FL9

We were ahead of the train into Magnolia on 05/14/77 with enough time to set up on a loading dock for this shot of it passing the depot as the brakeman swings to the ground to set out a car here.

Later on when the train had arrived in McNeil, AR and the interchange with the Cotton Belt was completed, the two F7’s were put away for the night.  L&NW was unique in that instead of the locomotives sitting out in the open, the railroad had constructed a long shed for them to be safely locked away from the elements and the hands of vandals.

The crew will be back the next morning to bring the engines out and return to Gibsland to start the cycle over again.

After the N&LG freight had finished its interchange in Gibsland on 05/14/77 and started back south towards Hodge, L&NW F7’s #46 and #45 put a small train together and left town heading north towards the interchange with the Cotton Belt in McNeil, AR.  The tracks were well away from the highway most of the time, but we managed to get ahead of him and set up at a rural crossing several miles south of Magnolia, AR.  Before long the two old but still viable locomotives rolled past us as their two EMD 567’s voiced their normal rythmic chant.

Instead of a FRED (flashing rear end device) as you typically see today on any train, thirty years ago a caboose bringing up the rear was still the normal subject of a going-away shot.

We had no problems beating the train to the town of Magnolia as he ran slowly through the piney woods.  

I will probably move to the “M’s” next as requested, but I would be amiss if I did not take a day or so first to include a few shots of the Louisiana & Northwest’s small fleet of ex-SP F-units.  In a previous picture of a N&LG train arriving in Gibsland a pair of L&NW F7’s can be seen in the background on the left.  Here is a better view of #44 and #47 coupled up to a caboose on the south side of the shop building.

On the north side of the shop was an even better prize in the form of FP7 #49 in fairly fresh paint.  You can see where the design of the original SP paint scheme was largely carried over to the L&NW. 

Tomorrow we’ll follow the L&NW road freight north towards McNeil, Arkansas.

Three more pictures of the North Louisiana & Gulf railroad for today, and then I will move on to a new letter of the alphabet.  First off is a better detail view of MP15DC #42 leading the road freight.

Next is one of their older EMD SW8 locomotives that was stored at Hodge, LA.

Finally is a view of the depot in Hodge displaying the NL&G and Rock Island emblems symbolizing the joint operation.

The North Louisiana & Gulf and Rock Island may be gone, but at least WATCO still operates here as the Louisiana Southern.