This six-axle power, 4608 (AC44CW) and “Belle" 4781 (ES44AC), shown on the Gulfport (MS) Branch, came south early Sunday morning (8/21/16), then went north Monday evening (8/22/16) when this photo was taken by David Carter. The northbound was pulling 117 cars, including many gondolas containing rolled steel. Not only is six-axle power not assigned to the GPT Branch, but we have no supplier of rolled steel anywhere in the three Coastal Counties. I'm wondering if this train was bound for New Orleans, but had to be re-routed around the floods in the Baton Rouge area. Does anyone have information?
OK, got the answer. This re-routing was due to the flooding in the Baton Rouge area. Unfortunately for us GPT Branch foamers, it now is history. I received the following from a friend this morning... "CXSH & SHCX are back running on their normal route through Baton Rouge on home rails as of this morning. LNO335 was the first train through the flood area yesterday afternoon." The temporary routing of the Shreveport/New Orleans trains required them to cross the Mississippi at Natchez on the Meridian Speedway. They then went south at Jackson on CN to Hattiesburg where they regained KCS rails to Gulfport. At GPT, they turned east on CSX for about five miles to the Beauvoir passing track. The power swapped ends at Beauvoir so they could go west on CSX to NOLA where they could return to KCS rails. It was fun for us while it lasted, but I'm sure a large expense for KCS.
Trackage rights expenses incurred during the '93 floods did the Santa Fe in. I sure hope the KCS is able to stay independent through all of this.
Good info, hopefully the short duration, four days, and short mileage, 75 miles CN and 75 miles CSX each way, should not have run up a large expense overall.
