| This view was facing northeast towards the Red River, and Interstate 49 was behind me. The cleared area in the foreground was the former Southern Pacific yard, and this photo illustrates its proximity to the Kansas City Southern yard. KCS moved to a new yard at Latanier -- 10 miles south of here -- in mid-July 1990, and abandoned its main line through here in January 1996, after it completed a new bridge across the Red River south of here at Latanier; so now there is hardly any railroad activity here anymore. The Espee had abandoned its operation between Opelousas and Alexandria, 57.7 miles including 23.5 miles over the UP, in November 1984. |