Louisiana Steam Train Association

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steam-train-gretna-2014oct4The photo was taken in Gretna, LA on October 4, 2014.
Photo courtesy the Louisiana Steam Train Association.

The Louisiana Steam Train Association is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization run entirely by volunteers. Our mission is to educate and entertain the public about railroading in general and steam railroading in particular. LASTA is supported entirely by gifts, donations, and labor of the community and other organizations to which it is eternally grateful. More in the link:
http://lasta.org/?page_id=14
“The engine was actually built in Algiers at the Southern Pacific shops,” said Bill Morris, with the Louisiana Steam Train Association. “She was built in 1921, and there was 11 of them built in Algiers. She is the only surviving Louisiana-built standard gauge locomotive in existence and, she is on the National Register of Historical Places.” Please visit the link below for the rest of the story:
http://www.fox8live.com/story/24594984/heart-of-louisiana-locomotive-745
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Stay Away and Be Ok

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Here is a question you should ask yourself, your family and friends: Is okay to walk across your neighbor’s front yard without their permission? Most responsible adults are going to answer, “Of course not.”

As a follow-up question, ask if it’s okay, or if it’s “a problem” for uninvited guests to walk on or across railroad property without permission.

Unfortunately, most members of our society don’t see railroad trespassing as a problem even though railroad rights-of-way constitute privately-owned land and are – especially bridges, tunnels, mainlines and switch yards – among the most dangerous places non-railroaders could occupy.

warning-railroad1Trespassing on railroad property is illegal and foolish. Without question, a 10,000-ton train moving 50 mph is going to take a much bigger bite out of a trespasser than the dog in your neighbor’s front yard.

Indiana Rail Road recently made news across the world when our executive, legal and public relations staffs made the decision to release video of a near-fatal encounter between an Indianapolis-bound train and two trespassers on Shuffle Creek Trestle, near Bloomington, Indiana.


Two female subjects, both in their mid-30s, dove between the rails after attempts to run proved futile. The locomotives and several cars passed above them, but the subjects are fortunate for two reasons: there is a mere 10 inches of clearance between the crossties and bottom of a locomotive’s snowplow, and if one of the heavy air hoses connecting each locomotive and railcar had been hanging lower than normal, it would have struck and killed them.

The point is: the women should have never been on railroad property to begin with, for their act could have resulted not only in their death but that of the engineer, not to mention a catastrophic derailment. As with all North American railroads, trains can run on INRD at any time, any day, and we must be vigilant to protect our employees, asset and the public.

Shuffle Creek Trestle is 982 feet long and stands 80 feet over the swampy shallows of Lake Lemon. Photo by Chris Thompson
Shuffle Creek Trestle is 982 feet long and stands 80 feet over the swampy shallows of Lake Lemon. Photo by Chris Thompson
Protecting our employees is exactly why INRD chose to release the video. In this case, thankfully, an engineer did not kill two trespassers, and does not have to forever live with the memory of fatalities that were out of his control.

Such incidents are why railroad employees are encouraged to report trespassers, why railroads encourage law enforcement to prosecute trespassers, and why we partner with law enforcement and Operation Lifesaver to encourage trespass avoidance and grade-crossing safety.

Click here for the rest of the story in Indiana Railroad’s Milepost newsletter

Safety is a Train of Thought

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For more than 20 years, CN employees at all levels of the company, as well as retirees, have been promoting rail safety at highway crossings and discouraging trespassing on or near railroad property. Help us put an end to accidents. Learn the safety rules. Click on any graphic in this post for more information.

cnsafety504
cnsafetykidsweb
PrintTake the time to stop-look-listen and use caution at all railroad crossings.

Be prepared to stop and obey the signals at railroad crossings. crossbuckwebiconLook for the crossbuck sign, lights or gates at crossings.

Listen for warning bells and whistles.

Wait for the crossing gate to be fully raised before crossing the railway tracks and then look both ways before crossing the tracks.

Only cross tracks at designated areas. Never take short cuts across tracks or through railway property – don’t let a shortcut cut your life short.

Walking, playing or running on or beside railroad tracks is dangerous (and illegal): any time is train time.

Please remember that tracks and recreation do not mix. No pedestrians, bicycle or car is a match for a train.

Learn more about CN’s ALL ABOARD FOR SAFETY program at www.cn.ca/safety

10 TIPS TO SAVE YOUR LIFE

crossbuckwebicon Never walk or play on train tracks. It’s dangerous and illegal.

crossbuckwebiconBe prepared to stop at crossings.

crossbuckwebiconCross train tracks at designated highway/railroad crossings.

crossbuckwebiconLook for the crossbuck sign, lights or gates at crossings.

crossbuckwebiconListen for warning bells and whistles.

crossbuckwebiconObey the signals.

crossbuckwebiconWAIT for the train to pass through the crossing, then wait again, to be sure a second train is not approaching on any track in any direction.

crossbuckwebiconObey the directions of a police officer or member of a train crew directing traffic at a crossing.

crossbuckwebiconCross the tracks in low gear; do not change gears while crossing.

crossbuckwebiconStalled vehicle? Get out quickly and move far away from the vehicle and tracks.

Safety is a train of thought!

 

 

 

Stay focused around railroad tracks.

 

 

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It’s important to THINK TRAIN
even in New Orleans City Park!

 


About City Park:
City Park is distinguished by its large menu of sports and recreational activities, attractions for children, and its natural beauty. City Park holds a special place in the hearts of generations of New Orleanians and is a must-see for visitors to the city. As a popular place to picnic, play a favorite sport, wander through its gardens or take a boat ride, the Park receives millions of visit each year. It is located in the heart of the city and is the largest recreation area in the entire metropolitan area.

Attractions include: New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Putt, Storyland fairytale playground, the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, and numerous athletic venues. The 1,300 acres of parkland provide enjoyment for young children playing on our playgrounds and walkers, joggers, and bicyclists navigating the winding paths through the Park’s streets and trails.

Spring in to City Park

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Spring Season Opening of Carousel Gardens
Amusement Park


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Visit City Park for the Spring Season Opening of the Carousel Gardens in New Orleans City Park. Carousel Gardens Amusement Park is fun for all ages! The Amusement Park features 16 rides guaranteed to put a smile on your face, including the Park’s famous antique wooden carousel.

Spring Opening: Saturday, March 8, 2014 at 11am

Admission: $4/person | Kids 36″ & under and members of Friends of City Park receive free admission
$17 for an unlimited ride band or $3 per ride

Season Passes on sale now at NewOrleansCityPark.com/Season-Passes

Spring Season:
March 8 to May 25
Saturdays and Sundays: 11am to 6pm
Plus, open on Memorial Day 11am to 6pm

For more information about the Amusement Park please visit –> NewOrleansCityPark.com/in-the-park/carousel-gardens

About City Park:

City Park is distinguished by its large menu of sports and recreational activities, attractions for children, and its natural beauty. City Park holds a special place in the hearts of generations of New Orleanians and is a must-see for visitors to the city. As a popular place to picnic, play a favorite sport, wander through its gardens or take a boat ride, the Park receives millions of visit each year. It is located in the heart of the city and is the largest recreation area in the entire metropolitan area.

Attractions include: New Orleans Botanical Garden, City Putt, Storyland fairytale playground, the Carousel Gardens Amusement Park, and numerous athletic venues. The 1,300 acres of parkland provide enjoyment for young children playing on our playgrounds and walkers, joggers, and bicyclists navigating the winding paths through the Park’s streets and trails.

Are You Ready?

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Readiness starts with you

Whether manmade or natural, every emergency situation is different, and requires both citizen and City to be prepared. From the Final Four to the Super Bowl, all-hazards alerts to hurricane evacuations, 24/7, 365 days a year, agencies across the City of New Orleans work to keep you safe and our city prepared for any event or emergency.  

For our City to be ready, our citizens must be ready. 

We must take all take important steps to prepare for an emergency. At NOLA Ready, we provide all the information residents need to travel their own road to being ready, including how to:

City-Assisted Evacuation

City-Assisted Evacuation assists Orleans Parish residents and/or tourists who cannot self-evacuate during a mandatory City-wide evacuation by providing transportation from designated City evacuation pick-up points to the Union Pacific Terminal bus station, for outbound transportation to State and Federal shelters. Learn more here.

Sign the NOLA Ready pledge

Join Mayor Mitch Landrieu and make a commitment to the City committed to you. Make a Plan. Mark Your Name.

Because I love New Orleans, I know how I will leave New Orleans. I am New Orleanian. I am NOLA Ready.

Sign the Pledge

Get notified: Emergency Alerts

Accurate, immediate information, straight from the City of New Orleans to you via text, call, or email.  NOLA Ready is the CIty of New Orleans' emergency alert system and official source of information about every emergency situation, from power electrical outages to hurricane evacuations. What you need to know, when you need to know it, wherever you need to know it. Sign up here.

 

The Little Engine That Could

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Earlier this week a car pulled in front of an oncoming train. We’ve all heard of such things before but never in New Orleans’ City Park or with the childrens’ City Park train!http://blog.nola.com/interact/2011/10/head-scratcher_of_the_day_city.html

Ever stopped to consider the dangers involved with crossing highway-rail grade intersections or trespassing on railroad property? At Operation Lifesaver, we have.

We know that injuries and fatalities that occur at highway-rail crossings or on railroad property are a real, but often preventable, problem. Few people realize that in America, a person or vehicle is hit by a train roughly every three hours, and that’s a reality we’re determined to change. Welcome to Operation Lifesaver, a non-profit organization providing public education programs to prevent collisions, injuries and fatalities on and around railroad tracks and highway-rail grade crossings.

Please click on the crossing signal above to learn more!

Troubled Trestle

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photos by Charlie London

While driving down Marconi underneath the train trestle one might not notice the significant damage there.

It looks like a large truck hit the side of the bridge and damaged not only the cement siding but one of the i-beams underneath as well. Why is this important? Consider that the average locomotive weighs around 250,000 pounds and EACH rail car weighs 60,000 to 100,000 pounds EMPTY. Trains with a hundred freight cars go over that bridge daily. That’s a lot of weight on a damaged bridge.

This bridge is maintained by the Norfolk Southern Railway. If this damage concerns you please call 1-800-453-2530