Vacation help, please?

[billio]

Pittsburgh, especially Conway, might be a good spot.  Lotta trains (NS, CSX) through there.

Congratulations on your 45th.  All best wishes...

[CShaveRR]

I've been on that bridge in Springfield; sorry to hear it wasn't kept up.

As for Paducah, we definitely know about the quilt museum.  I haven't been there, but Pat has--twice!  

[MidlandMike]

CShaveRR

  

 

Well, no, it's Springfield, Missouri, where I can look at my cousin as well, as well as my cousin once removed (and meet her husband), and my cousin twice removed (who should be born by then).

 

Mobile is definitely in the plan.

 

In Springfield, MO, I would recommend the Jefferson Avenue Footbridge over the BNSF (ex-Frisco), although it was closed last year for corrosion problems and I can't find if it re-opened.  The bridge crosses a small yard, and double-stacks pass under it with just inches to spare.

https://www.springfieldmo.gov/3273/Footbridge-Rehabilitation

 

[mudchicken]

SealBook27

Your wife will like Paducah. It's the location for the National Quilt Museum. Very few are traditional, and many of them are absolute works of art.

 

Second that.......BossHen had a blast.

[SealBook27]

Your wife will like Paducah. It's the location for the National Quilt Museum. Very few are traditional, and many of them are absolute works of art.

[CShaveRR]

mudchicken

Well it certainly isn't Springfield, CO if it's to look at railcars.

 

Well, no, it's Springfield, Missouri, where I can look at my cousin as well, as well as my cousin once removed (and meet her husband), and my cousin twice removed (who should be born by then).

 

Mobile is definitely in the plan.

[mudchicken]

If he gets to Meridian, he needs to keep an eye out for LC....

[PNWRMNM]

You might want to add Mobile Alabama, a port at the end of a short line, which tells me not likely to be busy and may be a car storage point. I have not been there and have no knowledge.

From there the KCS has a stub line that ends north of Meridian, I think at a paper plant. I would look at KCS system map. You might want to go to Corinth MS where NS crosses sombody. NS is reasonably active.

Corinth was Grant's objective when the rebs attacked him at Pittsburg Landing at what we now call the battle of Shiloh. Park service has nice building just west of Corinth and battlefield site at Shiloh.

Holly Springs has a big 1870 something brick depot, and pre civil war depot that are worth a look. The Mississippi Central at Holly Springs does nothing but car storage. Mostly FL tank cars. There was a cut of old C&O hoppers at north edge of town, and are some box cars at Lamar. May or may not be anything at Grand Jct. TN.

If you want me to poke around a bit, send me a private message.

Mac

[mudchicken]

Well it certainly isn't Springfield, CO if it's to look at railcars.

[Norm48327]

Dang, Carl,

You have just described my marriage to Vicki to a T. She, like Pat was more into the fine arts of sewing, knitting, etc than watching trains. She indulged me as I suspect Pat  does. Pat has to be a keeper.

[Deggesty]

Carl, 15 years ago, when Ricki and I were visiting my brother and his wife in Bston Rouge, they took us down to White Castle, and we ate luch at the Nottoway Plantation 

https://www.bing.com/search?q=nottoway&form=EDGSPH&mkt=en-us&httpsmsn=1&refig=2db71c6bb1434f02a1b7dbc0fc86c552&sp=5&qs=AS&pq=nottoway&sk=HS1AS3&sc=8-8&cvid=2db71c6bb1434f02a1b7dbc0fc86c552&cc=US&setlang=en-US

Or, simply look for "Nottoway."

We enjoyed the outing,

[NorthWest]

I'm headed your way in mid-May, so hopefully you won't be gone then!

[CShaveRR]

Hi!  I posted this over at Trainorders.com as well, and have so far gotten some interesting and helpful responses.  Pat and I hope to take a trip to some southern areas (we're slowly checking off the states in the "lower 48" that we've been to), and I want to see interesting freight cars!  (Pat wants to see plantations, and probably quilt shops, but if I'm watching trains, she's usually happy reading or knitting.)

Pat and I are thinking of taking a trip south of here (Chicagoland) sometime this year, to celebrate 45 years together.  We're looking at late May/early June, unless someone persuades us of a better time of year.

I'm not a photographer, so I don't need the scenic spots to shoot trains or too many of the highways to chase them.  What I would like is spots where freight cars can be found standing still and easily accessible from public roads.  (I would need to stop to make notes, and I have binoculars if necessary.)  A place where trains are frequent but moving slowly would also work for me.

Here's a list of places we're going to be visiting...any suggestions of where we should go are welcome.

St. Louis (Kirkwood works fine for my purposes!).

Pacific (we've had success there)

Springfield

Little Rock (NLR?)

Texarkana

Shreveport

Dallas

Fort Worth (Tower 55?)

Georgetown area (for aggregate cars?)

Houston/Galveston (very tall order, I'm sure!)

Lafayette

Baton Rouge

New Orleans (we'll have a few days in this area, visiting plantations, gulf lowlands, etc.)

Mobile

Pensacola

Memphis

Paducah (we've had success by a dam site or two).

My interests are in seeing freight cars that are less likely to come up this way, but generally anything that I can document concerning former owners and identities.  I'm not interested in trespassing.  I'm sure I can come up with maps online that I can arm myself with.

Thanks for any advice or recommendations you may have.