MORGAN CITY in the EARLY SIXTIES
A PHOTO ESSAY BY DAVID ELLZEY – PAGE ONE

© 2005 Michael M. Palmieri

Morgan City, Louisiana is located at milepost 80, about midway on the Avondale Subdivision between the terminals at Avondale (milepost 11) and Lafayette (milepost 147).  When these photos were taken, it had a depot with an open train order office, and a small yard.

Morgan City, LA
In the first two photos, westbound train No. 241 rolls past milepost 80, across Sixth Street, and by the Morgan City depot.  The motive power is SP GP9 420 (EMD 1955), Cotton Belt GP20 809 (EMD 1961), SP GP20 7213 (EMD 1962), and SP F9M 725 (SP 1959).
Morgan City, LA
The next two photos show a westbound train with GP20 7213 (the same SP GP20 shown on No. 241), GP9 5872, and a pair of F-units.  The 5872 was the first of 20 low-nose GP9's built in August and September 1959.  The photographer was on top of a maintenance-of-way passenger car parked just east of the depot.  This car can been seen in the first photo.
Morgan City, LA
GP20 7213 was placed in service in March 1962 and most of the locomotives in this essay were renumbered under a plan implemented in late 1965, so we know these photos were taken between early 1962 and late 1965.
Morgan City, LA
These photos depict the evolution of trackwork in front of the Morgan City depot.  In the second photo, the house track is still in place in front of the depot.  In this photo, the house track has been removed; but there are still two tracks in front of the depot.  In the next photo, on page two, there is only one track in front of the depot.

PAGE TWO    


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