HISTORY HUNTS WAREHOUSE: The Lost Loop of the T&P / OGNE below US 90

Maggie "gets up" at 5:00 AM.

Not exactly, she has lost her ability to actually stand up unless food is involved.

In all other situations I am called to assist.

Being up early affords time to waste.

Rewriting this long lost ride report and history hunt was this morning's wasted time.

Nevertheless, as I'd spent, in another life, a great amount of what I thought was useful time

investigating the Opelousas Gulf and North Eastern Railroad whose

rails would soon be held by the Texas & Pacific Railroad, I decided

to devote a few hours to republishing this one.

Why do we throw good money after bad

or useful time after wasted?

In this case I am throwing wasted after wasted so that makes it OK.

This article was originally located at History Hunts.

It was successfully moved to Chasing Trains because a reader

had mentioned that multiple websites were confusing.

Then I decided that one website was confusing and

moved the History Hunts back to History Hunts.

In the meantime Google had changed up the html creation process

and the transferred site landed as a wreck which has taken an hour to rebuild.

But, that is OK since this is wasted time and as such defers well spent time to "later",

an ambiguous location in the limitless cosmos.

As they say on Train Radio, "Here we go".

I have a hard time finishing projects. It has been a life long battle.

Many skirmishes have been lost. Lately, I am more determined.

Very determined. The Opelousas, Gulf and North East Railroad Project is going to get finished. I have declared war. The little railroad spanned all of 57 miles and existed for only 10 + years as an independent entity. This endeavor seems like a very weird choice to take on as a project. If the little railroad had only lived a few years and died, then I'd agree and would have just let it go as a blip on the historical screen. But, the little railroad was to be seen by an admirer in its time of desperation and subsequently adopted by the mighty Texas & Pacific RR as a means of further exploiting the blooming trade in southwest Louisiana. I never take on large projects without incentives. I am not a historian but a gatherer of incidental, easy to find facts, usually available through Google. Re-presenting that stuff alone would be soulless. When I pursue a subject it has to have human connections. Mike Wilson has put a face on my Texas & Pacific outings as his father was connected to the railroad for many years. Everett has added his expertise helping immensely with my understanding of Crowley. Mark and his father have assisted in raising my interest and helping peg the "OG" in and around Opelousas. In fact, I think that Mark might have introduced me to the railroad. And, Al, seeing his wonderment as we rode through the museum which is Lewisburg, let me know I'm not crazy. I'm ignoring what you just thought. Then there's this. I've ridden the domain of the OG for 10 year thinking I'd seen what there was to see or understood at what I was looking. It became apparent that I was clueless, raising the old red flag which says to me, "It's not done yet, dummy". Armed with those incentives I have battled on. I know this will not be the end of the trail but will be the end of a pretty good outline from a gatherer of incidentals. At the end of this page (s) there will be a list of links to all my on the ground evidentiary investigations done earlier. I'll also lists Mike's stories which are relevant to the rails between Melville and Church Point. By the way Mark, the Palace Cafe was confirmed. The next picture will be of a 1925 map that shows the rail line (in red) drawn from Melville to Opelousas to Church Point to Rayne where it turned west and headed to Crowley. The original planned route never considered Rayne. That story will be included. To quote, "Rayne and Crowley were quite competitive". The intensity of that competitiveness was brought to court.

{This updated (2013) re-write includes all of the pages on this ride so it is very long}

This page is a teaser. There's much more work to be done. I have to go back to Crowley and walk the tracks with my drawing pad as there is stuff in the bushes which I don't want to leave out.
This is from the Town of Rayne website, now gone.
It depicts the OGNE's presence.

For those who like ROW pictures, oh yes, there will be plenty including a few old rail ties in a ditch. And, there will be towering rice castles. Prepare for the excitement of it all. First, a couple of thoughts: historians are people who escape the present by dwelling on the past, and, historians are people who call on the past in order to understand the present and plan for the future, a scary place because most people don't do that, including our "leader". I'm not a historian though I do subscribe to the above. First, before we dive into the muddy water which describes my understanding of the Crowley rail alignment and historical ownership, there is news and miscellaneous pictures to get out of the way. I thought of adding them onto the end of the Crowley urban RR tour, but figured you'd be so confused, dizzy, or bored by then these would never be seen. Yes, I know you and me. First the news. The Teche Bayou train bridge at Breaux Bridge is no more. This has made me very sad. It is a a travesty. It was a link in the Southern Pacific's BR (Atchafalaya) Branch, the historic 10th Wonder of the Railroading World. Scroll to the right for free kleenex.

Here are its remains on the east bank of the Teche at the also defunct Breaux Bridge Sugar Mill.

A few of you have seen this, but the world has not. Please don't consider yourselves diminished for seeing it again. The following is going to do it for the early sugarcane ride requirement.
I'll add a few more when the air gets cold and the mills are bellowing.
{That never happened.}
There is a price for priceless RR pictures and information on this site.
Here we go.

Seen is a tractor trying to hitch up in mud.

This is a mud topped road. Yes, it's against the law and a real problem. But, what can they do? Most keep graders and push the heavy stuff off to the side, but that makes it worse because you can't see it as easily. Hitting this at 50 mph could be lethal on a motorcycle or even in a car.

Most of the time it's like this.

It is so muddy that 2 tractors have to be used to move the wagons.

While on the subject of sugarcane, on the third trip to Crowley I could not stomach US 90 so I went through Abbeville. First I went to St.Martinville (the above pictures) and ran the old SP branch ROW from St.Martinville to Delacroix (UL Experiemental Farm) to La. 182 (Old 90) on the Lady of the Lake Rd which is a pleasant putt.

Descending from the historic location of Delacroix, there was a trestle which must have been both high and ascending because the train had to rise to the level of the Coteau Ridge on the Cade, US 90 side (SPconnection).
Update: The Lady of the Lake Rd was not the route of the Southern Pacific, a
non fact that was related to me by a farmer who must have had a
perverted moment of pleasure misleading me.
He even included his mother in the tale.
I had met a pro.
I am still in awe.

The ridge is far back in the picture. The trestle must have been a quarter mile long. Spanish Lake lies to the south (left). As best as I can get from local residents, this road, to a point, was the right of way. The bridge was installed in 1984 which is probably the date of the ROW being covered by gravel or blacktop. My guess. The blue stuff in the trees is humidity. I think the rails were pulled in the 40's. Here was the railroader's problem, Bayou Tortue.

Update, all that is false. He even invented the trestle.
It's funny now, but I was really PO'd after learning the truth, thanks
to a map Mark had salvaged from Patoutville.

Shifting gears:

On the ride to find the Lost Loop (the rails connecting Rayne to Crowley) I went north to Arnaudville, not the direct route, but decided to take a paved/gravel road south of town that would save some miles, if not time. I get tired of the same routes and I mix it up a little when I can. Traffic was light this morning. The weather, fair, with a slight breeze from the south. Temperatures were hoovering in the low 80's.
Chances of thunderstorms, slight.

The first landmark on this rouite is where the Southern Pacific {Cade to Port Barre} crossed the road. The RR's hump marks the end of the pavement. I know there's a reason. Possibly the rails act as a congressional district border or parish line? Or, being a bit more romantic, possibly there was a settlement here. Checking, yes, there was, it was called McVeigh. It is listed as a railroad stop. In fact, there's an old song, "Waiting at the McVeigh Station". Stump the band. The roads original name was "Blink Light". There has to be a story there. It is now McVeigh Road.

Past McVeigh, the road descends from the Teche Valley natural levee going west, then rises to the natural levees of Pont Broulee and the Vermilion Bayou, Bayou Fuselier and Bayou Carencro. These bayous lay at the base of the Coteau Ridge. Bayou Fuselier connects Bayou Teche to the Vermillion.

The combined bayou systems that lie ahead no doubt added to the elevation with their yearly flooding, depositing another layer of silt each year.

This is the Bayou Pont Brule bridge.

Update: This area was crossed by a railroad which connected Carencro to Huron.

This one is looking over the last stretch of Bayou Fuselier before it joins Bayou Carencro to form the Vermilion River. Why would a "bayou" be at a higher elevation than a river?
Bayous, by definition, are influenced by tides.

On the next one installment we'll visit Kaplan. Yes, I took the "scenic route" to Crowley/Rayne. For the last two days I've been teleconferencing with the highest authorities concerning a nine mile stretch of railroad that dropped below Rayne and turned due west to intersect with Crowley. I was dealing with only a drawn depiction of this route from a 105 year old document. I had no idea how far it had dropped and if it even penetrated into southern Crowley. That story is for the next page. On the last page we were near the settlement of Lewisburg. The station and warehouse there are unbelievable relics. I wasn't going to post a picture because it's been shown here many times and it makes me sad to see it slipping away.

The Lewisburg Depot and Freight House

Here's a map. I can't let you wonder where it was.

Update: In this segment I'd joined the right of way of the OGNE and T&P RRs.
I hope that clarifies where I was.

I was now at La.358, I decided to go west. I've done this route a million times and felt my interest drained. I stopped my westward trek at La. 35 and turned south thinking I'd ride it to the last highway before you slide into the coastal marsh. Then I saw a road turning back east that interested me. Of course that brought me back to the OGNE "rails".

Hump:

On the last page I promised that this one would have some "old rail ties in a ditch" pictures.

I am not one to disappoint.

These two locations can be seen as "no. 11" and "no.12" on your map (above). Come on, did you really look? You must be a die hard rail nut. The road that connected them is this one.

Yes, and I'll ride down anything to see historical trash. I then ended up here. I was back on La.357 going toward Church Point. If there hadn't been a sign, and I didn't have a GPS, I would have gone the wrong way and not be here, today. Maybe it was La. 178? I really haven't a clue.

Oops, wrong way, here we go.

Next up was this Smithsonian level relic. You think I'm being sarcastic? Have you seen the junk they collect?

I entered Church Point. The rail route through town is a scenic one. The businesses are well kept and clean. These historic buildings religiously retain their railroad days look . First stop was this construction supply company at the end of a dead end road. The road was public but I knew I was going to get approached. True enough, when I turned around to leave, an obvious worker and a person looking "management" waited for me in the road. I pulled up to them and stopped. The management guy said that his employee had said I was taking pictures of his place of business and he wondered why. I turned the wheel of the bike so he could see the GPS with the old rails showing next to his store. I told him I collected pictures of businesses that were serviced by railroads, mostly historic railroads. I have learned not to mention "website" or "internet". "Pictures" are accepted technology. Tourist are welcomed. Bill Gates isn't. They both laughed as if relieved I was not with some agency or worse. I now realize they were laughing at me, wondering what kind of nut just fell off the tree. He told me that indeed he'd unloaded many a box car. I asked him about what date the tracks were pulled up but he couldn't place the date and seemed to be tiring of the moment. I told them thanks and they could rest assured I was not with the CIA which brought a hardy laugh. I left out the picture of his place since I could not get to the rail side. I should have gotten the loading side that was next to the tracks and I'll just let it go. The next two exhibit that feature. First, here's the old Texas & Pacific/ Opelousas, Gulf and North East route through town. The old elevated warning signals are still in place (now gone) on the main drag (La.35) right in front of the depot.

Next up is the depot.

Here's the explanation:

Sliding out of town I took a couple of shots of interesting places.
One was probably a hometown landmark, the Ideal Garage.

There had to be a fuel depot, "bulk plant".

I rode down to Branch. I decided to call the rail hunt off as below Branch the rails ride the side of the road all the way to Rayne and there's nothing more of interest and besides, I'd been workin' on the railroad all the live long day so I took off on the next pretty road going east.

It is La.1101. Actually, it's as straight as an arrow after the sign.
I looked up.

No doubt it was "Led Zeppelin On Tour".
Smoke on the Cane Field?

"I don't care about pollution, I'm an air-conditioned gypsy when I'm mobile, the world's my home....",
Update: I must have gotten goofy. The following I should have erased but won't
it probably exhibits either too much coffee or too little sleep and more.

This is a mind on drugs or with insufficient ones. Please move on.
"Sugar, Sugar" by The Archies. Have a great Monday humming that one. Forget humming, write down the lyrics and bring them with you, make copies and everyone can sing along. Kick out the jam on a Monday morning. We use to have singalongs at the bike shop. But, that was usually late in the day. I don't believe we ever sang "Sugar Sugar"? Sugar, ah honey honey You are my candy girl And you've got me wanting you. Honey, ah sugar sugar You are my candy girl And you've got me wanting you. I just can't believe the loveliness of loving you (I just can't believe it's true) I just can't believe the one to love this feeling to. (I just can't believe it's true) Ah sugar, ah honey honey You are my candy girl And you've got me wanting you. Ah honey, ah sugar sugar You are my candy girl And you've got me wanting you. When I kissed you, girl, I knew how sweet a kiss could be (I know how sweet a kiss can be) Like the summer sunshine pour your sweetness over me (Pour your sweetness over me) Sugar, pour a little sugar on it honey, Pour a little sugar on it baby I'm gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah Pour a little sugar on it oh yeah Pour a little sugar on it honey, Pour a little sugar on it baby I'm gonna make your life so sweet, yeah yeah yeah Pour a little sugar on it honey, Ah sugar, ah honey honey You are my candy girl And you've got me wanting you. Oh honey, honey, sugar sugar .. You are my candy girl .. That's it. On the next page we'll visit Rayne. Raindrops keep fallin' on my head And just like the guy whose feet are too big for his bed Nothin' seems to fit Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin' So I just did me some talkin' to the sun And I said I didn't like the way he got things done Sleepin' on the job Those raindrops are fallin' on my head, they keep fallin' But there's one thing I know The blues they send to meet me won't defeat me It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me Raindrops keep fallin' on my head But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red Cryin's not for me 'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin' Because I'm free Nothin's worryin' me [trumpet] It won't be long till happiness steps up to greet me Raindrops keep fallin' on my head But that doesn't mean my eyes will soon be turnin' red Cryin's not for me 'Cause I'm never gonna stop the rain by complainin' Because I'm free Nothin's worryin' me By B.J. Thomas. This page gets a little manic.
I continued.
(yes there was more but I cut it out)
As you know, or could have known if you had read the previous 98 pages having to do with the OGNE Railroad, I have physically pursued this old railroad at length. I've also pursued what history I could find without getting off my butt. From what I've read, the railroad got off the ground about 1904, or a little later, but that could be completely wrong. I'll go out on a limb, further, by saying that the financiers were in New York, New York, so big a place you have to say it twice. To support my guess at the OG's date of birth, I found a clip that mentions the approval of plans for the Bayou Courtableau Bridge at Port Barre, an important link in the Melville branch of the OGNE. The date reads, "February 27, 1906".

Then I found this genealogical clipping. Charles was a surveyor mapping the proposed railroad in 1905. He, according to that court case, was the chief construction engineer of the OGNE. Whoa!

This is his court testimony when Crowley residents were suing the city and the railroad in an appeals case after learning that Rayne would definitely be included in the route. The two towns were bitter rivals and the citizens of Crowley had put up $70k by way of a tax election. The plaintiffs claimed that voters would not have voted for the tax had they known that Rayne was included in the route and would be the first to intersect the Louisiana Western on the proposed OGNE line. Later, I found a schedule which shows that both towns had OG connections with the Louisiana Western RR, but Rayne would still hold an advantage dealing with the OG to the north. Here's the chief engineer, Genung's testimony. Notice the tricky question, "running to, Crowley, thence to Rayne". The route to which the Crowleyians objected was the one that went to Rayne, "thence to Crowley".

I wonder where he hid them? Here's a little history that led to the south branch from Opelousas to Crowley being built. Old DD was born in Breaux Bridge. How about that. These guys were rock and roll, getterdone, rain or sun. "In 1886, through the assistance of his brother, C. C. Duson, who had resigned from the office of sheriff to go to the state senate, and with the aid of some others, Acadia parish was cut off from St. Landry parish, and later the parish seat was located where the city of Crowley now stands. At that time there were not more than a half-dozen houses in all of the western portion of Acadia parish. In the autumn of 1886 the town of Crowley was located and laid out. The difficulties encountered were many, as it seemed impossible to get the confidence or co-operation of anyone, not even the railroad company. All other efforts having proved fruitless, Mr. Duson went to C. P. Huntington of the Southern Pacific R; R. and succeeded in having a depot located at Crowley, but not until he, Mr. Duson, bad personally guaranteed the agent's salary and other expenses connected with maintenance of the depot for a period of 6 months, even to the extent of paying $100 for temporary installation of Western Union telegraph service. By 1890 the railroad's books showed that Crowley was the second largest shipping point between Lafayette and Houston, Tex. From the date of the first sale Mr. Duson concentrated his efforts upon the development of this immediate section, making rice the principal product. He bought the first binders and threshing machinery, built the first irrigating canals, assisted in building the first rice mills, and along with the building of immense canals developed the road system. So fast were the improvements and rapid the agricultural development, that, regardless of the efforts of the Southern Pacific R. R., it became impossible to get outgoing and incoming transportation sufficient for the section's immediate needs". The Opelousas, Gulf & Northeastern R. R. was induced to build a line to Crowley, which was shortly followed by the Frisco system. From: "Louisiana: Comprising Sketches of Parishes, Towns, Events, Institutions, and Persons", Arranged in Cyclopedic Form (volume 3), pp. 134-139. Edited by Alcée Fortier, Lit.D. Published in 1914, by Century Historical Association [But the write skips and does not name a date that the the OG "was induced"]. I suppose we can believe it arrived in Crowley and Rayne around 1907. In the taxpayer lawsuit, it is mentioned that construction should be finished 18 months from the end of surveying. Genung was in the field in December of 1905 in Roberts Cove, 8 miles from Crowley. He would have to abandoned the plans for Branch to Crowley and replace then with a route from Branch to Rayne, then one going 2 miles south of Rayne and turning west, 7 or 8 miles, to Crowley. It seems to me, at best, the rails to Crowley, via Rayne, would not be completed until late 1907. I now see that on two occasions I came to the same conclusion. The lawsuit attached the results of a tax election in May of 1905. The tax was to be levied in 1909". I think the court date was in 1906 or '07. I wonder what kind of welcome the OG got in Crowley when it arrived the next year? By the way, the plaintiffs lost and were stuck with a tax to cover $70k in 1909. The OG was bankrupt in 1915. Could a backlash and the RR's demise have dovetailed. The following was probably copied from the a state agency record book. The OG would have a "high tech" control building where the OG crossed the Western Louisiana RR (the Southern Pacific's rails from Lafayette going due west to the Texas border)

Below are shots of the intersection and trains traversing it. We'll be there momentarily.

Here's the1913 Louisiana Western (SP) Freight Schedule. Stops are shown at both Rayne and Crowley.

This clip shows that the OG name came to an end in 1915. The Texas and Pacific bought what it had not already assumed at an auction.

Below was its route. I suspect all of it was absorbed by the Texas & Pacific for a while.
Update: I think I suspected correctly.
The T&P connection from Rayne to Crowley may have gone away early on.
The rails from Rayne to Church Point would linger longer.

The following investigation covers the 11 miles between Rayne and the OG's connection with the La. Western and the Frisco on the west end of Mill Road in south Crowley. That last sentence can be challenged for historical correctness. Carry on if you must. Here's the 1912 account. The Frisco (earlier the New Orleans Texas & Mexico RR) yard and depot were above the Southern Pacific route. Therefore, it is my feeling that the OG extended the full length of Mill Road and connected to the Frisco as she turned north toward Eunice. "On the ground" evidence tends that way except for a pesky switch which was identified as being used by the Southern Pacific. That may still not be a problem with my thesis.
The OGNE RR Depot at Crowley. which was located on the east end of Crowley.

The Frisco (NOT & M) Depot at Crowley, north side of the Louisiana Western (SP) tracks.

Where was the Southen Pacific Depot? I think I know where the water tower was. And, the Rayne SP Depot was downtown. I've found no historic pictures of the OG Rayne Depot. I would guess that it was in the neighborhood of the control tower. By the way, though the tower was built by the OG, the SP trains had rights over the OG ones. Since this will be the shortest page of the next 5, I'll stick this info in here. There will be a lot of pictures and confusing explanations before we get to the Frisco/AKDN end of this ride, if we do. Since I'm doing history right now, here's something on the Acadiana RW Co, successor on those rails to Eunice from Crowley. It explains what many think is a recent railroad. This is a very dated clip, 1990.

Here's the simplified map from the law suite. Seems Robert's Cove missed the boat. Those two ditch scenes with ties lying in them were on the Lewisburg (Opleousas end) to Branch section.
I may have failed to note that on one of the last pages.

Rayne to West Crowley
When I'm looking for something I like to start in a familiar place, then work into the unknown. I knew where the OG came into Rayne, north of Interstate 10. I'd been there and done a full report on its route all the way to the "Southern Pacific" tracks. Past there was Indian Country. If La. 35 hadn't done a chicane, then it would be here. Maybe this was old La.35, also.

I'm not saying this old bridge was a trestle.

Those are makeshift power or telephone poles down there. Check out the nub on one where a glass insulator would screw on. I have a few of those as my father in law chased wire for a while. BTW, I mentioned this in another ride: If you get bored of riding in the same old places, follow some power lines. I've followed rivers and rails and found a lot of stuff. I think power lines could be the new rabbit for any ol' bored hound dog. You could always write that it was an electrifying experience. That was bad.
Update: My point was that utility lines follow RR's.

The above location lines up with this. The train passed through here. and continued between the break in the trees on the other side of the SP (at the control tower) and US Highway 90.

That control tower with all the bells and switches was here, on the left before the UP/SP east-west tracks. We are coming from the north, headed south across those tracks. Notice the shell road. It lays on top of the rail approach to the the Southern Pacific tracks. (UP now) It is on Everett's map below. A block above this dryer is a large open lot. It is where the depot was. Everett has offered up a map and comment. "By the way, the Rayne depot was one block north of the rice dryer. The tracks were there at least into the middle 1980s, and the depot was where I show it on the photo that I included. The tracks served both the rice dryer and the bulk plant, but did not look at all used at that time".

Everett's drawing: "Site of Depot" refers to the OGNE/T&P depot.
The bottom curved line is the approach to the LW/SP rails.
The line dipping south is the beginning of the "Lost Loop of the OGNE/T&P.

Above is looking from the south side of US 90 and the SP back to the location of the last shot. I figured the street to be partially "the right of way". Below are waypoints placed at approximate positions where the OGran across the fields to Crowley. This may be the only list available in the world, so guard it well.
They don't match in longitude because I was not lined up.
That explains why each spot is not on the same latitude or, possibly Charles Carter Genung was not such a hot surveyor?

The numbers on the left correspond with the numbers on the map. Click the map if you can't read it.

This next picture was taken when I hadn't found the ROW yet. Many were taken that were guesses. I kept this one because I liked it. After I looked at it I started to think, what is a hill doing out here? Was I looking at an ancient chenier or salt dome? Or, was my camera tilted?

Can you believe this? I think this one is Number 12. There's a patch in the road where the rails ran. I lost it. I had gone into withdrawals and written off the OG as being harder to follow than the old military railroad up at Claiborne when I tried to follow it to Fort Polk. This was going to be a cinch.

Rice farmers/ crawfish farmers will use the old right of ways as levees, they are freebies, why not? The MP from Pecaniereup to US 190 is a great example of putting a retired raised rail bed to work.

Look familiar? They all start looking the same after a while. Can you see the difference between the two?

Besides the ants from hell, what do you see in this one? You wouldn' t see anything but grass if I hadn't pulled as much as I was able before they got to me. Yes, those are railroad ties. Waypoint 10, I do believe. You need to come here and look for rail spikes. Fire aunts, don't do it.

I have no idea where this house was. It's a nice house or probably a store. Or, a store and house. I've been told to to stick a house in every once in a while because people get dizzy looking into ditches. It was taken on the same day so I didn't have to borrow a Mississippi house this time.

It is true that this page has been light on pictures. Before it's over, you'll be so sick of pictures you'll ask me to please only write. Writing is tough. I rather show you and let the pictures write their 1000 word's worth. On the next page we go amongst the mills and support businesses which were along the rails in south Crowley. We'll be riding though real history, a history that in reality was not that long ago. A hundred years back a young railroad came through. It was a needed conduit for business and travel in what was a few years earlier, the Wild Wild West.
Below is a picture of the last group I guided through there. Yes, there was some dissatisfaction and they are still bugging me for their money back. The short guy with the ten gallon hat is the scary one.

"Doc" somebody? He was carrying a long barreled revolver.

I came into town for my second taste of the railroad portion of Crowley's historical district. Crowley may or may not emphasize the railroad's contribution to this beautiful city. Much is made of its Greek and Victorian mansions. The rice industry is of course recognized in the tourist pamphlets with a few shots of the mills and dryers. But, I'll be danged if I've seen any pictures of the old rails soon to be covered by ground or blacktop. The next 4 pages will preserve for posterity what I could find. If these are not enough, I shall return. I may, anyway. I was like a kid at Disneyland. Everett had mentioned the junkyard. Finding it gave me confidence I was on the path. For economy sake, I've combined both exploratory ride pictures to try to contain confusion. I know it is going to be tough. It was for me and I've been there 3 times.

Update: I return to Crowley often. It's historical aura has never faded though visual proof is going fast.
Just the other day an old warehouse was taken down. On an up note, the NOT&M depot is being cared for.

I know there are not many people posting pictures of junkyards. Consider this a slap in the face. You need to get real about the world. There are junkyards. [Was that too militant?] Get ready, not all that follows may be a walk in your park? It is a walk in mine.
I rode beneath the La.13 bridge and shot back toward the junkyard.

I was presented with a theory. Those were the OG's rails coming west from Rayne. But, the rails that we're about look at are not the OG's or T&P's. They either belonged to the mills or
Southern Pacific or to the city as an "industrial park".

Near that location was this house. The new cement piers tell me it was moved there.
Update: I thought it was rail related but a recent contact discounted that.

I

Proceeding west on E. Front Street, I looked back and could not pass up this shot. That is the "Standard Mill", the namesake of the road I'd just come in on which sits above the "loop's" tracks..

On the south side of Front St. the metal buildings began.
Railroads seem to reside on "Front Sts".
"Railroad St." and "Depot St." are two other clue names that can be useful
in finding historical location. (that was a joke, so no email, please)

Next was what I'm calling a water tower location. It's time for a map. This is the simple part of the trip. Enjoy, it gets dizzying. The yellow line is my path. See where "House" is written? The tracks directly to the right of it is the present day main line of the BNSF RR which I'll refer to as the Southern Pacific because this is a history site and I want to.

This sure looks like a water tower spot. Why didn't I look for a pipe in the ground? Because I don't think fast or possibly I was just a little excited?

I've had to use all the evidence I can find in these pictures to locate these places. I've got to take my time and label the waypoints. Committing them to memory is committing them to mayhem.

On the north side of Front St., more rail doors can be seen. They were on both sides of the street. I suspect they may have been in the street. Across the street was this one.

Look, I actually took a placement picture. Hard to see, but confirmed, we are at N. Ave. K which is 2 blocks from La.13, the eastern official border of the "Historic Railroad District", according to me.

In three blocks, approaching Parkerson Ave, the main drag, we'll see this,

a very interesting building and location.
It was the Western Union Office.

It is in an interesting location since it's on the corner of Parkerson and Front, across N. Ave G from the Frisco Depot. My point is that it would have been on the rails. This is the E.1st St. side of the Frisco Depot.

This is the east side. The mills are to the south.

Point of reference. Here we cross Parkerson. Look ahead at West Front .

I think it can be placed "in evidence". The building to the right is not old.
It is a "federal building", a spicket. I'll leave it at that.

This is the feed store below at N. Ave. F. It is a fine building.

I do believe those are rail doors. This is the MP's side.
Actually, both "sides were MP.

The building is "L" shaped. The above picture is across the back. Was there a siding or were these or the other, truck doors? "It's hard to tell, it's hard to tell, when all the doors are the same". Notice, that La. Rice Mill is across the multiple tracks from here. When we head down from the other side you won't be lost. This all drove me crazy trying to fit these pictures together. My life is already too confusing to let a pile of mill and rail shots push me over the edge. Of course, if you've kept up, you know I had a mini breakdown and dumped this project earlier realizing that I was obsessing. My therapist said it was OK and so here we are at the corner of Front and Ave. E. The place to be.

Here's another side note: Old Crowley was set up like this. Streets north of the tracks, running north and south, got alphabet names. Those running east and west, got number names, except where a person or place was important. I'm seeing a pattern. Towns where roads fronted on the railroads were either named "Railroad Ave. or St.", or "Front Street". Look for that in your neighborhood. Next was the historic bulk oil and petroleum products "plant". I first saw these cast iron tank supports, then cement ones.
The earlier mention of this fact was an unnecessary update.

Further east, upon closer inspection, I saw the old brick supports.

This building probably was not the first edition but rather an addition.

For those who are fuel pump fanatics, I included t his shot. Sorry, the pumps are not very visible. Check out the back up mirror, upper right.

We are near Ave. D. on Front. The next page takes us into an alley which I'm having a hard time naming. Garmin shows the next road west going south as "W.Front" as if W. Front turned south. Very strange. The alley is next. If there was a place that looked like a hobo jungle, the alley is it.

The Alley to US 90 and Beyond.
The Alley waited. I was past Ave. D, maybe that's Ave C?

If I show any confidence in my analysis of the following, you are misreading me.

The dark alley lay ahead. Was I going where I shouldn't?
See "Alley Start". For the sake of argument, lets assume that is where the alley started

There was the usual warning sign and another which folded. I wondered why.
That is now gone.

The position of the "2 Tracks" warning is confusing. I ran into this in New Iberia. The warning sign is for the rails after you turn, in this case, to the left. There would be 2 rails there, one noticeable, one, not so much. This big mill lay ahead. It was obvious that it was served by the rails. It could have been by the Southern Pacific or the Frisco. I found something that hinted at the SP theory.

I rode down there and walked back. I had seen something and couldn't U-turn the top heavy bike.
Look above the bike for a pipe hanging down.

That's right, I was riding on the mill's service tracks. One more rail tie shot. I'm glad those sand bags were there. They mark where the connector rails went off to meet the SP mainline . This all sounds very trivial. But, this small root of information could grow a tree of information concerning the history of alliances within the milling community and possibly spill over to political implications. The world has been a web forever. The internet did not invent that web, it only presented it. Actually, the rails to the right of the bike connected to the rails on the left of the bike, the ones that are under the gravel. Those rails would turn toward the south and connect with the SP. Sorry, I couldn't say that with a straight face.

You see?

My thoughts are that my GPS was off, showing south of the rails I was on. These rails all merged and ran into the the present day AKDN or what was the MP or the Frisco or before that the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico RR. Wait, I'm scaring myself.

The north set of rails, not the ones under the road, still seemed viable. This north spur of the Friso/AKDN could still reach the mill. In fact the AKDN RR did park their old tug there for a while.

I was now where you see "T-Turn" on the map.

I would have to go north (right). A tank car can be seen in the far distance.

I mentioned that the alley seemed a likely "hobo jungle". I should have said that between the alley and he SP could have served that purpose. On the north side I saw this large block of cement. I was not inclined to venture back in there to investigate. I do back off at times. More lately.

There were piles of trash and rails.

This must be looking west?

This, for sure is looking west. Why did I post this picture?
Someone might see something I missed. It's happened before.

When I came to the end of the alley, as I said, I had to turn north and then back west to follow the rails. I was now amongst the top tier of rails spurred off the AKDN. On the map I have labeled, "Angled Building" I noticed it because Mark had mentioned an angled building in Opelousas. Both were built to coordinate with an angled spur.

The bushes to the left are where that tank car was. It is the line that is second closest to the SP rails.

You can see the chicane in the rails to the left of "Angled Building". I believe that's where Louisiana Bag sits. By the way, the rails where "Angled Building"is, happens to be the same set that went to the Frisco Depot. So that spur went across Parkerson, the main street of Crowley, went to the depot.
It had to have gone on the north side of the big mill, also.

I was approaching US 90. A bulk plant looking place was along the way.

Also, close by was this collection of cement blocks next to the rails. They are marked "Cement" on the map.

I turned west on US 90 and saw where AKDN rails crossed over US 90.
This is the beginning of the rails going north from the north side of the Southern Pacific's.

I rode west on 90 until I got to Roller Road. There I turned south, crossing the SP/BNSF's main line. I
noticed some old rails off on the north side. They would open a whole new can of worms.

This is the end of exploring the rails on the north side of the SP. There is so much more below that main line. How it all fits together drove me crazy and there is still a missing link. The next page we'll start from where we started this side, back at La.13, and we'll see if we can get it figured out. When I first came in from Rayne I was intent on following the OG/T&P. (Yellow Line). I hadn't an idea what I was doing.
I would follow what rails or evidence of rails I could find.

This is looking back at the OG&NE right of way as it heads back to Rayne. Everett documented the OG&NE crossing at Rayne as still in place as late as 1935.
A little bird suggested that the OG/T&P rails may have lasted until WWII.
That would coincide with the T&P rails being ripped up between Eunice and Ville Platte.

I still can't figure out how to convert these mundane gritty images of a historical industrial area (I almost used "park") with old rails sinking into the ground, or preserved in hard top, into "Romance on the Orient Express". It is a tough sell and my readership reflects that. Maybe if I provided popcorn
I could sell this stuff?

Map alert:

Old maps always wake the drowsy reader whose imagination has been unfed. Well, it's feeding time. On the last ride I found an old mill and something very interesting in the ground next to an invisible set of rails. What I found was right above where that flag is by "Mill". First we need to turn off Mill Street onto S. Avenue J.

Looking east, there's the old mill. Everyone I asked knew what the below it was.
Where have I been all my life that I didn't know what it was?

OK, do you know?

Most answers were like this: ... the round thing with the electric motor named Link Belt is a 'capstain', like on a sail boat or big boat, it's used to pull things, like an anchor with a rope by winding it around the slowly turning round thing, ....like rail cars in this instance....Link Belt is a company that makes all sorts of winch equipment all the way up to cranes and drag lines and the like. Al added this as he always knows one notch more: "Hey! that capstain is also called a "Cathead, fyi".Thanks Al. Rolling on. I didn't see anything special here, I just felt it was my duty to get some rhythm going with the documentation.

To slow the process, I took a picture back the other way. See, when the warning sign said "2 Tracks", it wasn't kidding. Best I can tell, both of these were OG&NE. (Questioned later with the identification of the SP switch) For the sake of continuity with the story line, let's call them that anyhow. Everett has suggested that I go to the parish courthouse there in Crowley and pick up a labeled map of the old railroad district which states which of the 3 rail companies in town owned what set or rails. I'm sure a new edition was out just this year. I'm sure I'd get the stare. Have you ever gotten THE STARE? If not, then you don't know what it is. THE STARE comes from a person who cannot imagine anything out of the little box they call their life. Or possibly it is born of some sort of prejudice. It is sometimes referred to as "Giving a person a hard time". That action is usually accompanied by THE STARE. I think if I went to the courthouse and asked for a fully documented map of the rail district in 1930, I'd get THE STARE. I'm thinking maybe the library, where they are more tolerant of nuts, is a good idea. Hey, you STARING at me?

Ok, we're going west again. See that 30 mph speed limit sign?

We are now at it.

The rails just keep on coming. See them in that crossing, but you can't see them in the grass. What if the crossing is removed? Then you won't see them at all. A whole century of history will go poof and people will continue to walk around doing their thing but something will be bothering them and they won't know what it is. Then they'll snap and realize what happened and wonder why it happened and who let it happen and then dismiss it and it'll happen again. Thus is the passage of history into oblivion.

Next was La. Rice

I don't usually drive into a business. Yea I do. I'd do it again.

Because you never can tell what you'll find. La. Rice accesses the Southern Pacific. I count 5 sets of rails. I was wondering where all the rails were that my Garmin GPS showed. Yes, back then it connected to the SP, also.

See on the map to the east side (right), the rails merging into 2 and then one? Look below. Someone just mentioned "the little things....". Indeed. I was having an Indiana Jones moment.

Zooming out, you can see a train has an easy off and on.
The AKDN RR accesses the mill here.

Back on Mill St. we continue on. Evidently, we are at Ave C. I first saw "avec", which means "with" and thought "with what"? Thinking of something to have with "with" I flashed on this, one of my favorite local ads of all times. It went like this, "Laissez Le Bon Ton Roulet avec Gallo". Hey Gloria, you remember that? Gallo is, of course, is a brand of wine. Yea buddy, screw top for easy on and off, too.

Right when things started to get boring, a set of rails crossed the street.

I dismounted and once again got THE STARE from passing motorist, women, and children.

No trucks, I agree.

The crossing was off a switch. It was still there and seemed undisturbed and unpreserved. "Unpreserved" is code that some Indiana Jones types use. I'm sworn to secrecy.
The switch is now gone.

Then a distinguished guest had this to say about what I called a "OG&NE switch", " The "OGNE Switch" is a standard SP switch stand made by RACOR. Note that the top of the stand where the switch target (silver thing with number on it) has "SP 10" on it. Interestingly enough, the target I think is an MP target, either that or the yellow one with 711 is MP and the silver one with 875 is SP or".He continued for 3 more pages but that's the gist of it. The "yellow one" is later.
Is Lanetta a the records department looming in my future?

You can't have too many crossing pictures. Of course I jest, you can have too many. But, this one serves a purpose. See the brown building down the way on the other side of the street? See the brown cover? This one? See the rails in the grass? They went under the cover.
When was the last time they were used?
Why are they still there?

I made up fifty little maps. The only relevance this one has to where we are is "Switch". So here we are and it's a SP switch. I was going into hysterics figuring my OG&NE mission was over and that my thesis was shot dead in the water. To the rescue came Everett. He told me to calm down, take a deep breath and relax. He said one possibility was that the SP, the oldest company in Crowley, had built the whole complex or part of it and that.......well he made me feel better, that's what counts. Ok, look at the map, follow the bottom rails west, left. The next biggie will be the "Turn" and understanding it. That locked me up for 2 days until I thought of Google Earth

I had to stop and take a picture, it was time. Up ahead is Western Ave. There is an Eastern Ave. I believe that they form part of the border of the original town layout or possibly I'm only being romantic yet again.

I actually tried following the US 90 detour as I find all detours a challenge. I got lost in southeast Crowley. There I got The STARE big time and split.

Here's a look back to the east. Consider it a refresher on where you've been and what you've seen. This shot was taken from the Turn area.

Whipping around to the west you see .....

Walking west and turning around looking east, you see this.........
Note the rails by the truck. They are headed to the pipe coming off the dryer.

Turning around and looking back west, you see this............if you look through binoculars.

Those tracks are turning toward US 90 and will cross it, joining the main trunk line of the AKDN RR which was the MP and the Friso and the Colorado Southern and the NOT&M, the one that built that lovely depot in 1909. The rails look dead but they are not. Back in that turn there is a switch which connects to the next stop.

Yes, I paid them a visit, also.

I thought I was in Texas.
Those rails go west to yet another mill to the west of Roller Road where the north of SP section
of the Crowley exploration had ended.

That's looking back at the AKDN rails. I should have picked up some rice.
This is looking back from Roller Rd. to the location above.

This is looking west toward Roller Road from the crossing at the office.

This is why I said, "Texas".
Where could the ties have come from? (lol)

While I was there I zoomed way down the tracks toward the AKDN and saw this white thing.
I need to know what that is.
Update: I'd forgotten about it.

See the junction down there? (above shot)
Those rails are turning north to cross the SP, US 90 and will join the rails that served the
north side of the SP and then continue to Eunice.

Now, for the sake of continuity with the other pages I'll include this shot below. I went on around the west end of South West Rice Mill and took a picture of their old rail feed from Roller Road, that's on the map. The SP main line is to the left. It had serviced this mill. All of that is in the next edition entitled, "The West Side Story". I'm holding back on the huge map offering until then.

On both north and south of the Southern Pacific explorations I ended up here, the Roller Road and Southwest Rice Mill area. The old Frisco RR, coming south from Eunice had split to serve both sides of the main line Southern Pacific. How the agreements, coalitions and arrangements of rails between the 3 main entities transitioned through the years I have no idea. The fact that there were 3 choices in town surely helped the millers. On the last page I showed you how the SW Mill was now using the AKDN rails as its connection. On this page you will see how that mill did have a direct connection to the SP.

That map leaves out most recent additions, it is meant only as a general location reference.

On my first visit I saw this connector coming off the SP. Being that I was to the west of the AKDN/ T&P / OG&NE I found it really interesting that the rail system would have this "satellite" spur. I saw it as a disconnect between the SP and whoever controlled the Frisco loop (AKDN). It descended and crossed Roller Road, where I am standing in this picture.
Looking back east.

As I said, the spur crossed the road and landed next to the SP fill. A train would proceed for a distance on those rails and then come forward though a switch to go across the road.

Looking west.

The switch did not look that long out of service

Someone forgot a flatcar on the rails next to the SP.
Coming back across Roller Road the rails went to the access doors at SW Mill.
It was a "switch back".

The rails on the east side Roller Road passed the flatcar and went to the Riviana Rice Mill. You can see the trace in the grass going right between the 2 buildings, below. On the big map offered at the bottom of the page, you can see my believed configuration.

Back at SW Mill you can see the deteriorated condition of the historic rails. It looks like someone has been here on a "preservation" expedition. (refer to a previous page for a hint at what I'm saying).

The building down at the end is the one now being serviced by the AKDN spur. Those rails are on the other side of the building.

This is a shot of where AKDN's west loop crosses US 90, the otherwise unused loop that only serves SW Mill. It is the loop that is shown on my Garmin map as meeting the OG&NE somewhere east along Mill

Road on the south side of the mills.

Looking down the SP/BNSF (called UP here) rails from Roller Road, this is "who" the rails are. The spur you see is the one just mentioned. The cross track down there is the outer loop, AKDN's crossing.

To the three that stayed with me on this one, thanks for the company, additions, and positive critiques. I would address the rest of you but you wouldn't hear me. You won't be getting this map. It is large, and will only stay in my account for a short while. What I may have missed is this: to the west of the flatcar the spur may have rejoined the the SP. I can see evidence in the picture that it did. I rode out there and took a look down the SP rails and didn't see any evidence, but I think that I was too far west. That's it for Crowley.
The ride continues below.

As you can, the rails labelled SW Rice Mill.

You know, I spent hours explaining how a bunch of old tracks use to run. I think I was obsessing. I'll never get that intense about anywhere again. But, like I said, Crowley was an important place which deserves exploring and understanding, maybe? On the way back I wasn't feeling too well and didn't want to chance passing out on the interstate so I did the smart thing and rode some Loster than Moses in the wilderness gravel roads across the Bayou Teluge Wilderness.

Big rains equal high water.

Emerging from the wilderness. I found my way to La.1112 which is near La.98 west of Roberts Cove,
the area which had missed being on the OGNE RR run when Rayne entered the picture.

Al just sent a note saying the tractor is a Massey Ferguson set up for this and that and his note has melted somewhere. Let me see, he said it's set up for ditching and leveeing which makes it definitely a rice tractor. Here, I found it: The tractor is an old Massey Ferguson rigged up for 'ditchin' and 'puddlin' and levee work with a small backhoe attachment. A long time back there were quite a few 'brands' of tractors being sold, no more Then there was this. I'm sure it's a valve of some sort.

Last place I remember was Scott, La. Here are some shots around town.

This old building has been transformed into a coffee shop resembling a SP depot.
That's a shame.

This was taken of it from the other side of the tracks.
At least it didn't fall down.

More shots of Scott.

This is the true location of the depot.

There's the old building that is now the coffee shop again.
Check out the raised side door. I had not seen that before.

Up highway 93 was this.

"Where the West Begins" has a story behind it which I can't remember.

"Where the west begins" and this ends. Oh, what about the Lost Loop of the Opelousas, Gulf and North East Railroad and later the Texas and Pacific? It's not lost anymore. Done with that. Update, yes again.