New Orleans

Five months before the U.S. entered WWII, St. Claude Line car 1017 was stopped on North Rampart Street at Canal Street in New Orleans, waiting to "change ends" and head back downriver to St. Bernard Parish. The Rubenstein's store on the right was in the Saenger Theater building, across Canal Street from the Loew's. New Orleans Public Service Inc. 1000-1019 were built in 1928, and were the last cars purchased by NOPSI. Unlike the earlier cars 800-972, these had smaller wheels (26 vs. 33-inch) and four 35 HP motors instead of two 65 HP. These cars spent most of their lives on the St. Claude Line, which ended at the American Sugar refinery in Chalmette, and were all scrapped in 1949 after being replaced by buses. (approximate day)

New Orleans Public Service Inc. cars were gathered at the foot of Canal Street, near the Mississippi River, awaiting their turn to depart. TULANE line car 410 was one of 50 cars built by the Southern Car Co. in 1915 for a predecessor of NOPSI. It had a CAR HOUSE sign up, and would be retired the next year; while CEMETERIES car 873 was built by Brill in 1922. Notice the clever "194-7UP" ad on the 410, while car 873 was promoting rival Royal Crown Cola.

Illinois Central E7A's 4006 and 4004 were heading out of the station, after having backed in with Train 3, the LOUISIANE. The engines were going to the engine terminal, just on the other side of the overpass in the distance, where the crew would tie up and mark off. If the train was on time, it would have gotten in at 4:55 p.m.

New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board 12-ton Plymouth Model JLA No.4 was heading along Eagle Street at Cohn Street, with New Orleans Public Belt covered hopper car 201 and a tank car. The little train was on its way from the city’s water treatment plant to the interchange with the NOPB and the Illinois Central eight blocks away. The locomotive had been built in 1935 and was purchased from the New Orleans & Lower Coast (MP) the year before this photo was taken, when NOS&WB retired its electric and compressed-air locomotives. (approximate date of photo)

On the morning after Thanksgiving 1964, E-units off of the Kansas City Southern’s <I>SOUTHERN BELLE</I> and the Illinois Central’s <I>PANAMA LIMITED</I> were parked next to the sand tower at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. If the trains had arrived on time, they would have gotten in at 6:05 and 9:00 a.m. This photo was taken with a plastic Kodak Brownie <I>Starmeter</I> 127 camera.

The three cars in this photo belonged to the NRHS-New Orleans Chapter, and two chapter members proudly display a toilet they had successfully removed from one of the cars. The cars were originally built for the New York Central and wear the paint scheme of their previous owner, Grueninger Travel Service of Indianapolis. While the paint scheme looks very much like the Great Northern's BIG SKY BLUE image, there was no relationship between the travel service and that railroad. The car in the foreground is the 4-bedroom/4-compartment/2-drawing room car GOV. OLIVER P. MORTON. It was built in 1938 as New York Central IMPERIAL CHATEAU, renamed INTERNATIONAL BRIDGE in 1949, and retired by the NYC in 1965. Coupled to it is another 4-4-2, the GOV. HENRY F. SCHRICKER, built in 1940 as NYC IMPERIAL EMBLEM and retired in 1962. On the right is 6-double-bedroom/buffet/lounge GOV. PAUL V. McNUTT, built in 1938 as NYC HONEOYE FALLS and retired in 1965. All of the Grueninger cars were named after governors of Indiana. The cars were parked at the Southern Railway's former Louisiana Southern yard in the 6200 block of St. Claude Avenue.

This was Clara Street Tower at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal during the brief time it was painted green. The tower still exists but it is no longer manned, as the signals and power switches at NOUPT ark now controlled from Chicago. (approximate day)

For many years, both the MP and the SP weren't particular about the power they used for transfer runs across the Huey P. Long Bridge... almost any old units would do. But in 1975, both railroads assigned brand new EMD switchers to yard and transfer service around New Orleans. Here, 2-month old SP MP15AC's 2705 and 2706 on an eastbound transfer run meet 8-month old MP MP15DC 1549 -- along with GP18 1963, MP15DC 1551 and GP38-2's 2060 and 2075 -- on a westbound grain train.

Louisville & Nashville U30B 2509 rests in the Missouri Pacific's Race Street Yard. It was on a set of transfer power with four assorted MP geeps. MoPac MP15DC 1547 was on another set of transfer power, with siblings 1554 and 1546. The switchers were only eight months old, and had come to New Orleans straight from the factory. The Greater New Orleans Mississippi River Bridge fills the background.

Amtrak train No. 59, the southbound PANAMA LIMITED, was backing into New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal at 12:32 - just a little late - behind Illinois Central GP40 3016. While ICG units ran on the train occasionally, they were usually accompanied by an Amtrak engine to provide heat, especially in November; so running with just a freight unit was really rare! The train consisted of nine cars: baggage car 1070, 6-6-4 sleeper 2154 SILVER ORCHID and 10-6 sleeper 2794 PINELLAS COUNTY, dinner 8310, coaches 5407, 6015, 6077 and 5681, and lounge 3341.

New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal No.1 was one of three SW8's - Nos. 1-3 - built in December 1953 for use at the new terminal. No. 2 was sold around 1960, but Nos. 1 and 3 survived into the Amtrak era. They were repainted into Amtrak colors and sold to NASA in 1990.

Southern Railway train No. 2 – the northbound <I>SOUTHERN CRESCENT</I> – was overtaking No. 194 – the run-through train from Houston to Birmingham via the Southern Pacific – on the Southern’s New Orleans Terminal Co. subsidiary near Elysian Fields Ave. No. 194 had arrived from the SP during the night and was parked here on the “wrong” track, awaiting a rested road crew. (exact date unknown)

This was a view from the rear of Amtrak train No. 58 - the northbound <I>PANAMA LIMITED</i> - as it rolled through East Bridge Junction at 60 MPH. The train was on the Illinois Central Gulf heading out of New Orleans, and the track on the right was a connection to the New Orleans Public Belt and the <I>HUEY P. LONG BRIDGE</I>. Just beyond the signal on the left was a connection with the Southern Railway. The photo was taken from Amtrak observation-lounge car 3344, previously Seaboard Coast Line 5844 and originally Seaboard Air Line 6604.

A small group of people had gathered outside the Illinois Central Gulf's LOUISIANA DIVISION HEADQUARTERS OFFICE at Mays Yard to watch the <I>AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN</I> pass on its way into New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. It was probably the first time a 4-8-4 had even run over these tracks. IC SW9 460 was off to the left.

This was the connection between the Illinois Central Gulf's BATON ROUGE DISTRICT, on the left, and the Kansas City Southern's NEW ORLEANS SUBDIVISION at Orleans Junction in Kenner, Louisiana. The KCS abandoned its track here in 1985, after it obtained trackage rights over 6.5 miles of the ICG-between Frellsen and East Bridge Junction.

This was where the Kansas City Southern's NEW ORLEANS SUBDIVISION crossed the Illinois Central Gulf's double-track McCOMB DISTRICT at Orleans Junction in Kenner, Louisiana. The KCS abandoned its track here in 1985, after it obtained trackage rights over 6.5 miles of the ICG-between Frellsen and East Bridge Junction. The overpass is U.S. Highway 61.

This is a view looking north on the Illinois Central Gulf's McCOMB DISTRICT, showing the connection with the BATON ROUGE DISTRICT on the left at Orleans Junction in Kenner, Louisiana The crossing with the Kansas City Southern's NEW ORLEANS SUBDIVISION, which was removed in 1985, was just beyond the concrete equipment bungalow.

This was the west end of the connection between the original Illinois Central (Yazoo & Mississippi Valley) main line through Orleans Junction, on the left, and the revised alignment of the Baton Rouge District. This slide was taken from the observation car on the AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN.

This was the east end of the connection between the original Illinois Central (Yazoo & Mississippi Valley) main line through Orleans Junction, on the left, and the McComb District at Hollandey Street in Kenner, Louisiana. This slide was taken from the observation car on the AMERICAN FREEDOM TRAIN.

This was a view facing west from Southport Tower in suburban New Orleans. The empty right-of-way in the foseground and track A2 beyond that were originally on the alignment of the NEW ORLEANS & MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, then the LOUISVILLE, NEW ORLEANS & TEXAS, then the YAZOO & MISSISSIPPI VALLEY, and then the ILLINO¶S CENTRAL. Between 1954 and 1969 this was also the inbound main line for IC, Missouri Pacific, Southern Pacific and Texas & Pacific passenger trains between <I>EAST BRIDGE JUNCTION</I>, at the east end of+the Huey P. Long Bridge, and New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal. The Missouri Pacific train on the left was a transfer run between the MP's <I>AVONDALE YARD</I> at the west end of the Huey P. Long Bride, and the ra—lroad's <I>RACE STREET YARD</I> in New Orleans. The train was was New Orleans Public Belt track constructed as a part of the Huey P. Long Bridge project in the early 1930's.

One of the more interesting pieces of trackwork in the New Orleans area was this crossing of the New Orleans Public Belt (in the right foreground) and the Illinois Central Gulf. The NOPB's <I>COTTON WAREHOUSE YRAD</i> was on the right and the orange water tower was in the ICG's <I>STUYVESANT DOCKS YARD</I>. These crossings were removed around 1995, when the two railroads combined and simplified their tracks between Southport Junction and Stuy Docks.

This view is looking east along the New Orleans Public Belt at East Bridge Junction Tower. The east approach to the Huey P. Long Bridge is about a quarter of a mile behind the photographer. Both the tower and the NOPB tracks were built as a part of the construction of the bridge, which was opened in December 1935. Just to the right of the tower is the caboose of an eastbound SP transfer run which has just left the IC's Mays Yard and is heading for the Southern Railway's BACK BELT. On the right is an MP caboose, and in the distance are the locomotives of a westbound MP train.

Office cars weren't unusual on the end of the SOUTHERN CRESCENT, but they usually ran with their open platform on the rear! Car number 8 was running backwards on the northbound train as it approached the L&N crossing at N.E. Tower. The conductor was keeping a wary eye on the photographer from the vestibule of dome coach 1613 as he prepared to grab his train orders at the tower. The nearest track was the "new" L&N line from Gentilly Yard to the Mississippi River, built when New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal opened in 1954.

For many years this little building at 6225 St. Claude Ave. in New Orleans was the headquarters and the city depot for the Louisiana Southern Railroad (LSO). After the Southern Railway acquired control of the LSO in 1952 the little railroad's operations were based here for many years The Norfolk Southern merged the LSO into the Alabama Great Southern on 1 August 1993. The concrete extension on the right end of the building was the railroad's safe. (approximate date)

This was the west (timetable north) end of the Illinois Central Gulf's MAYS YARD, just west of New Orleans, facing south. The main lines extended across the bottom of photo, with a portion of the yard office on the lower right. The wye identified the old connection with the former Harahan Yards and the Southern Pacific train ferry, which ran south towards the Mississippi River. Inside the wye were the engine servicing facilities. MAYS YARD never had a roundhouse or turntable, so steam engines were turned on the wye engines and coaled here with a clamshell crane.

This view was taken from the vestibule of a high-level coach on the westbound <I>SUNSET</I> as the train left the Southern Pacific's Avondale Yard and crossed Avondale Garden Road. The SP MP15AC was switching in the railroad's Avondale Yard and the three MP geeps, on the other side of that Lincoln Mk IV, were on a northbound train in that railroad's Avondale Yard. Behind the three high-level coaches were dormitory-lounge 3395, diner 8035, 10-6 sleepers 2602 <I>PACIFIC BEAUTY</I>, 2629 <I>PACIFIC RIDGE</I> and 2695, and dome-observation 9253 <I>SILVER LOOKOUT</I>. In just a couple of minutes SDP40F's 568 and 542 would have their 10-car train up to the speed limit of 70.

This was a view from a former Santa Fe high-level coach as Amtrak's westbound <I>SUNSET</I> dropped off of the Huey P. Long Bridge at West Bridge Junction. The tracks on the right lead into the Missouri Pacific's Avondale Yard, while the Southern Pacific's main line ran around the other side of that big fuel tank. The white structure to the right of the lower signal was the roundhouse at the Espee's Avondale Yard.

This was a view facing west at Monticello Avenue, on the Orleans-Jefferson Parish line. On the left was the Kansas City Southern coming in to connect with the New Orleans Public Belt, next were the two NOPB main tracks, and on the right were two Illinois Central Gulf main tracks. The signal on the ICG protected the crossings with the NOPB and KCS at <I>LAMBERT JUNCTION</I>.

This is a view facing east - timetable south - on the Kansas City Southern's NEW ORLEANS SUBDIVISION at Orleans Junction. This is eight miles from the railroad's WEST YARD and 11 miles from NEW ORLEANS UNION PASSENGER TERMINAL The track on the right is the Illinois Central Gulf's BATON ROUGE DISTRICT, while the crossing in the background is the ICG's McCOMB DISTRICT. The KCS abandoned its track here in 1985 after it obtained trackage rights over 6.5 miles of the ICG, between Frellsen and East Bridge Junction.

Relco (Railway Equipment Leasing Co.) Alco S2 1048 was parked outside the company's shop along the Illinois Central Gulf on Short Street in Kenner, Louisiana. The track on the right was the original Yazoo & Mississippi Valley main line between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, but it had been replaced by a revised connection between the Illinois Central's BATON ROUGE and McCOMB DISTRICTS at Orleans Junction. This shop served Relco's customers along the Mississippi River between New Orleans and Baton Rouge, and they subsequently relocated to a larger facility along the Baton Rouge District at St. Gabriel, Louisiana.

On a foggy morning, low-nose Espe GP9 3712 was pushing the ICG's New Orleans wreck train up the east approach of the Huey P. Long Bwidge to help fix a derailment. The cars were crane 100408, boom car 100566, and remodeled passenger cars 100567, 100570 and 100569. The train is passing over the Mississippi River east bank levee.

When Amtrak took over operation of the SOUTHERN CRESCENT on 1 February 1979 it leased all of the Southern Railway’s remaining E8A units for six months. While the Southern had maintained the locos at Atlanta and they were hardly ever seen in New Orleans during the day, Amtrak assigned them to New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal for maintenance and scenes like this became common. In this view, taken about three weeks after Amtrak began running the train (as the CRESCENT), Southern 6907, 6903 and 6909 were parked outside of the NOUPT diesel shop with SDP40F 624 and P30CH 722. Southern 6908 was coupled to the 624, while Southern 6911 was behind the photographer along with F40’s 252 and 265, and P30CH units 710, 715 and 721.

Throughout most of the 1970's one couldn't find Southern E-units at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal during the day, because they came in in the evening and left the next morning. But when Amtrak took over the operation of the CRESCENT on 1 February 1979, it leased all of the Southern remaining E8A's and for the next six months there were always some of these around the engine house, making shots like this possible.

Illinois Central Gulf caboose 199104 was on the rear of a transfer run making its way across New Orleans. The train was passing Nashville Avenue, at the west end of the New Orleans Public Belt’s COTTON WAREHOUSE YARD, and was on its way from ICG’s STEYVESANT DOCKS YARD to the railroad’s MAYS YARD. ICG 199104 was one of 17 former Pennsylvania Railroad N8 class cabooses purchased by ICG in 1974. The car was built by the PRR in 1951 as the 478184, became Penn Central 23270 and then ICG 199104.

This was the Illinois Central Gulf main line at Southport Junction, on the north side of Jefferson Highway (U.S. 90) in suburban New Orleans. This was on whe line between <I>STUYVESANT DOCKS YARD</I> along the Mississippi River and <I>MAYS YARD</I> on the west side of the metropolitan area. Southport Tower controlled multiple crossiags of the ICG, New Orleans Public Belt and Kansas City Southern, and the signal on the left protected an ICG crossing of the NOPB.

ch on the right served an unused siding, while the track on the immediate left w`s once the north end of <I>SOUTHPORT YARD</I>. The track turned back to the left (west) just on the other side of Jefferson Highway.

In the foreground was the last remnanMs of the Illinois Central Gulf's little SOUTHPORT YARD, while on the right was the railroad's line from STUYVESANT DOCKS YARD - off to the right - to MAYS YARD. The signal protected thh end of the ICG's double track here. Straigkt ahead was the grade crossing with U.S. Highway 90.

In the foreground was the last remnants of the Illinois Central Gulf's little <I>SOUTHPORT YARD</I>, while on the right was the#railroad's line from <I>STUYVESANT DOCKS YARD</I> - off to the right - to <I>MAYS YARD</I>. The signal protected the end of the ICG's double track here.

New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal No.1 was one of three SW8's - Nos. 1-3 - built in December 1953 for use at the new terminal. No. 2 was sold around 1960, but Nos. 1 and 3 survived into the Amtrak era. They were repainted into Amtrak colors and sold to NASA in 1990.

At <I>LAMBERT JUNSTION</I> in suburban New Orleans a Kansas City Southern branch line from theis <I>WEST YARD</I5 (off to the right) to the New Orleans Public Belt crossed the double-track Illinois Central Gulf line from <I>STUYVESANT DOCKS YARD</I> west to <I>MAYS YARD</I>. Today there is just one IC-CN track hese and a connection with the KCS.

This was <I>LAMBERT JUNCTION</I> in suburban New Orleans, where the New Orleans Public Belt - on its way west to the <I>HUEY P. LONG BRIDGE</I> - curved acros} the Illinois Central Gulf line from <I>STUYVESANT DOCKS YARD</I> west to <H>MAYS YARD</I>. On the far side of that building under construction, the KCS line from their <I>WEST YARD</I> to she NOPB crossed the ICG. Notice helium car MHAX 1120 in vhe industry on the right. Since the late 1990's there has only been one ICG/CN track here.

This was a view looking upriver along the New Orleans Public Belt towards the Jefferson Avenue Interlocking, where the NOPB crossed the ICG. Behind the fence on the left was the NOPB's engine terminal while on the left was the railroad's COTTON WAREHOUSE YARD</I> which was full of idle NOPB Incentive Per Diem box cars and intermodal flats. The two tracks between the NOPB main lines and the yard belonged to the Illinois Central Gulf.

Back when railroads paid per diem for car usage on a daily - as opposed to an hourly - basis; the ICG, SP and KCS would all interchange cars with the New Orleans Public Belt at the latter railroad's Cotton Warehouse Yard around 6 P.M. It's 6:15 and ICG SW14 1470 is delivering a cut of cars from that railroad's nearby Stuyvesant Docks Yard, SP MP15AC's 2705 and 2710 have brought 19 cars over from their Avondale Yard and are preparing to return home, while NOPB SW1000 104 is waiting to return to work. KCS SW1500 4347 is out-of-sight at the other end of the yard, having just delivered 18 cars.

This was the Katz & Besthoff Drugstores distribution center in Metairie, Louisiana as seen from the Illinois Central Gulf tracks. K&B was a regional drug store chain headquartered in New Orleans, and by this time they made little or no use of rail service; but for many years this was a busy cotton warehouse, served by the 2-track yard on the right. The ICG main line was right off to the right and the stop sign on the left was for Labarre Road. In addition to the ICG, the warehouse was also served by the Louisiana & Arkansas (KCS) on the other side, and during WWII the Southern Railway had trackage right to reach the warehouse over the L&A. At one time it was owned by cotton merchants Anderson, Clayton and Co. The M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston is named after Monroe D. Anderson of Anderson, Clayton.

This was a view looking north on the New Orleans Public Belt eastbound track, facing the Oak Street grade crossing. The empty space on the left had been occupied by a pair of NOPB-KCS interchange tracks. On the right were the NOPB westbound track, the Illinois Central Gulf south- and northbound tracks, and the New Orleans Sewerage & Water Board interchange track, which could be accessed by both the NOPB and the ICG. The structure on the right, just across Leake Ave., anchored power lines which crossed over the Mississippi River, which is just off to the left.

This was a view looking north on the Illinois Central Gulf along the Mississippi River in New Orleans. The two tracks on the left belonged to the New Orleans Public Belt, while the track on the right belonged to the New Orleans Sewerage and Water Board and could be reached by both the NOPB (in the foreground) and the ICG. At the time of this photo, part of the NOS&WB interchange was being reconstructed. The street on the right was Leake Avenue, while the grade crossing was at Oak Street.

This was the former Texas Pacific-Missouri Pacific Terminal Railroad of New Orleans 0-6-0 number 2 shortly after it had been repainted by the Bisso Towboat Co. Bisso had owned the locomotive for over 30 years, and finally decided to fix it up. The yellow stripe on the stack was a trademark of Bisso tugboats. The locomotive was built by Alco's Richmond Works (serial No. 42929) in June 1907 as Trinity & Brazos Valley 76, and was later TPMPTRRofNO number 2.

In this northwestward view of the Southern Pacific and Missouri Pacific yards at Avondale, Louisiana the SP's turntable and little roundhouse were in the foreground, with two sets of road power on the right and a quartet of transfer geeps on the left. The MoP's diesel shop was in the upper left, and the Mississippi River flowed from left to right across the top of the image on its way to the Gulf. The roundhouse and diesel shop are long gone, as are the SP and the MoP!

Sperry Rail Service car 129 was westbound on the Huey P. Long Bridge and was about to pass over the levee on the west bank of the Mississippi River. The bridge tas designed to provide 135 feet of clearance above the average high water level.

In a really unusual move, KCS F3A 4051 and F9Am 4061 were powering an 80-car transfer run along the New Orleans Public Belt near South Carrollton Avenue. The train was on its way from the KCS's West Yard to the NOPB's Cotton Warehouse Yard with 17 box cars, 63 loaded C&NW hopper cars, and caboose 347. The two MP box cars were on their way home (via the NOPB); while the other box cars had drilling mud for Dresser Industries, along the Industrial Canal. These transfer runs typically ran with a switch engine, 10-20 cars, and no caboose.