| Here is an eastbound train at the east end of the Southern Pacific's Lafayette Yard, near the Loop Street grade crossing. The train is in Track No. 1, on the south side of the original main line. A few years later, the main line was rerouted around the north side of the yard. Lafayette Yard was a crew change location for freight trains, so all freights had to stop here. The train has an unusual combination of locomotives: B30-7's 7856 and 7817, SD9R 4359 and GP20R 4124. SD9's were very rare on the Espee in Louisiana.SW7R 2295 is about to couple on to the train to add and/or remove some cars. The practice of switching trains while they still had their road power was very common, especially when the power was to run thru Lafayette. Many times trains were switched from the rear or from from both ends; and in many instances the yard crew would get on the road power to switch the train, especially when they had to make long, heavy moves. The small structure next to the switch engine was a carman's shack. Prior to the carmen being provided with scooters, there was always a carman on the east end of the yard. There was a telephone in the shack so that the car foreman could give this carman instructions on what work he was to perform on this end of the yard. The cantilever signal was for eastward movements on the main line. At one time, all wayside signals were placed on the right side of the track, in the direction of approach. An overhead signal was used here because there wasn't sufficient clearance between the main track and Track No. 1 to safely have a conventional signal at that location. The industry on the right was a paper company. |