Yesterday I drove over to Hammond, Louisiana to spend the day with friends gathered near the Amtrak depot on the Canadian National line. Late in the afternoon we witnessed the CN’s train M301 as it was leaving the Hammond sub (the line between Baton Rouge and Hammond) to now run north on the McComb sub (the line between New Orleans and Chicago).

Heading up the train were a couple of Kansas City Southern units, the 4097 (SD70ACe) and the 5006 (ET44AC). They were being trailed by CN/IC #2720 (C44-9W). The consist consisted of a long string of loaded autoracks, some boxcars, and the usual assortment of chemical hoppers and tank cars.

I did enjoy the rumble and the ground shaking as these large units eased by on this curve.