I recently came across a rand mc nally 1971 railroad atlas. for the map of louisiana it shows a 6 mile line running from Fontenot, Louisiana to end of the line called Gravel Point. the short line was 4 miles south of Kinder, Louisiana. Was it another of those gravel hauling Louisiana short line's?
My dad was the General Manager of the Parish Line Railway from sometime in the 1950's until it closed down around 1971 (my best guess). Yes, it hauled rocks, sand and gravel to and from the Gifford-Hill gravel pit a few miles west of I-65. His office was across a dirt road from our house. He would stand at the window and record the numbers of the mostly Missouri-Pacific freight cars as they went by. The main engine parked right behind our house at night, and I grew up playing on it all the time. The engineer was Mr. Jim Carter, who lived right next door to us. He would stop and pick me up some mornings when I was very little and I would ride the train to the gravel pit and back. He would let me pull the cord to blow the whistle when we got to road crossings. Nothing but great memories of growing up at the parish line. We moved into town after the railroad shut down.
That's very interesting. Was the engine steam or diesel?
Was this thing a common carrier or an industrial plant railroad? Not appearing in several places where it should if it's a common carrier in the time frame mentioned.
Englishem My dad was the General Manager of the Parish Line Railway from sometime in the 1950's until it closed down around 1971 (my best guess). Yes, it hauled rocks, sand and gravel to and from the Gifford-Hill gravel pit a few miles west of I-65. His office was across a dirt road from our house. He would stand at the window and record the numbers of the mostly Missouri-Pacific freight cars as they went by. The main engine parked right behind our house at night, and I grew up playing on it all the time. The engineer was Mr. Jim Carter, who lived right next door to us. He would stop and pick me up some mornings when I was very little and I would ride the train to the gravel pit and back. He would let me pull the cord to blow the whistle when we got to road crossings. Nothing but great memories of growing up at the parish line. We moved into town after the railroad shut down.
from the Far East of the Sunset Route
(In the shadow of the Huey P Long bridge)
I actually happen to own a slide for the Baldwin VO-660 that this line owned that I got off eBay a couple years ago. I'd like to share the original eBay scan that I have, but currently can't get the image inserted.
Freelancer with an interest in N&W, SCL, and other 70s railroads
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