2008 The Patout Stable Ride

I read that there were three old girls in a warehouse down at a sugar refinery in Patoutville. I felt like I knew where Patoutville was ..... I was wrong and resorted to looking at my big Louisiana map book. Patoutville, the other one, is just southwest of Jeanerette, one of the fine old towns of Sugarcane Alley, which is Old US 90 east of New Iberia, my definition of Sugarcane Alley. It was 2:30 and a little cool. I heed and hawed and finally got away about 2:45, a record for finally making up my mind. If I couldn't find the girls, I'd be no worse off for the ride as it was a gorgeous Spring afternoon.

I cruised down Highway 347 to St.John Plantation. St.John will come into play later. While I was there, I shot the little rail tug they have on display at the mill. I should have gotten off the bike but time was marching on. The colors say  "John Deere", or that's the paint they had in the shop.

Then it was on to New Iberia where I hooked up with La. Highway 87 at Olivier. Which reminds me, I just heard Jim Olivier died. He was an icon of early Lafayette television on Channel 10, KLFY.

Down 87 I went until I got to the LSU experimental farm. There I crossed the old "LSU" bridge. The approaches to the bridge, on both sides of the Teche are postcard quality. I took a few pictures so you'd get a little taste of the place. The Northeast has its "covered bridges", we still have a few antique bayou ones. I would not trade. The pity is that they are being replaced. Louisiana is again shooting its tourist dollar self in the foot. Stupidity reigns, what's new?

Here's a nice house near the end of the alley which intersects Old US 90

where I went east toward Jeanerette. I'd be back this way.

These rides  down Sugarcane Alley do get more symmetrical than most.

Sugarcane Alley is a "sliver" of "high" land.

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Patoutville was not hard to find.

There is not much there but this old building, which can't be as old as

what is on the front declares (1825). I'm sure it reflects the date of the

founding. {I was right}. I would later meet the fella who works there.

The place is now a shop. The shop is supported by the mill. It's purpose

is preserving the mill's history represented by the houses on the property and artifacts.

The house across the street caught my eye because of the tile roof

and chimneys which said "old".

Having pretty much done Patoutville, at least on the surface, I moved

on to the mill which impressively stands high in the bare landscape of

early growth sugarcane fields.

Ok, I'll zoom in a little closer.

This is from the La.673 crossing.

I rode back to to Patoutville.

I entered the plant. There were big trucks buzzing around in a seemingly

unstructured manner. I was a bit tense having never actually entered a sugar mill.

Actually, I did once and was chased by a fat rent a cop, on foot.

I think I later saw him downing some ham at Lea's in LeCompte.

I looked around. There were few people there as this is preseason.

I decided to look around a little before trying to actually make human

contact. If I was to be thrown off the property, I, at least, wanted to leave

with something to show for it.

I saw the first evidence that I was in the right place,

as if there was another huge sugar mill in Patoutville.

On the list of sights to see at the Patout and Son Sugar Mill was the former

Southern Pacific depot from Baldwin, La. It is super when people save

these old discarded buildings. It says to me that these are good people.

I would not be disappointed.

I could not avoid it any longer, I needed help with finding the girls.

Would I have to enter the monster?

No. I parked at a little house and went inside.

The secretary asked if she could help me. I told her I was looking for Ida P., Stephanie and Mary Ann. She said that she didn't know anyone by those names. My attempt at levity had failed and now I felt stupid. I explained that they were 3 old steam engines. I still got a blank look. She asked my name. I gave it. She asked who was I with. I told her I was alone. She asked what company. I told her I was retired. I need to make up an occupation "Retired" creates a antagonistic atmosphere at times. People look at me and figure that I'm deranged and can't find a job. I guess it's my boyish good looks? Maybe I should model? She gave up and said she'd get someone. After about three minutes of under the breathe talking overheard from the office, out comes this late forties looking guy with a long ponytail.  Having lived through the 60's in a very liberal environment, having had a ponytail, myself, I figured the conversation would either be relaxed or laced with paranoia. He introduced himself.  I knew I could make a connection because I knew a prominent local man by the same name.  The prominent man was his uncle. Things got real relaxed as he showed me out to the barn where the ladies awaited,  albeit only 2 of them. He said the mill owned two more that were on loan to various amusement parks in Texas.

Opening the door was a chore, but we made a big enough crack to get in.

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I got ahead of my self. That happens.

Here are four pictures that were hanging in the office. I shot them while I was waiting for the conference on who the hell I was to conclude. A suggestion:  Get it while you can because you might get thrown out, a hard and continuously learned lesson.

They are of the mill in another time.

One seems to have a train, bellowing smoke leaving the mill. 

If not so, just imagine it. It works for me.

You need glasses? No, I blurred it. That is a shame since it is the best of the four. Look at that pentagon shape on the upper right of the picture. At the base of that 5 sided shape (pentagon) is what I believe is a steam engined train headed north.

Next is some machine they were very proud of. It is huge, maybe one of the first sugarcane harvesters. It  looks like something out of Star Wars.

There were more pictures of it.

On to the barn.

But, but first, I forgot to show you this, another reason I knew I was in the right place before checking in at the office. If she is one of the girls, her name should be Cinderella, fitting for a steam engine. Unfortunately, a facial would not help her out much. I would find out by accident her name is "Bessie" on a public forum. I've added that information below.

I thought this might be Mary Ann. Mary Ann was described as made by Porter. If so, she was built in 1920. That engine is described as a 0-4-0 ST&T (saddle tank and tender?) The tender part does not make sense since that engine is too small. I think the real Mary Ann is off at Six Flags whooping it up. This one is a Cinderella. My guess was correct.

Oh, you still want to see the barn?

First, speaking of the little engine above.

The H.K. Porter without a cab is "Bessie", 6458/1920. She is in her

present condition as the result of an accident. She was stored inside in the metal

building that also contained brown sugar; it is sad to see her sitting outside now.

.

The H.K. Porter stored in the back of the shed is "Ida P"; 4375/1909.

She appears to be complete, and in great cosmetic condition.

She shares the shed with an extremely rare machine, "Stephanie", a Dickson

0-6-2T, 1005/1898. Mr. Patout had sold her to a private owner in Mississippi, who restored her. (Mr. Patout expressed dissatisfaction with the work.)

When he died [the Mississippi fella], the engine returned to Patoutville, where it remains stored to this day.

The two engines, also owned by the Patout family, are running at Six Flags Over

Texas in Arlington are:

"Lydia", a H.K. Porter 0-4-0, #1754/1897. She is the smaller of the two,

and is painted red. She is only used for backup power or when traffic at the park

is light".

"Mary Ann", a Dickson 2-4-2, 1280/1901. She is painted green, and is the

primary engine at the park. Both engines run on diesel fuel".

"The park paid for the restoration and upkeep of both engines;

but they are still owned by the Patouts".

"There was talk at one time of setting up a tourist railroad in Patoutville. Apparently, nothing ever came out of it; but probably explains why there is a station on the mill grounds".

_________________

The pictures of the engines are next.

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I'm sure you want to see the carriages first.

Now, the engines:

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I do believe this is "Stephanie", though I did not get a picture of her plaque. I was such a dazed dummy. The place was cramped, the door would not open and the engine was up against it which limited my ability to get off a good shot. It was frustrating and dirty. I should have gone to the micro mode, but I'm not that sharp when confronted. My host told me that this engine, he couldn't remember its name, was on loan to a fella in Mississippi {that story above} and that the guy had committed suicide which let to them fetching  it. I noticed the light was off of it, placed on its side. The place was something out of a horror movie, full of spider webs and deep, very deep in dust from the gravel road that runs on its side. The place needs a volunteer.

This is who I think is Stephanie, described as an 0-6-2 Dickson 1005 built in August of 1898. That's old. Now the Levert, St.Johns Plantation connection  Remember the John Deere tug?: My host said he believed that there was a swap of engines. St.Johns needed a smaller engine and Patout had one. Thus, in 1939, Patout got Stephanie. I just found the proof. It is Stephanie.

See the Dickson stamp. Also, there's the removed head light.

Here are 3 of her 6 drive wheels:

At this point I'll show you what I took of Stephanie. Remember, I could not get a good shot. The cab blocked the engine when I tried to get a shot from behind. The door blocked a frontal full shot. Some may seem repeats. There are subtle differences that someone might be of interest. They are just a reflection of my moving about the room as I could.

The Firebox

Right Window

Left Window

The Firebox

The Steam Pressure Gauge

The Roof "Window"

And More Angles

I found the confirmation stamp on this one.

You can't take too many pictures.

You may display too many pictures.

Thank you Stephanie. I really felt like a photographer taking pictures of a model in a closet. Closeness can have its drawbacks, even with a model.

Now Miss Ida P., Could you come in, please.

You ought to see

Miss Ida P.

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May I present to you Miss Ida P., indeed a beauty.

Miss Ida is a 0-4-0ST&T (Saddle Tank and(?)Tender) Porter, number 4375, built in Pittsburg in 1909.

First, I'll show you the carriage which rides behind her which was made on site a local craftsmen at the shop in Patoutville. It was set on the wheels of an old cane hauling gondola. I use gondola because I have no other word for what it was. It carried cane. This is a work of art. There was so much wood around, I think all the engines burned wood.

The coals on the cab floor and later seen wood in the tender bore that out.

The "Patout Railroad" possibility seems to be born out by this car.

I told you it used wood.

And a large one of inside the cab. Click it.

Thank you Miss Ida P.

I'm sure the P is for Patout. (pau-too)

That's it for the barn. I could do no more. I was physically and emotionally exhausted.

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I returned to my bike and took a few more shots of the mill. Those big pots were the old way of extracting sugar from the cane. They are very hard to find, though, I think a place in Jeanerette still makes replicas.

Thank you Mr. Patout and my host.

This would not be the last of my Patoutville adventures. Meeting and

becoming friends with a family member led to so much more including

a ride on the present Patout / Enterprise Mill RR. By the way, his mother's 

name is Mary Ann, also named for a Patout daughter, like the engine.

I regathered my strength and took off for more shots on the way home.

I can't believe this was just a little three and a half hour putt. It's taken me twice that long to write it.

I returned to that 673? road and saw this old building. If you don't know what cracklins "is", learn.

And I finally got a good shot of this place.

Then I saw the tracks that went to the mill. I shot this going north to where the branch met the main line.

Later, I got permission from the family to walk these tracks to the main line.  I chose t he hottest month  of the year and took no water. No comment.

I went down this dirt road that was arrow straight. I think it might have been an old bed. It was very close to the existing rails. 

This road became one of my favorite spots for monitoring the BNSF rails between Opelousas and Jeanerette. It is a lonesome place and one of the few wooded areas in the vicinity. It is also haunted and is the home for undocumented species.

I got to the tracks. I seemed to be on the Old Sugar MIll Trail as a mill chimney loomed ahead. 

This trail winds  up and down the bayous in South Louisiana.

As I crossed the tracks this was the view.

I was back on 182 (Old US 90)

I immediately saw an old tin covered building that I recognized as a railroad building. 

Indeed it was. I connected it to the mill that was served by either the Missouri Pacific or Southern Pacific lines that ran behind it.

It was serviced by the now gone Missouri Pacific.  Loisel was the plantation.

The rails to the south are the old SP's.

Just down the way is this little place which backed on the Teche. It's for sale.

I think, though it was down a ways, that this historical marker goes with this house.

This little place was on the big house property.

Next, I returned to the LSU bridge which was opened which meant it was closed, one of the contradictions, of which there are many in South Louisiana.

This is common. Never depend on anything being like you left it.

I turned to return to the bike. This is the other postcard side of the LSU bridge road.

We haven't done a church yet and I've never shot this one. So, two birds with one stone or shot.

I wasn't understanding the red letters until just now. In an ornate Bible, often the first letters on a page will be highlighted, or maybe it's the letter of each paragraph. I haven't checked lately. So, as always, this disclaimer: I may be wrong.

Here's the church. I tried to get the colored windows, but the church was in the shadows, the sunny side was blocked by the foliage.

Near it was what now looks like a crack house which is different from a craklins house, previously pictured. It was once a fine home.

I left Old 90 and crossed the Teche heading for Loreauville. I thought I was through with anything railroad related. Not. If you know what you are looking at, you can't escape the evidence.

I crossed La.86 and the Teche again. I was now on the inner loop of Bayou Teche that goes from north New Iberia to Loreauville to mid New Iberia to points east, Jeanerette, etc. I came to the old Vida Bridge and shot it again. It is due for destruction. Never fear, it has friends. It is now turned open to water traffic as you see it here.

The neighbors want it to stay because it keeps the big trucks out.

If Louisiana keeps destroying its history, it can kiss tourism goodbye. They want to replace the bridge with some big cement junk to facilitate truckers that now carry sugarcane to the few mills that still exist. Fact: sugarcane makes better, cheaper fuel than corn but, being the most stupid people in the world, we continue funding corn fuel while being corned. Look to the "backward" country of Brazil for guidance. Our poor farmers are turning to raising wheat. I saw what I believed to be wheat at Patoutville.

More history on the inner loop.

Do you need a good aluminum welder, come to S.LA. There are several boat building businesses at Loreauville.

I came to this big bump in the road. I know what these are. It was an old bed and it was headed to the bayou. I stopped and tried to see if there was a trestle still there. I couldn't see. There was a young fella mowing. I approached and asked him if there was anything left of the old rail bed, like a trestle. Much to my surprise he knew. No there wasn't a trestle but his neighbors had the old blocks that supported a station, a station that had been on the Missouri and Pacific line that went through here. I'll have to trace it but I'll bet it hooked up with Henderson on I-10 or maybe Lafayette, a more likely route or Breaux Bridge, an even more likely route. I could go on.

It was part of the Garden City to New Iberia to Port Barre New Iberia and Northern RR, later bought by the Missouri Pacific.

That's a lot of going on for a bunch of old blocks.

Next, I crossed the Teche Bridge into Loreauville.

Here you go, the old bed that runs through town and a road sign that pretty much identifies, maybe, where it goes.

Actually, it did not go to St.Martinville but passed to the east of town.

Then there is the stop light fence. I stopped in a little unused driveway patch and took this picture. Then this guy starts yelling at me and this friendly dog comes up to sniff the bike and me, both bearing my dog's scent. I waved the camera at the guy so he'd stop yelling "can I help you" and from the tone of his voice, I don't believe he wanted to "help me". There are crazy couyans {a "dummy" in Cajun French} out there and then there's some really nice people. You might say south LA is in balance. Just my personal opinion. I know, most places are like that. Good, I'd hate Heaven to get overcrowded.

Oh, here's the stop light fence.

Now, it was on to home by way of St.John. Which engine came from St.John? Stephanie.

People always see the "big house" side of plantations. Here's the not "big house" side.

And my road home, really, it is my road.

Yes, St.John was served by both the Southern Pacific and Missouri Pacific / New Iberia and Norther RR's.

This one's been tough. I spent twice the hours writing than I did riding. Hope you liked it. Steve