BNSF> Tracking the War Bonnet Out on the Louisiana Plains

Again I would go to the local watering  hole for 
"ready to chase" trains.
One was making all the right noises ....

  
..... but it was facing the wrong direction .... east.
I'd been east all the way to Shriever, lately. It was a lengthy outing
described by one reader as "interminable".
I was ready for another one of those.
Lake Charles did not sound outside of the boundaries of "interminable".
As I proceeded west those clouds got darker and the wind was heavy and ceaseless.
I needed the exercise so a war of the winds was an acceptable facet that I could handle.
It is all mental.
I've never been actually picked up and moved. Well, yes, I have.
I finally figured it out. The bike is not moving, I am, 
and as long as I can hold onto the
motorcycle I'll be fine. That's most of the time.
I'm sure you fellow riders agree.
But, then there is the "turning thing".
I have been picked up while leaning into a turn.
That is unnerving as leaning is turning.
If the lean stops you go straight or lean / turn the opposite direction
with unintended results.
One result is "the ditch".
In other parts of the country it could get worse.

Yep, she was a good one but her aiming was contrary to my needs.

There was nothing going west but me.
I stopped in Rayne because I heard what sounded like a diesel horn.
It probably was but one associated with soft tires.

There is a historic mural in Rayne. I think I just identified one of the old buildings in it, the one on the right.
I think it was a hotel.

In Crowley I was just passing through when this scene (as I turned around) hit me like a jack hammer 
The grass had  just been mowed revealing what I'd never seen and I will tell you, and most know, that 
I have "done Crowley".

The stop sign in the distance is the corner of !st & Western.

I took the pictures to remind me to check my rail layout map.

I've transferred it to GE.

It is the red line that came off the Missouri Pacific rails, now AKDN, coming from Eunice.

They came off those rails and went  behind the angled La. Bag Company building which was built that way

to accommodate rail service.

They hugged the north side of the old mill.

On the south side of the mill are the tracks from which this line exited. 

AKDN has parked there in the past.

The concrete blocks are supports for another old mill.

Then they passed this building. 

I will have to investigate what looks like "rails" stacked up.

That would be a find.

Then this one.  Notice the patched rail access door.

Then it gets interesting. 

My map shows the rails stopping short of  S. Parkerson Ave.

I don't think they did. The rails to the south 

did cross the avenue and served the Missouri Pacific depot on its south.

I think there were rails on its north.

The blue line is my imaginary crossing.

The "mystery to me", little red building, would be right on the rails.



Just east of it is the north side of the MP depot.
Please notice the crack in the blacktop.
It is the same on the west side of  Parkerson Ave.

I rest my case.

It was on to Roanoke in search of a train.
I hear "Roanoke" mentioned all the time and I've seen passes made there before. 
I figured it was a chance to catch one. Sure enough after crossing the tracks there was the ex- Santa Fe War Bonnet,
head end east. It sat.

I admired the flowers .... my favorites.

...... the old mill ......

.... the old store ...

and the train sitting at the east gate to the Roanoke passing track.

It was going west. 

I wanted to go west because Laccasine is to the west and Roanoke, just 3 miles past Jennings, was

way to soon to turn around and head home.

I'd chase that one.

It moved out but not quickly.

West of Roanoke there was another east bound train behind the Bonnet's.

The congestion must have been very bad.

I went to Welsh to wait for the westbound.
The train did not appear.
Lacassine must have been having problems or it had to wait for more east bounders to come through.
I never saw one.

These shots obviously reflect Welsh's history.
Welsh is a prospering community.

And, this one.

I have no idea what she is pointing at or why she is grinning.

Possibly she knew the engineer?

I once found Joe's website.

I have no idea if Joe is still around.

Notice "Tyco".

There is also this "much photographed" place. Still a mystery.

I'm saying there was a spur that went along those doors.

Here are a couple of GE catches. The train was conveniently placed in the shots.

This is looking south. The building would be on the left (east) out of sight.

I have no idea what was the relevance of this shot.

This one is more relevant. That same historic train is passing where 

I think the switch was to the big building's spur.

You can see it if you can accept shadows, invisible rails and theory.

 

Looking east down those rails was my train still at west Roanoke. 
My camera does have a reach.
It did not move.

I did.

I was off to the new Lacassine Yard, now probably completed.
I shot from La.101 into the bowels.
The  bridge in the distance is US165 at Iowa Jct.

If you listen to local train radio,  "East Lacassine" is heard often.

For good measure one more.

Then I went out on US 90. I tried to enter the facility but a "No Trespassing sign was the greeting.

Still I was able to catch a few matched sets sitting in the yard. 

With the event of the new yard, Iowa Junction is not heard and seems to be forgotten by BNSF.
Once it was was Mecca-like to me, no more.

Seldom shot is this view west from the junction.

I got back to Raoanoke and the War Bonnet was on the move. 

Perfect timing.

I raced the 4 miles to the Jennings depot site and got ready. 

A shot from the depot floor nailed her.

Oh, but there would be more.
I was on to Mermentau.
A bridge shot would be attempted. 
I gained on her leaving Jennings.
She would  have to slow for the Mermentau bridge.
The wind was blowing hard and holding the bike steady with one hand would be a trick.

Tricks get done.

Notice the large boats being built in the background.

The SP rails once serviced that boatyard. 

An engine went off into the river and killed the engineer.

Now, look at the pedestal for the swing bridge section. It, as many, was next to the bank.

The boats it allowed were small.

Over the shoulder shots.

Next was Crowley. I had a lead. 

I should have changed the big camera's batteries.

But, I had the little camera as a backup.

I chose the old rice mill that had been rail serviced from the 

rails of Crowley's industrial switching RR.

Yes, I found it named.

The rails had gone into the three "front doors.

 The big camera got one shot off and quit.

 The little camera got the second.

At Eleanor Road, the eastern limits of the Crowley passing track, she stopped.

Nothing was coming and Amtrak was late. 

She would sit for a long while.

She had sat many hours already.

I would retreat to my private covered viewing and renewal area and take a westward shot of her.

It had been an entertaining outing if not approaching the bounds of my imaginary interminable limits.