Photos Past: L&N Speeder at Gentilly Yard

It was late in the day when my dad and I were leaving the L&N’s Gentilly Yard in New Orleans. Much to my delight, this fellow came charging down the main just as we were heading out. At the time of the original post, reader and good friend Mike Walsdorf advised that the motorcar is a Fairmont M-19. These speeders were commonplace when this scene was recorded back in the early ’60s.

L&N Speeder at Gentilly Yard - Early 1960s

Looking today at the image, I notice an interesting mix of boxcars from names lost long ago. The Southern and the L&N cars really stand out, the latter with its relatively new blue paint job. And check out the Linde Air Products (then a division of Union Carbide) boxcars. I wish we could see to whom the tank car and the open hopper belonged.