One Roll of Film on a Summer Day at the IC-CN Yard Jackson MS 2000

While there was a variety of traffic that traveled through Jackson, Ms., on the IC-CN, there also were certain staples that were regularly represented in the cars in that yard. Among them were coil steel, paper products, pulpwood, and liquid chemicals. On this particular Summer day in 2000, all of these industry ladings were represented.

If you want to shoot the IC-CN yard in Jackson, the entire east side of the yard is accessible via Mill Street, a public-access road. One can literally drive from one end of it to the other and shoot whatever can be viewed from the road during the morning hours 12 months a year.

SR #31022 wood chip hopper north of IC-CN Yard car repair shop at the north end of the yard Jackson MS 2000

 

GTW #307136 coil car with new paint job and new single hood build date 11-69 in IC-CN Yard immediately south of the yard office/tower in Jackson Ms 2000

OAR #61240 52' ACF exterior-post sliding door box car rebuilt with vent for paper service in IC-CN Yard parallel to Mill Street in Jackson Ms 2000

OAR #61100 52' ACF exterior-post sliding door box car rebuilt with vent for paper service in IC-CN Yard parallel to Mill Street in Jackson Ms 2000

JHMX #95087 5-bay rapid-discharge hoppers in the IC-CN Yard parallel to Mill Street in Jackson Ms 2000

 JHMX #95087 and another 5-bay rapid-discharge hopper comparing A and B ends in the IC-CN Yard parallel to Mill Street in Jackson Ms 2000

    ICG #245399 52' gondola by Mill St. in the IC-CN Yard Jackson MS 2000

The west side of the yard was blocked by a sketchy neighborhood, woods, and fencing at different points. However, in the afternoon one could get a good view of cars being pulled or pushed through the yard and over the hump right below the Woodrow Wilson bridge. The foot traffic across the bridge was also sketchy, there was a low guard rail and the traffic was (for Jackson) very heavy. However, a railfan perseveres! 

IC #7650 X-Mississippi Central loaded pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

 IC #7650 X-Mississippi Central loaded pulpwood rack detail shot being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000. The MC had been merged into the IC (pre-ICG) in 1967. The original MISSISSIPPI CENTRAL lettering is beginning to appear through the black paint-over. It's quite telling that in the 33 years since the merger all that IC had done was paint out the MC lettering and add an IC number.

See this page about the Mississippi Central.

ICG #822656 loaded pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

ICG #821104 loaded pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

IC #821175 45' pulpwood  bulkhead flat car being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN Yard in Jackson MS Summer 2000

ICG #822624 empty pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000 

ICG #822468 empty pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

IC #1824 empty pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

 

ICG #822496 empty pulpwood rack being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

CSXT #496329 brand-new coil car in IC-CN Yard in Jackson MS 2000

IC #299604 coil car in IC-CN Yard in Jackson MS 2000

DVLX #4172 molten sulphur tank car being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

UTLX #61359 molten sulfur tank car being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

DVLX #4175 molten sulphur tank car being pushed over the hump in the IC-CN yard in Jackson Ms 2000

AKZO/NOBEL, Filtrol, FCC Covered Hoppers

Englehard (now part of BASF) regularly shipped Filtrol and related petroleum catalyst products into and through New Orleans via NS; I seldom saw them on CSX. AKZO NOBEL cars often traveled with the Englehard and Filtrol cars. One NS train had these cars all traveling in a group.

NAHX #550383 FCC Catalysts-AKZO-NOBEL  pressure differential covered hopper B-end on the NS at Oliver Junction New Orleans 05-14-1997

NAHX #550383 FCC Catalysts-AKZO-NOBEL  pressure differential covered hopper on the NS at Oliver Junction New Orleans 05-14-1997

NAHX #551231 FCC Catalysts-AKZO-NOBEL cylindrical pressure differential covered hopper on the NS at Oliver Junction New Orleans 05-14-1997

NAHX #487333 Filtrol Catalysts  3-bay 4750cf covered hopper on the NS at Oliver Junction New Orleans 05-14-1997

NAHX #487347 Filtrol Catalysts  3-bay 4750cf covered hopper on the NS at Oliver Junction New Orleans 05-14-1997

SOU-NS MOW Wheel Car-New Orleans 05-14-1997

Norfolk Southern's Oliver Yard has a small shop for repairing cars. Part of that role is replacing wheels as needed, and that means that occasionally a car has to journey to New Orleans with a load of wheels to supply the shop. 

The car on this day was SOU #911268, and the build date for this flat car was September, 1938, so it was in its 61st year of service when I shot this picture at Oliver Junction, just north of Florida Avenue and Oliver Yard. If there is one thing that railroads (at least well-run roads) can do, it's squeeze 25 cents out of a nickel. Long after this car stopped earning revenue for the Southern and then NS, it's still providing a vital MOW service. 

SOU #911268 MOW wheel car on the NS at Oliver Junction NOLA 05-14-1997

SOU #911268 MOW wheel car B-end on the NS at Oliver Junction NOLA 05-14-1997

SOU #911268 MOW wheel car wheelo load and rub rail on the NS at Oliver Junction NOLA 05-14-1997

SOU #911268 MOW wheel car COTS stencil on the NS at Oliver Junction NOLA 05-14-1997

Norfolk Southern Coil Cars

Very few car fleets are uniform, but Norfolk Southern's coil car fleet is wildly varied in car type/builder, hood size, number of hoods, paint schemes, and road names from merger partners. In one train alone back in April of this year all of these NS (including CR and NW) coil cars (Macon, Ga. 04-20-2012):

Columbus & Greenville Box Cars-Variations on a Theme

This string of CAGY box cars was all together in one train in CSX's Gentilly Yard. It reflects the cobbled-togther fleet of box cars that that Columbus & Greenville employed in the 1990s when it still stretched between its namesake cities.

CAGY #527 X-NS nee-SOU Class B-16 50' PS SDR Box Car at Jourdan Road in CSX Gentilly Yard NOLA 08-1996

 CAGY #19119 50' FMC SDR Box Car at Jourdan Road in CSX Gentilly Yard NOLA 08-1996

CAGY #21160 50' FMC SDR Box Car at Jourdan Road in CSX Gentilly Yard NOLA 08-1996

CAGY #8078 X-Valdosta Southern 50' FMC  SDR Box Car at Jourdan Road in CSX Gentilly Yard NOLA 08-1996

CAGY #821 X-NRUC 50' Berwick SDR Box Car at Jourdan Road in CSX Gentilly Yard NOLA 08-1996