You'll Have to Duck In at Roanoke for Amtrak

White smoke was everywhere. 

I zoomed in to see what this guy was doing. 

Zooming out was more definitive.

My guess was that something had caught fire at the recycling business.

I originally thought a train car was on fire at the Lafayette Yard, my soon to be achieved destination.

The recycling place is right next to the east end of the Lafayette Yard. 

Cars and engines had been removed from the location. 

I heard no squawk on delayed trains because of the situation.

The yard was deader than rock.

Then I heard Kathleen semi apologize to a train crewman that she'd have to sidetrack

him and his train at Roanoke in order to let the Sunset Limited passenger train by.

Amtrak pays for and gets great gratuities from BNSF.

I don't know the pecking order, but Amtrak and the Z trains have to be neck and neck.

The Z trains are the line's bread and butter, delivered on time.

A decision had been made.  I'd head on out to the Roanoke siding, a few miles west
of Jennings, which is a little over 40 miles from where I was in west Lafayette, La.
Then I heard that there was a west bounder approaching Crowley and
at Crowley he'd meet one.
I knew I couldn't catch him but I'd try to meet
the same one he was meeting.
I like meetings.

My best viewing spot between Rayne and Crowley
is beneath the US 90 overpass. It is also a great place
to take a break. Know what I mean, Earl?
The train was just sliding by as I went beneath the bridge.
I did a fast U turn with accompaning wheelie and headed for the
bridge which I crossed in the high wind.
Oh, I hadn't mentioned the wind.

At Elenor Road, the old Santa Fe engine and its, what appeared to be a grain train,
sat at the east end of the Crowley passing track.

Zooming in, notice the decrease in the number of cars shown. I think that technique creates tension.

Here came the Westbound I though I'd missed. 

Never think you've missed something on the railroad.

Stuff happens quickly sometimes, but for the most part, stuff happens slowly.

Meets happen slowly.

I didn't know that it was common for passing engineers

to touch hands. Is that the reason they slow down? That's nice.

A first for me here was seeing two one engined trains meeting each other.

That almost induced a slack jawed paralysis.

Recovering, I zoomed back east across the  overpass and went

beneath  it. I zoomed way out and caught the 

tail end of the meet.

Note the orange engine. I hadn't seen him behind the short train. Katleen did not say, "You'll meet 2 there".
Kat, are you slipping a little?

Sometimes patience pays. Most of the time it doesn't. This time it did.

Here came the cool orange engine.

I knew their model numbers, but now I don't.

I took a practice shot.

Then my batteries went dead and the orange engined engineer was even waving.

Empty place to commemorate what could have been a great shot.

At Midland I'd get on the Old Spanish Trail, 

Rice fields are flooded this time of year.

I'd head west, but first I turned around. 

I wanted to visit Sparrow St. and see how the old girls were doing.

I stopped at the stop sign and took a shot of the historic rice dryer.

It didn't come out that good so I took another one later.

I had an urge to be on top of the old Southern Pacific Midland Branch connector to the Louisiana Western.

Knowing why humps are in the road is an empowering asset.

The other arm of the Y connection is down there.

The road which crosses the Y was paved a few years back.

Rail plates and spikes were uncovered.  I have a few. They are cherished mementos of a time past.

 I told you I'd gotten a better shot.

 Here are the girls on Sparrow St. Enter the past.

I went back west. I considered stopping, kicking back and waiting at the irrigation ditch.

Two pickups were parked and the occupants were having a discussion while standing 

beside the trucks. I don't stop where discussions are going on. I waive to the 

people who have the "who the hell is that on our back road" look on their faces.

I always want to appear as a friendly, non threatening "who the hell is that on our back road" interloper.

I crossed back over the tracks and rejoined US 90, my spot gone.
Then it came to me. They were flipping railfans waiting for the train.
Hey, here's a big shout out to y'all.

 

At Mermentau I caught a little of the Mermentau River crossing the bridge.

At Jennings I caught a little of the westbound tracks.

I was now in the railroad district of Roanoake, a few miles west of Jennings.

I've been here but my memory of the string of little towns melds them together.

There's not a real good place to sit and watch trains in Roanoke.

The area is too public and your presence becomes the talk of the town too quickly.

On Sundays kids gather around, you tell them who you are and what you are doing, 

and immediately they want your autograph.

If you tone down your description, then you get questioned by adults.

Here are a few pictures of the scenes in Roanoake.

N. Railroad St.

The same structure but looking west.

The little store by the dryers doesn't have long.

Can you see the light?  I couldn't either and Kathleen had said one would be here waiting.

Or, was she presenting an option to the crew? I sometimes miss the important part of the conversation.

I went east of town. Oil Field road still has a great old wooden crossing.

These are getting rare. You can still find one in the dirt on the 

old Southern Pacific  right of way between Mamou and Eunice, now that's empowerment.

I'd thought about doing the pictures in this location, but the whole reason for being at Roaoake, 

the meet between theAmtrak and the sidetracked freight could not be seen.

The fact there there was no sidetracked freight remained troubling.

I returned to Jennings. Roanoake is just too far to be sitting around with no incentive.

I went to the old depot location and sat down on that bent pipe.

It really was comfortable and I'd recommend it.

What caused it to be bent?

Oh yea, Al said he loaded stuff here. That'd do it.

I had the feeling I'd been transported back 100 years

sitting and waiting for the train. Man, I was grinning.

I took a shot of the warehouse across the tracks.

I got up, crossed the tracks and took a shot down the back side and the old rail car access doors.

While over there I took a shot of the once SP/LW freight house.

Someone had asked me about the insignia at the crest of the roof.

This is what I just got out of that photo.

  Looks like a Lone Star Feed sign insignia.

The place had been a feed store.

I'll have to check to see if I have any other shots from this side. Doubtful. 

I crossed the tracks using that opportunity for more track pictures.

West, from whence the Sunset would come.

I had just heard it was approaching Iowa Junction.

Looking east.

Then I jumped up on the floor of the depot.

I was now "inside".

A broken, pointless spike lay on the floor.

I reflected on the "pointless" part.

But, that poignant moment passed.

I continued looking around.

This may have been the walkway to the tracks.

I failed to check the other side. Duh!!!

I took more pictures from the depot's floor. 

The train would be a while.

I attempted an artsy shot that failed.

 I went back across the tracks in hopes the sun would be better for my Sunset shots.

Here she came at high speed. I got one shot off and the little camera is fast. It was doing  60mph

I'll add a few homemade shots in order to virtually enhance its approach.

(Be careful. Phases like "virtually enhance" means that it's a lie)

Which is the original?

A hint, the above isn't.

I was faster on the exit shots, no virtuals here.

Obviously I was working with more train this time around

 I could have chased her to Crowley but I wasn't fast enough getting to my  horse.

The rest of the shots were done on the run, no stops.

They represent the half that worked out.

I may one day do a collection of tank and arm pictures.

This is the cross track of the BNSF main line and the AKDN branch coming in from Eunice.

This is looking south.

Riding through the historic Crowley rail district.

I was trying for the water tower. I like gritty shots.

This one is more PC. though tilted to the right, a no no in some circles.

The Lone Star Feedstore is down there.

The La. Rice Mill is in the background.

AKDN services it on Thursday.

Be there or be square.

Heading east.

Crowley's old tin buildings are being destroyed.

History is going fast. See it soon.

The old depot looks good. The broken windows are repaired and the yard was freshly mowed.

Obviously, she has friends, finally.

More shots.

This is near the location of the old water tank for the steam engines.

Leaving Crowley.

This is the west end of the Crowley passing track.

This is an old rice dryer. 

It has a twin in Eunice.

Heading east on the mill road.
Check out that skinny old arm holding up that camera. 

Technique

That's a roofed mud boat for harvesting crawfish.

Back at Elenore Crossing.

Back in Rayne.

There's a service station for you, Virgil.

Here's Depot Square. Too bad they tore down the depot.

Heading out of town.

This has been the backdrop for a few pretty good Amtrak shots.

East on US 90.
Another great arm shot.
Got to get the shot over the little windshield, soon to be gone.
It did nothing to prevent the bird bomb from hitting me today.

Duson

Morris was still at work. 

Mowatta, but that's another story.

That  concludes this edition.