That was the CSX mainline that ran between Mobile and New Orleans. Amtrak's Sunset Limited used to go across that. It ran through such towns as Gulfport and Biloxi where it is also distroyed.
I just read where they are using the HEP from an Amtrak engine to provide power at the train/bus depot in New Orleans. Right now they are using the place as a jail for holding prisoners picked for various crimes. Arson, shooting at police, firemen and rescue workers, along with looting of stuff other than food, water and essential clothing, can get you incarserated there until you can be shipped out to more permanent facilities.
Here's an article that was on the website of the New Orleans newspaper, The Times-Picayune, this afternoon. See www.nola.com or try http://www.nola.com/newslogs/breakingtp/index.ssf?/mtlogs/nola_Times-Picayune/archives/2005_09_29.html#083767 Rail traffic through New Orleans stifled By Matt Scallan Staff Writer Nearly a third of the nation's east-west rail freight normally crosses the Mississippi River on the Huey P. Long Bridge, but damage to railroad tracks by Hurricanes Katrina and Rita has forced a major re-route. "It's going to take awhile for it to come back," said Jim Bridger, the chief executive of the New Orleans Public Belt Railroad, which owns the bridge. The primary alternate crossings are in Memphis and St. Louis, Bridger said. Though a 100-mile section of track owned by the Jacksonville-based CSX railroad was heavily damaged in Katrina, other rail lines, such as those owned by Kansas City Southern and the Illinois Central Gulf railroads, are operating. The NOPB also was hurt by the storm. About 10 miles of track between Poland Avenue and Gentilly are damaged. Repairs will take four to six weeks and cost as much as $8 million. Still, the temporary loss of CSX's coast-hugging rail route is the main reason that the flow of rail cars through the city is stifled. Before the storms, about 17,000 cars a month crossed the Huey, Bridger said. Now traffic is down to about a third of that. "We're not really going to be back until the CSX tracks are repaired," Bridger said. CSX spokesperson Meg Scheu said six bridges and 39 miles of track between New Orleans and Pascagoula, Miss., were damaged by the storm and will cost an estimated $250 million and six months to repair. Work has begun to repair the railroad's Gentilly yard, and to move the locomotives and cars out of the area so they can be used elsewhere in the system," she said. Another major rail route into the city is owned by the Canadian National Railway. The segment that runs across the LaBranche Wetlands in St. Charles Parish, was damaged first by Katrina, then by Rita. Wave action from the storms washed out the roadbed beneath the tracks where they cross the wetlands, but repairs should be complete "in a matter of days," said Jim Kvedaras, a spokesman for Canadian National. "We had some washouts during the two storms, but had no bridge damage. We consider ourselves very fortunate," he said. ++++++++++++++ Regards
Amazing pictures I like the one of the CSX office,,,, I guess that is why executives always get the upper floor.. Harold
Ive got a 1meg power point file from my sis whom works at state farm. If someome cound show me where to post the file you could see the slideshow, about 22 pictures of devastation.
Save each slide as a JPG/JPEG and upload them to RailImages. I've done this as well to get PowerPoint slides uploaded.
December's Trains had a big article about the devisitation. According to it, most of the railraod equipment was pulled from harms way and Only CSX is still having fairly major problems.
