historyhunts

In the last edition, I'd posted a few of my 6 year old pictures of La.83. One yielded a missing wheel on a tractor which I'd never seen but Mike pointed out. Thinking that I needed to take a better look at what else I'd missed, I reviewed the lot. I came up with a rr crossing sign that seemed to have no road. I've seen that before and it is still a mystery. Luisa is not that far from the house. It is only a 106 mile round trip taking the scenic route one way. My wife was headed off to exercise, so I figured I'd get some, too. You think riding a dirt bike 1oo plus miles is easy on the body? It's not. It ain't no Gold Thinger but it will ride cane rows to the rail ROW's. That ability was used today.

Now wouldn't you ride 106 miles to figure that one out?

The sign seemed to have no road?

On the way I stopped and took a shot atop cool and
shady Weeks Island.

I decided to check out the rails on top again.
The smell throughhere was alpinic.

The old pictures were not up to snuff. The mill is to the right.

This was a small yard and scales before the mill. I almost jumped

the ditch and went into the forbidden area.
But, I chickened out.

This is the main entrance.

Vermillion Bay and the Intracoastal Canal lie below.

This is all in the middle of the marsh.

Leaving, I ducked in at the Port.

I looked down the line and what I had hoped to find, I found.

A L&D diesel was switching cars down at the carbon black factory.

I zoomed in and it still got smaller.

I raced to the factory's entrance and caught these
award winning shots.

She was backing the load into the plant. Mark noticed that the

engines are named. I'm wondering what 1501 is. If "Patoutville",

it would be a coincidence.
Update: 1504 is Patoutville.

I headed back to 83.

Just as I got there, here she came, cutting me off at the last moment.

Things were getting confusing. I heard a crash. My bike fell over.

Stuff happens. The brake lever was bent. I carry 300 lbs of tools

and fixed the problem with them. They probably caused the crash.

Lifting the 300 lbs of tools off the ground while on the 340 lbs of bike

was a test.

But, the stop netted yet another award winner.

I love these.

Bet they didn't expect a photographer in the middle of this cane

field.

Ok, that's it.

My interest in railroads is waning. I am now taking up billboards

and local business ads.

That didn't last long. I figure the "15" means "15 miles from Baldwin"

on the Cypremort branch of the Southern Pacific RR.

The rails on the right turned right and went to Weeks Island.

There you go. The bumpy rails are exagerated due to being a

telescopic shot. The right rail switched but kept straight also for

the Louisa 2 rail yard.

I decided to go back to the point where the rails turned and

went up into Weeks Island. I got off the bike and walked into

Snake World. I knew I'd encounter the big one and have the

big one.

I stayed with the right of way for a good distance. In winter I'll be

back.

This is where I was. No snakes there.......

At this point I'm going to do a 2013 addition.
The rails from Louisa Plantation, Cypremort, La., have been intriguing.
Salt mine railroads are not common, neither are historic sugar mills except in South Louisiana.

I have a load of shots but not all I once had. There is a missing one of a boxcar sitting on the dying remnants of the Weeks Island branch I may have deleted because it was blurred. There ya go, that was dumb.
And, here we go, your added bonus: Louisa to Weeks Island, 2002 to 2010.
Stay tuned. These shots will be explained soon.