I will be in Baton Rouge the next two weeks. Any hobby shops there that are worth a visit? Or any sort of museums to see? I know about the Arleigh Burke destroyer you can go through, it will be interesting to compare that one to the USS The Sullivans I went through in Buffalo (same class ship). But what about railroad things?
--Randy
Modeling the Reading Railroad in the 1950's
Visit my web site at www.readingeastpenn.com for construction updates, DCC Info, and more.
rrinker I will be in Baton Rouge the next two weeks. Any hobby shops there that are worth a visit? Or any sort of museums to see? I know about the Arleigh Burke destroyer you can go through, it will be interesting to compare that one to the USS The Sullivans I went through in Buffalo (same class ship). But what about railroad things? --Randy
drcieselBaton Rouge is a food, universitiy (LSU & Southern), and music city
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There is Drusilla Seafood, which I ate at many times from 1983 through 1995. I have not been back to Baton Rouge since then, but I hear it is still as excellent as it ever was.
-Kevin
Living the dream.
Noo Navy buffs here? No one caught my error. LOL the CURRENT USS The Sullivans is an Arleigh Burke class guided missile destroyer, but the WWII destroyer in Buffalo (and the Kidd in Baton Rouge) are both Fletcher class destroyers.
Anyway, I will check some of those things out. Lots of stuff is not open Sunday which means I have to pick and choose what I can catch in one day on Saturday.
BTW in Shreveport I hit up the water works museum which is really neat - several stationary steam pumps and one they have rigged to actually turn (via electric motor) so you can see the valve gear in action. Docent that was there knooows his stuff, too. Was the last steam powered water pumping station in the US or something, and also back when built it was one fo the first to use chemical water treatment instead of just pumping water straight from the river. And on the same grounds, in one of the buildings, is a small railroad museum. Not a huge display or collection but they have a decent start.
If you want to really taike a chance...
In the early 1980s on the Mississippi Riverfront in Baton Rouge there was a museum called the Children's Art & Science Center. There was a large and magnificent N scale layout on display there.
I seriously doubt it still exists.
I think it is now the Louisiana Art and Science Museum. And open Saturdays and Sundays. So I may have to check that out. Pretty sure it's the same place because if you google the old name it points to the new one.
There was a science museum in Shreveport but it didn;t look all that appealing for adults so I didn't bother. I'm spoiled by the Franklin Institute in Philadelphia, sure there are tons of activities for kids, but they keep it interesting for adults. Not to mention the entire hall dedicated to railroading - with the Baldwin #60,000 as the centerpiece, but other real and several model displays.
rrinker I think it is now the Louisiana Art and Science Museum.
I would not be surprised if I have the name wrong. I am working on memories here almost 40 years old!
I do remember having a lot of fun in New Orleans and Baton Rouge in the early 1980s.
Mostly playing Dungeons and Dragons at Byron'z Sandwich Shoppe with my core group of friends.
I've been to NO before, but it's been a long time. It's only about 2 hours away, so one of my weekends I could head there.
Drive time to NOLA is about 75 minutes unless its rush hour.
If you like Zaxby's, you're in luck. Baton Rouge has two locations.
The drive to NO is worth it just for the World War II museum. It is absolutely the top museum for the war in the country. I was stunned at what they had and how it was displayed most in realistic settings all with sound and lights. It was also about the only museum I have seen with a significant display to the Merchant Marines which included a beautiful large scale model of a Liberty Ship. It took us from 11am to about 4:30 to see and read everything.
You also start out in a restored heavyweight coach.
SB
blabrideThe drive to NO is worth it just for the World War II museum.
I forgot about the WW2 museum. I have several friends that have been there, and they all said it was amazing.
If I ever get back to Louisiana I will be sure not to miss it.
I think when I am back here in June I will definitely drive down to NOLA for that museum. I am a huge history buff and I love that stuff. That wasn't there way back when I was on NOLA before. Guess I will skip the Little River Band - they are performing in the very casino I am working in on the Saturday I am here. This weekend they have Dennis Deyoung from Styx, already got my ticket for that one.
Hello, Randy,
In so far as hobby shops in Baton Rouge are concerned, Hobby Towne (8484 Airline Hwy, BR, 70815) has a fair stock of rolling stock and accessories, and is worth a visit. They also have an enormous collection of model airplanes on display, hanging from the overhead throughout the store.
Baton Rouge is also the home of Midsouth Model RR Club (tucked away at 11931 Richcroft Ave, Baton Rouge, LA 70814). Midsouth has a very nice, very large layout. They meet on Tuesday evenings. http://www.midsouthmodelrrclub.com/
The Greater Baton Rouge Model Railroaders are up in Jackson, LA, about 45 minutes north of B.R. They're open to the public every 2nd and 4th Saturday of the month. Check their website... http://www.greaterbrrailroaders.com/
As mentioned elsewhere, the National WWII Museum in downtown New Orleans is well-worth the drive. There's more there than you can possibly take in, during a single visit.
I hope you enjoy your visit.
// Michael
The USS Kidd is worth seeing.
If you get to New Orleans, besides the already mentioned WWII museum, a trip to see the Huey Long Bridge is a good one for train lovers. The bridge is the only train crossing below Baton Rouge, so it is usually busy. It's worth a trip across the bridge just to see the tracks through the middle.
Speaking of that bridge, I don't know it it's true, but living there we were told that the Louisiana engineers were afraid to cross the bridge after it was completed, and that the railroad brought in some engineers from mountainous areas to take the first trains across.
There's interesting video of some train cars being blown off the bridge by strong winds:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7WfeV01A4g
Have fun on your visit.
York1 John
York1If you get to New Orleans, besides the already mentioned WWII museum, a trip to see the Huey Long Bridge is a good one for train lovers. The bridge is the only train crossing below Baton Rouge, so it is usually busy. It's worth a trip across the bridge just to see the tracks through the middle. Speaking of that bridge, I don't know it it's true, but living there we were told that the Louisiana engineers were afraid to cross the bridge after it was completed, and that the railroad brought in some engineers from mountainous areas to take the first trains across. There's interesting video of some train cars being blown off the bridge by strong winds: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U7WfeV01A4g
The railroad portion of the Huey Long Bridge is owned and operated New Orleans Public Belt Railroad. They feature the bridge on their website >>> https://www.railnola.com/info/huey-p-long-bridge .
The original traffic lanes on the bridge were quite narrow, about 9 feet, leading to white knuckles for some of the more timid drivers. About 10 years ago, the state Dept. of Transportation & Development began rebuilding the traffic portion of the bridge to have 3 full-sized lanes on each side, a prodigious feat considering that the bridge was still open for both vehicle and rail traffic all the while.
Union Pacific's Avondale Yard and shops are situated on River Road, not far from the base of the western approach trestle. Both the bridge and the rail yards are excellent spots for casual train-spotting.
Most locals will recall "the day that the train blew off the bridge," which was in May 2015, a particularly stormy day, which also featured an extensive city-wide power outage. The derailment was not on the bridge itself, but on the east approach trestle, behind some fast food restaurants. A news crew just happened to be having lunch at one of those restaurants, so got some immediate and spectacular footage.
MmbushnellThe original traffic lanes on the bridge were quite narrow, about 9 feet, leading to white knuckles for some of the more timid drivers.
I have not been back to drive the bridge since it was redone. I know that I saw very little of the bridge, the tracks, or the river, even though I drove it many times, because I was hanging onto the steering wheel for dear life and looking straight ahead. I remember a little "jog" on the bridge headed to the westbank that always drove me crazy.
We do miss New Orleans somewhat. It was a great place in the 70s and 80s when we were single, or just married without kids. Lots of fun. Food is very bland in most parts of the country compared to what New Orleans offered.
We never crossed the bridge when we went from Baton Rouge to New Orleans. My parents were to terrified of the bridge.
On an unrelated note... If you drive out Tiger Bend Road in Baton Rouge, you can find the spot where I had my first real kiss with a girflriend back in 1981! I wonder where Paige is now?
Randy
If you're still in the area, and it may be too far to drive but north up I-49 is an excellent example of a preserved LA logging railroad and sawmill in Longleaf LA.
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/2011/05/southern-forest-heritage-museum_29.html
https://goo.gl/maps/EVYZao5UmCRbkcCU7
"The true sign of intelligence is not knowledge but imagination."-Albert Einstein
http://gearedsteam.blogspot.com/