Tales of the Meridian Speedway

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Looks like a SD70M kicked off mainline duty leading the local. I had to run one of them years ago from Wenatchee, WA to Seattle on a BNSF stack train, they were sure noisy and I didn’t like having to use a hand mike vice a regular phone handset.
 
GPs, GPs, and more GPs. Swung through Gibsland looking for L&NW action Tuesday morning, but everything was quiet. Found a Louisiana & Southern manifest tied down at the end of the Gisbland yard. Ran up to Minden to look for switching action, and heard the dispatcher talking to a local south of Minden in Doyline heading for Sibley. Repositioned and caught the KCS local west of Doyline, in Sibley from the US371 overpass, and a backroad in Taylor.

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They couldn't find a better place to put the bell on #3846?
 
Looks like a SD70M kicked off mainline duty leading the local. I had to run one of them years ago from Wenatchee, WA to Seattle on a BNSF stack train, they were sure noisy and I didn’t like having to use a hand mike vice a regular phone handset.

I've been seeing more six-axle power on UP locals lately. Saw several SD70Ms on the Eagle Lake local this summer, and a pair of NS GEs the other day running the local in from the same.

They couldn't find a better place to put the bell on #3846?

The bells location probably has to do with theft deterrence.
 
Busy day. Rolled out at 0645 to catch the L&NW in Gibsland, no dice. Ran up to Homer and caught the northbound manifest just as it crossed US79. Chased from Homer to the AR state line, catching it four times. Went back down to Doyline after that to intercept EB traffic from Shreveport. Heard an EB train coming out of Shreveport on the radio, and it showed up 30sec later while I was pulling out of my parking spot. Gave chase, and caught it in Ruston going the cut in the middle of Tech. Been wanting that shot ever since I got to Tech. Later that afternoon I also caught two more WB trains passing through Choudrant.

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Good shots. Get your railfanning done now before the heat, humidity, and bugs return.

Thanks. Will do.

Went out to Arcadia the other night to work on some long exposures. While I was there a trio of KCS GP40s tied down in the passing track and a grain train passed through. The photos of the grain train came out soft due to the vibrations of the train shaking the camera.

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A rare snowstorm dropped 1-2" of snow on Ruston last night. The high this afternoon was 28, with a good breeze out of the north. The original plan was to drive to a crossing and wait on the train from my car, but it did not get out of the shop as planned. Hitched a ride to campus and got trackside at 1200 and waited until 1330 when I stepped inside a friend's apartment to warm up for a moment. I was inside 10min when a train came by. Returned at 1400 and waited until 1545 when a stack train came into view. Those 3hrs were miserable, but I got the shot.

This was a stack train that I missed by a hair earlier in the day.
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Thanks for the photos. We are entering another week of winter rain, gloom, and doom in the Seattle area, which does not lend itself for outdoor activities such as photography. I enjoy looking at photos from those who can get out and take them.
 
Thanks for the photos. We are entering another week of winter rain, gloom, and doom in the Seattle area, which does not lend itself for outdoor activities such as photography. I enjoy looking at photos from those who can get out and take them.

Glad you enjoy the photos!

My car was in the shop for 3 weeks, got it back last Thursday. Friday afternoon I drove out to Vicksburg on 80 staying as close as possible to the Speedway. Caught a WB manifest just west of Calhoun and an EB stack train crossing the Mississippi. I couldn't find a good angle at the Mississippi bridge with the train EB and the sun setting, but it would make for a great sunrise/morning shot. Have to get out that way over Mardi Gras break.

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Thank you sirs!

Thursday was the last day of sunshine before the rain comes in over Mardi Gras break. After class I hit the road to see what I could find. Passing through Choudrant I heard a WB on the radio loud and clear so I went up to a crossing to see if he was nearby. Between Ada and Calhoun the road is seperated from the tracks by anywhere from 10-500yds of forest depending on the location. Turned out he had just cleared the crossing I was at, he had slowed for what I think were faulty crossing arms in Choudrant as there was a reference to "two qualified flagmen at the LA145 crossing" on the radio. Hopped on I-20 and burned down to Gibsland where I shot some Louisiana Southern power while I waited for the WB. When I got back to Ruston after sunset there was a UP stack train tied down at Monroe Ave waiting for a green light. Good day, productive excursion.

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Monday morning I rolled out from Gibsland at 0700 to chase the L&NW between Gibsland and Homer. The train didn't depart until approximately 1000, and I pursued until 1300 shooting it at the Athens Yard, Athens itself, off the side of LA9, Munix, and the LSU Ag Center. The skies were supposed to clear at 0600 but it remained overcast until 1600. Due to that I processed most of my shots in B&W as the original color shots came out pretty dull. At the same time the diffuse light allowed shots from angles that normally would be unusable in the morning. Tried my luck in Shreveport afterwards when the clouds cleared, but no dice.

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Nice rural shots.

Thanks! The LNW just got a couple rental repainted into their scheme. Going to chase them at some point this quarter.

Returned to Ruston Monday evening, with classes beginning tomorrow. Spent Tuesday railfanning Shreveport and Sibley. While in Shreveport I ran into Kevin Eudaly photographing a military train. He founded and runs White River Productions, we had a pretty cool conversation about photography and railfanning. Caught 8 trains, 6 of which are shown here and in the next post. Lots of Belles with some NS units tossed in.

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