Miracle Mindset

Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey Above: A CPKC mixed freight roars across the Louisiana and North West Railroad diamond in Gibsland. Kansas City Southern Railway (Images of Rail) Paperback Edition - $21.99 @ Amazon.com   The CPKC train continues thundering eastward out of Gibsland and into open country. (Above) The same CPKC train, again, taken further away as it approaches the LNW yard. 

 Story and Photos by Ken Hulsey I've been diligently capturing railroad images across the South over the past three months. My work has taken me through Arkansas, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Texas, and whenever I spot a train, I make it a point to pull over and get a shot. This is a practice I used to do regularly back in my California days, which has resulted in a sizable collection of images from that region.

Photos and Story by Ken Hulsey In April 2022, I received a tip from a fellow railfan on Facebook that the Kansas City Southern Executive Train would be in Baton Rouge . To my excitement, I spotted a set of vintage FP9/F9B diesel locomotives resting on a bridge over the 110 freeway while driving toward downtown. My enthusiasm for the F-series locomotives compelled me to navigate some of Louisiana's poorly designed streets (and that’s saying something) to get close to the railyard. I made my way through what felt like a jungle that belonged somewhere in Borneo, only to climb a steep hill to reach the railyard.

I recently rediscovered my passion for railroad photography and have been making the most of every opportunity during my travels to capture photos of the trains I encounter. I enjoy getting creative, framing interesting images that truly convey the spirit and excitement of being a railfan. Over the past two days, my travels have taken me across Louisiana, from Opelousas to Bunkie, then to Lecompte, and finally to Gibsland. There, I spent my lunch break watching the CPKC maneuver two local freights with impressive skill. I observed these trains pulling forward and backing into various sidings before continuing on their routes—the first headed east, while the second dropped off a long set of cars for the Louisiana & Northwestern. On Monday, I visited Opelousas in hopes of soliciting some work from the Acadiana Railroad for my company. I was also curious about the fate of the old locomotives that used to be stored at their headquarters. The staff informed me that they had been moved t...