this one set of rails? Here's looking up and down the tracks. It's the addiction. I was only out for a short ride and here I was looking down the rails again.

Why do people walk down railroad tracks? The obvious answer is that it's the shortest way to get somewhere. A deeper reason is that it gives the home bound a connection with the rest of the world. I remember, as a kid, kneeling down and touching the tracks and knowing I was touching the whole country and, even, other countries. Actually, I probably didn't think about "other countries". Looking down the rails is looking into adventure. Even if you are unable to go on an adventure, you know it's there when you are ready. It's hope. "Hope you can believe in", quote BO. I may vomit. If you believe his crap, you are being railroaded.

I saw this signal and wondered why it was there. It is for cars that might turn left across the tracks. I looked and looked and there were no tracks ahead of the signals, only to its left. It seemed confusing to a country boy. I now see a deeper message here. There it is America, your warning against turning left. Clarity comes with a second look. Better do that before you cross over. You do see the cemetery on that side, don't you.

I zoomed down to the depot to see if the curbs extended that far.

The rest of this article, which is not much, will require a map. Click on it and it will open up. Open it in a new window and you can keep it handy as we ride on. The rails that you see veering to the left go to Delcambre, seen on the map. New Iberia was a railroad hub. This map will show that.

I rode down to the depot just to ride down to the depot. I was there, why not?

I went to the west side and shot the rails leaving the main line. Notice the old rails stuck in the ground. Need some mystery rails to figure out, there you go. This was on Pershing St. Note the very long ties. Those mystery rails had tied into the active rails not that long ago. At least there has not been a tie change in that period. How long do ties last? I've attributed ties to 150 year old railroads. I may have gone out on a limb.

I heard the horns. No, no, no. I'm starting to think I'm a train magnet. I rushed back to the courthouse because I wanted to have the curbs as part of the pictures. I made it.

The train was slowing, really slowing.

Then, the engineer tooted the horn in two quick burst at me. There is no quick 2 toots in the book. It was a "Hi". I was reduced to 6 years old or maybe I was there already?

I continued shooting. See him waving at the window? (Imagine it Fred)

The train stopped just short of the far switch that leads to Delcambre. Even in this age of robots, I guess the brakeman still has to switch the switch. Was he a robot? I'm a Terminator fan. This was zoomed way out and I didn't know that I was catching this drama until I saw the shots at home. I had to further enlarge the pictures, the reason they are blurry.

Maybe I could get some feedback on this. If you say he stopped to water his flowers, I've already considered that.

There were a lot of cars waiting on him.

The petunias watered, the train was on its way to Lafayette with a great acceleration, was he late? I'm thinking the switch/flowers deal was not planned. He had a red light to stop. Had someone forgotten to set the switch back to the main line?

Feeling warm and fuzzy about my good luck, I decided to follow the tracks south and then east through the unfamiliar neighborhoods. I saw a bump which I knew had been a spur off the main line. I looked ahead and what did I see?

It is the Konriko Rice Mill or the Comrad Rice Mill, I'm not real sure on this.

I just found the answer. "Since 1912, the Conrad Rice mill has been making long and medium grain rice under the brand name of Konriko. Visitors to New Iberia can get a first hand look at the fascinating process that goes into producing this important food". I also saw a claim that it was "America's oldest rice mill.

Whoa, this little ride was getting even better. I started circling and taking pot shots.

I got a little more of the street view.

Mz Guzzi was heard complaining about being blocked by the stop sign. I don't mess with her. If she wants something, she gets it.

Here's the Visitors Center. I didn't go in. I rarely do. I may next time. I always say that.

This was around the side. I think this is where the grain was brought into the mill.

Unloaded from these.
Al said, "That elevated shed over the truck, or whatever that was, I think, is a hopper that holds the chaff and hulls left over from the milling, they haul it off and pile it up. The converted sugarcane cart may have been used for a similar purpose, but definitely was not used to haul rice in".

In my opinion, the place seems to be headed for hard times. See it soon. It is marked as "Mill" on the map. That's it for this one.