Working Eunice

I had responded in part to LZ's note:

I  just had an invigorating ride. I was feeling like warmed over chicken poop and heard  "working Eunice"  Assuming that the dispatcher meant a train was having business in Eunice and not some other interpretation, I zoomed off to  that fair prairie enclave to find not a damn thing happening. Nevertheless it did rehabilitate my puny self at least for the time being. On the way I took some shots of places that make me happy. I try to ride along either ancient right of ways or those that are still living.  I'll post those tonight.

Well, a promise is a promise so I'll do just that or until summoned by management. 

My first stop was Poche's Meat Market, north of Breaux Bridge but not too far.

You can live here all your life and miss this machine sitting out front.

My guess is that you can put anything in that funnel and it comes out boudin.

Poche's serves Sunday dinners that should have warning labels.

If you don't know when to quit because they are so good, you will be in trouble.

Since I said "boudin", I know Al's ears perked up and now he's trying to see all the writing on the machine so he can order one.  Got you covered, Al.

 The drive shaft is rubberized and I think that's a high pressure bleeder or  release valve.
 Something you'll think you have after eating that stuff.

 "The Buffalo" is the namesake of the Buffalo Company which is the namesake of the town by the same name.

 Pictures speak better than words.

 Down on the Cecelia Bypass, you pass over the old Southern Pacific Railroad headed north from Cade and  going to Port Barre.  It's the tree line in this southern shot.

 Where it meets the road to the right is below.  Sitting on old rail right of ways is spooky.  Old towns, old houses, old churches, and cemeteries are all the same.

 Across the road she heads north. The ROW is to the right of the poles.

 Declouet is on the  SPRR timetable. It was probably a flag stop.

 Poche's had expanded.

 This is not the Poche camp though this would make many camps look bad. This is the subject of one of my original Two Wheelin' La. travel shots.  It survives. Other places I looked for today don't.

 South of Arnaudville, the Southern Pacific crossed Grain Elevator Rd.

 She came from Declouet.

 This may be a crossing timber.

 These are without a doubt, ties.  OK, granted, whether they actually came from the SP can be challenged. But, my circumstantial is enough for me.

 A closer look at the road's namesake.

 Looking back south. The railroad ran on the left of the road.  I will bet that if I had looked hard enough I would have found evidence of rail service to the elevator.  Finding service to the Singleton warehouses was an epiphany that I don't think the surviving family knew.

 The rails entered Arnaudville by crossing Bayou Fusilier here.

 Directly across the bayou is a cement abutment. I have a closer look at it elsewhere. I think "1935" is  written on it. That would make it the second bridge, I think.

 Now Mark, I need your help. This is the remains of a freight depot and you know where.  I can't remember if it was saved from Eunice or Opelousas. It is at the fine old 1905 home on La.182 above Sunset right before where 182 meets La.358.  
There was an article from  the paper that I have somewhere.

 This is the home. The owners became interested in preservation and actually saved the building from doom if I  have the story right.

 Next was Eunice like it was frozen in time. If something had been "working Eunice", it was over.
Like an old couple they were each on their own bed.
I had to write that, sorry.

 I can't be on this end and bypass the AKDN RR. 
This is the remains of one the RR's two original engines.

 Perennial resident. 

 Newbie

 Does LTEX run? It has a  hopper coupled to it!!
Maybe that's so the hopper isn't stolen?

 Old team members 1500 and 8063 sit at the doctor's office. I know the feeling, girls.

 SILX 12 is dyslexic in both directions so she carefully sits in a perpetual balancing act.

 Nothing was happening at Port Barre so I headed south.

 I wish there had been a good place to pull over because the ducks  in that pond were unreal.

 Nature was putting on a show.  At Pecanniere  (it's spelling is different every time) I stopped  to take a shot of the old MP/ New Iberia and Northern RR hump.  Humps are an endangered species just like old engines and so much more.  

 Nature and a Hump, two entities in coexistence.

 Being near the Huron Plantation School, I shot it to.

 At home the front was catching up.

 Good carrot, wanna bite?