Back in September of 2020 my daughter, Julie, and I were taking a trip to Covington, Louisiana. Between Denham Springs and Hammond, we were driving east on US Hwy. 190 which parallels the Canadian National’s Hammond Subdivision. While near Livingston, we spied this CN highrail truck with a flatcar in tow. I had seen these larger trucks on rails before, but wasn’t aware that they were equipped to tow railcars. Turns out they are. I’m told that they are capable of handling a few of them, depending on their loading. And note the loading on this flatcar.

My daughter grabbed her cell phone and captured this view when I slowed a bit as we came beside it. My daughter became a “railfan” that day, even if for only one event. 🙂

In January of 1976 railfan and historian Louis Saillard was exploring the Louisiana Midland Railway. He recorded this view of their RS-1 #1111 working the pulpwood yard in Rhinehart, Louisiana. The #1111 (nicknamed the Four Aces) was originally GM&O #1111. It was later sold to the Chattahoochie Industrial as their #1111, then to the Conrad Yelvington as their #262.

The Louisiana Midland was created in 1945, then came under Illinois Central control in 1967. The railroad was re-created in March of 1974 after its sale by the (now) Illinois Central Gulf to Trans-Action Associates. The railroad ceased operations in July of 1985.

Credits go to the Mississippi Rails and The Diesel Shop “Fallen Flags” websites for information about the LM Rwy.

For this first posting in the month of April, I’m featuring another photograph from the 1986 calendar published by the Louisiana State Railroad Museum, it being for their month of April. I’ve paraphrased the caption for the image below.

“At the east end of the cavernous Louisville & Nashville train shed at the New Orleans depot, L&N Pacific #261 heads up a heavyweight consist. Movie and railroad buffs can see this station immortalized in A Streetcar Named Desire on the big screen. (Photo from the collection of Harold K. Vollrath)”

I did a little digging for more information on this locomotive. The photograph was recorded by Max Miller on May 30th of 1948. She was a Class K-4B locomotive, and was one of eighteen built at the L&N’s South Louisville shops in 1920. She had 69″ drivers, and her boiler fed 200 psi steam to a pair of 22″ x 28″ cylinders. This produced 33,389 lbs of tractive effort.

Almost a year ago I posted some photographs taken at the ICG railroad facilities in McComb, Mississippi by my late friend Ron Findley. You can view that post here if you’d like to review those images and learn a bit more about the area. That trip was in February of 1988. Just days after those images were taken, the ICG Industries divested themselves of their railroad interests, and a new railroad was created under its former name, the Illinois Central Railroad.

In reviewing the photos that Ron had recorded in McComb at various times, I discovered that we had also visited McComb in late June of 1988 to see if things had changed very much since the new IC had been created. One of Ron’s images was similar to one captured back in February, and it caught my eye because of the nice assortment of power sitting in the locomotive servicing area. Shown are locomotives wearing three different paint schemes, two from the ICG era and a couple in the new “retro” black paint from the original Illinois Central. Back during the IC/GM&O merger the railroad had sold off its rights to the green diamond herald, so the new paint substitutes the name Illinois Central under the cab window where the green diamond used to be. <sigh>

This image is zoomed in a bit closer than the one from February, and the turntable pit just beyond and left of the sand tower is more visible. The turntable’s bridge is still laying upside down just beyond the pit. Soon after the pit would be filled, and four tracks installed leading up to near the three doors of the shop building. And to my satisfaction, the old steam-era wooden water tank (at upper left) was still in place.

Ron had noted on this photograph that the ICG GP38 numbered 9522 (at far left) was originally the GM&O #703.

In February of 2009 Ron Findley and I were touring around southern Mississippi looking for railroad “targets of opportunity” to photograph. We came across this Green Brothers steam locomotive at her display site located at the junction of Routes 27 and 28 in Georgetown.

She was built by Alco in 1923 for the Mississippi Central Railroad as their #141 at a cost of $49,745. This Mikado (2-8-2) type locomotive worked on the MSC’s Hattiesburg to Natchez, Mississippi route. As the railroad dieselized, #141 was one of two MSC Mikados (#127 and #141) that were sold to the Green Brothers Gravel Company in 1953. There she worked at the company’s Georgetown, Mississippi plant until retired, and was then donated to the City of Georgetown.

The #141 weighs 251,000 lbs, has 22″ x 28″ cylinders and 52″ drivers. She is a coal burner and operated at a boiler pressure of 195 psi, delivering 45,500 lbs of tractive effort. She appeared to have relatively fresh paint on the date photographed . . . hopefully she will be kept in this state.

Back in the early days of dieselization on the Louisville & Nashville railroad, the road purchased several EMD model E7 locomotives. The photographer captured this view of one of this latest model at the head end of a passenger train. The location is unknown to me, and I’m speculating that this was a publicity photo, based on the setting -and- of the “suit” leaning out of the cab window. I’ll further speculate that the train may have been the Hummingbird. Unit #459 was built in April of 1945, and this photograph was likely taken soon after its delivery.

I noticed in this colorized version of the image that the paint job isn’t one I was accustomed to seeing, so I searched and found this photo by Elliott Kahn taken in 1947. I also found photos of sister units, #758 & #760 (the entire series was renumbered from the 400s to the 700s. #459 became #759). Apparently this paint job was created to match the train cars it pulled. At some point many, if not all, of these units were shopped and had some modifications done, including changing the earlier side-of-nose number boards and class lights to the newer angled number boards with the class lights above (by then “standard” with newer EMD units). They also had several grab irons added for better access for workers to clean and service the windshields. I’ve seen an image of the #760 with a newer version of paint (what I remember in my youth), with the nose striping modified and wrapping further around the nose, and a narrower cream band running down the side. The cream color bands were outlined with orange pin stripes. You’ll note the discrepancy of this colorized image as showing the orange pin striping on the left, but most of the right with none. The black and white images I’ve seen don’t seem to show anything that resembles pin striping on this particular paint job. If anyone knows the facts, please report them in the comments!

At any rate, I do like this image. Unfortunately there was no information as to the photographer or date, with the only information being the watermark Colorized 2016 by Imbued With Hues.

. . . the end of the line, that is. In 1952 William Harry recorded this view of streetcars at the end of the line for the Canal Street run in New Orleans, Louisiana. At this time Canal Street was the main thoroughfare in New Orleans, and the heart of the retail business district. The New Orleans Public Service streetcars ran quite frequently on this line to handle the passenger traffic.

The mighty Mississippi River is just out of view in the background. At this end of the line, the streetcar track merely circles around on a loop, then branches into the several holding tracks seen here. There was a partially underground break room for the crews here, located in the center of the loop. The cars will depart shortly at timed intervals.

The long viaduct behind the car at center is for pedestrian passengers of the river ferry. Vehicles enter the ferry at near ground level, while the pedestrians enter the ferry at its upper level cabin. The tracks of several railroads pass beneath that viaduct, following the riverfront and serving the various warehouses along the wharves. The two fellows at right are likely dock workers leaving work for home, my assumption based on their dress and the long afternoon shadows.

Seen directly behind the viaduct is the turret of the Louisville & Nashville Railroad passenger station and its train shed. It will be closed and demolished in a couple years, with the L&N transferring their passenger service to the new Union Passenger Terminal on Loyola Avenue.

For this first posting in the month of March, I decided to feature another photograph from the 1986 calendar published by the Louisiana State Railroad Museum, it being for their month of March. I’ve paraphrased the caption for the image below.

“May, 1948, and New Orleans Public Belt Railroad #32 is running light westbound past the New Orleans riverfront wharves. The practically new Baldwin prominently displays her rerailing frog and push pole, both used often on the tight curves and light track winding through the river industries.”

Photo from the collection of Harold K. Vollrath. Read more about this unique locomotive at The Baldwin Diesel Zone.

This is a Baldwin model 8-DE-900/1 E (Class 8-DE-900-1-E, 2 per the card) using a De La Vergne, Model VO Diesel engine. It’s an 8-cylinder, 4-cycle engine which delivers 900 brake horse-power at 600 rpm. This unit was 1 of 3 built in 1937 for the NOPB. It’s interesting to study this locomotive . . . a steam locomotive manufacturer’s vision of how to make a diesel electric machine. The hand fabricated, “make it fit” mentality is visible. I’m tickled at the location for the air reservoir below the cab. And note the ladder and railing arrangement at the front of the hood. Below is the Baldwin engine card for the locomotive:

A side note: The card lists the locomotive’s minimum radius with cars at 130 feet. In model railroading’s HO scale that works out to a 17.9 inch radius. For the locomotive alone, the minimum radius is 50 feet, equal to less than 6.9 inches (though you’d better remove the rerailing frog before attempting that!). Sounds like perfect power for a tiny HO layout.

In January of 1988 Edgar Dayries found himself trackside in Port Allen, Louisiana. He captured this view of the Union Pacific’s River Job as it was heading south across the Port Allen Canal bridge adjacent to the Port Allen Lock (to the Mississippi River). The train is headed up by former Missouri Pacific GP38-2 locomotive #2190 decked out in new Union Pacific paint with the “interim” Missouri Pacific lettering. She is followed by three other GP38-2 locos still in their “Jenks Blue” paint.

The Missouri Pacific lettering applied over Union Pacific paint began soon after a May 1984 corporate order and ceased being applied by January of 1986, with all units thereafter receiving Union Pacific lettering.

Back in January I mentioned in a post that in two Louisiana cities, Hammond and Ponchatoula, both claimed to be the strawberry capital of the world. You can read that post here. The image below shows farmers in Ponchatoula lining up to load strawberries into refrigerated rail cars back in the 1930s. Look closely and you’ll notice a second string of cars behind those in the foreground. The Illinois Central would build strawberry trains that would very swiftly carry this valuable cargo up to points north.

From the collection of the State Library of Louisiana.

One last photograph of the Illinois Central depot in Hammond, Louisiana, this view is looking south. On November 20th of 1954 photographer Charles P. Harrington recorded this image of train #4, the Louisiane, as it was making its stop for passengers and express. Headed up by E8 locomotive #4031, the train has several cars in tow for handling the mail and express, as well as the baggage.

Note the water penstock at left, conveniently located to fill the tanks of north bound steamers while stopped at the depot. Several weeks ago we saw another penstock located near W. Robert Street for servicing the southbound locomotives. The southbound track (located at right) was removed many years ago when the I.C. was doing some belt-tightening. In later years Amtrak constructed a raised passenger platform over the former roadbed. This image shows how it looks today. The brick paving (that wider area) is still there today, as well as the concrete milepost #859 at far right, though it’s paint is very worn with the black lettering virtually gone now.

From the collection of David S. Price.

For this first posting in the month of February, I decided to feature another photograph from the 1986 calendar published by the Louisiana State Railroad Museum, it being for their month of February. I’ve paraphrased the caption for the image below.

In May of 1943 the country is at war and Southern Consolidation #6591, ex-Alabama Great Southern K class 296, is working some head end business at the New Orleans Basin Street Station of the Southern Railway. The depot, the tracks, the engine and the palms are long gone, having been replaced by statues and greenery.

From the collection of Harold K. Vollrath.