It certainly is different from the Frisco engines that I saw--a passenger engine named for a racehorse in the Birmingham Terminal station, and what GP it was that ran between Aliceville and Reform (even though I saw it many times, rode it, and even ran it around the wye, I never thought to see just what model it was).
Johnny
I've actually seen (and photographed) this unit.
I was travelling along the Gulf Coast with Alan Miller in 1977 and we came across this unit, although I had no idea where we were at the time.
Alan assured me that this could not actually be a Frisco locomotive because they didn't own anything like that.
I'm pleased to know that it really was a Frisco unit. I thought it was appropriate to give it such a low road number, too...
Peter
Everything looks 'normal' here...interesting though
Blakeley Island
Miningman Well it seems rcdrye's comment seems to be in the lead now.. a materials plant that makes 'white stuff' !
Well it seems rcdrye's comment seems to be in the lead now.. a materials plant that makes 'white stuff' !
My God, you mean, it's ASBESTOS?
AHHHHHHHH!!!!!
Flintlock76 Overmod Next meaningless topic coming right up: acronym or initialism?
Overmod Next meaningless topic coming right up: acronym or initialism?
How 'bout how many angels can dance on the head of a pin?
Flintlock76So, in a lot of cases, never say never.
With the amount of time I have spent in the Gulf, looking at this sort of scene, and the amount of time I have spent looking at snow in various parts of the deep South -- yes, it's not 'never' but it's a really, really strong 'hardly-ever' unlikely.
At least it's not that-topic-we're-not-supposed-to-discuss; perhaps we should code-name it DIVOC (for 'discussion is very off community') Next meaningless topic coming right up: acronym or initialism?
Overmod Guys -- that is typical Gulf sand.
Guys -- that is typical Gulf sand.
Could be, but as the Miningman's post shows and as I said earlier snow's been known to happen down there. Hey, they've even gotten snow in the northern parts of Florida!
There's a Stan Kistler shot of a Pacific Electric streetcar running through snow in Los Angeles, of all places! Taken some time in the 40's I think.
So, in a lot of cases, never say never.
What's the next un-important controversy we can get involved with? I can't wait to find out!
Aerial photos show the remnants of the car float bridge near the East Bank Shipyard. The refineries all seem to be surrounded by white surfaces, and there is a materials plant on the island that is well stocked with white stuff.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2knuEF-hy5Y
https://www.al.com/live/2014/01/coastal_alabamas_snowy_past.html
The most snowfall the Mobile region has ever seen takes you back two centuries to January 24, 1881 when five inches of snow was recorded.
And while it didn't snow in December of 1963, seven days of near or below freezing temperatures left its mark. Between December 6 and 13 temperatures were near or below freezing, with the coldest day being December 13 at 10 degrees. Because of the continuous days of cold, parts of the Mobile Bay froze along the Causeway.
**The snowfall numbers were provided by the National Weather Service of Mobile.
The photo has no date identified.
The Jan 1 1971 reference is to the date of the merger with the Frisco.
My head could well be frozen but at least I can friggin read!!!
Nice job with the retro weather report though.
MiningmanJust great.. I got one snow, one sand, one voodoo and one it could be either snow or sand. So I got nuthin'. I would say snow.
So I got nuthin'.
I would say snow.
Your brain has been frozen from it's existance in the frozen North to think that everything is snow.
The weather in Mobile on the day in question
https://www.wunderground.com/history/daily/us/al/mobile/KMOB/date/1971-1-1
Snow was doubtful on that day.
Never too old to have a happy childhood!
Just great.. I got one snow, one sand, one voodoo and one it could be either snow or sand.
Penny Trains Voodoo fallout from gnawlins".
Voodoo fallout from gnawlins".
Yeah, who knows what goes on there in the back alleys?
"Marie, Marie, da voodoo veau, she'll put a spell on you..."
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GHEuSGGmX-c
Seriously, it can get cold in New Orleans too. It was pretty chilly on that January morning when the British ran into Andrew Jackson.
BaltACD Miningman Yeah but? What's on the ground in the photo? Most likely sand with Mobile being on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
Miningman Yeah but? What's on the ground in the photo?
Most likely sand with Mobile being on the shores of the Gulf of Mexico.
As I recall, when I was living 55 miles south of Jackson, Mississippi, we had one snowstorm that came up from the Gulf--and stopped about 40 miles south of Jackson. Perhaps this picture was taken after that storm hit? That was in '64 or '65.
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
I thought so too, but see all those spots and lines of what looks like dark earth?
That's the reason "snow" entered my mind.
MiningmanYeah but? What's on the ground in the photo?
Hard to tell with a black & white shot, but that could very well be snow. It can get cold in the South, even that far south, so while snow is unusual it's been known to happen.
I got curious and enlarged the shot 200%. Sure looks like snow to me, there's what looks like a layer of same on the storage tanks to the right, and on the roof of the building in the background.
Too bad there's no date attached to that photo so we could nail it down.
Yeah but? What's on the ground in the photo?
Yes, after several years of operation by the Frisco, the AT&N was fully absorbed by the Frisco. In the last month of operation as the AT&N, I took a 40 mile round trip on the northernmost 20 miles of road--maximum speed was 10 mph. We left Reform after dark, did some switching in Aliceville, ate supper (the crew paid for my supper!), and returned to Reform.There was very little traffic by then, with most of it being interchange traffic with the GM&O in Reform. I do not know just when this part was abandoned, but when I drove through Reform in 2003, all signs of its existence were gone. Almost all of the rest of the AT&N was gradually abandoned, and now only a little bit around Mobile still exists.
I do not remember just what year it was, but the bridge across the Tombigbee fell in immediately after a southbound freight crossed it, and the bridge was never replaced. After that, the Memphis-Mobile traffic continued on the Frisco from Aliceville to Boligee; from their it used trackage rights on the AGS to York and from there it continued to Mobile on the AT&N. The Frisco crews claimed that they should operate the trains between Aliceville and York; the AT&N crews said they should--and they won.
I talked with the conductor who was on that last trip across the Tombigbee,, and he said is really something to watch the bridge crumple into the river.
Todays photo shows the Alabama, Tennessee & Northern at a refinery on Blakely Island, Mobile, Alabama.
My question: Is that snow all over the ground? Can't be, can it? Maybe it's just beach sand. Can't imagine they get snow on the gulf but maybe here and there they do. This Vinnie says " I'm so confused!"
Alabama, Tennessee & Northern No. 11, a General Electric 45-ton center-cab diesel, switches high-pressure tank cars for a refinery on Blakely Island at Mobile, Ala. The railroad, which otherwise consisted of about 200 miles up the west side of the state, operated a car ferry and docks to reach this trackage. It was merged into Frisco on Jan. 1, 1971.Classic Trains collection
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