Hi all, I have been watching and enjoying the TV show Home Town. I have noticed quite a few trains passing through Laurel but I can’t find much info on the number of trains? From what I have researched it is the Norfolk Southern Crescent route which would mean it is a main line? There are not a lot of videos from there on Youtube and the Frograil site doesn’t list it anywhere. I am toying with the idea of going down there in May for National Train Day. It is closer than my other choice of Pine Junction, IN which I have done a couple of times already. Any help will be greatly appreciated!
Wow, that’s a bit depressing. Driving 11 hours and 2 minutes / 732 miles for ten trains in the daylight hours or Pine Junction which is 12 hours and 15 minutes / 765 miles? The last time I went to Pine Junction I got 92 trains in the daylight hours. Looks like a trip north is in order. Thanks mudchicken, I greatly appreciate your help! : )
To “Benchedthatpiece” I did a little research on the NO&NE at Laurel, Miss. It was suceeded by the Southern Rwy and then the NS. Between Meridian,Ms and New Orleans.
Here is a linked site {Mississippi Rails};inclusive of a system map. { map can be ‘exploded’ to larger size!} @ https://www.msrailroads.com/NO&NE.htm
(Tolleston, Buffington & Dunes country - spent a decade there one week only to discover that the railroads aren’t sure who owns what in there thanx to a USRA /CR/InDOT screw-up from the 1970’s.)
I’ve passed through Gary on the train, and I’ve seen Laurel on TV.
Laurel, hands down!!
There are plenty of plaes I’d rather live than in Mississippi (where I did, in fact, live for five years as a kid). But man, if one could get on their waiting list, that HGTV couple does an awesome job on houses that can be had for a song. Even after the reno, you are looking at the cost of a crummy, tiny one-bedroom condo in/near most major cities. And, ya know, the train watching is good … It’s not something I’d rule out, TBH. I don’t plan on being in Maine when I’m 80; that’s no country for old men.
Yes, Pine Junction would have a little more traffic than you could find in Laurel.
Thanks, Sam for the reference to the NO&NE–and the Queen and Crescent Route (which also extended to Shreveport from Meridian); the Q&C ran from the Queen City to the Crescent City, and had two through trains a day in 1892.
In my qualifying for Train Dispatcher on the B&O’s Akron-Chicago Division, I rode Train #7 from Akron to Gary as a part of my Road Review. I hung around the station for a hour or two and then caught a Eastbound freight back to Willard and another train from Willard to Akron.
In hanging around the station at Gary I got to see the bullet marks in some of the concrete walls around the station that were earned in the 1930’s Chicago area gang warfare - Al Capone and others.
Sadly, the station you refer to is nothing more than four really thick walls , no windows and no roof today.
Part of my project at Gary had me 8 blocks south of Gary station at Millers (nobody knows about that place on the NYC/MC/IHB Dune Park branch - but the foundation and cinder platform remains are still there.) Quarter corner is still there, a piece of 60# rail. Surprised nobody tried to dig that one up yet. The Wabash main at Millers is on borrowed time.
Sad to see all that high speed track reduced to 10 MPH or just sitting in the weeds. Not far away is the former PRR main with 136#CWR on new ties, laid- but never used. Weird.
I have enjoyed reading all this, thanks for the help! The down side to Pine Junction is that it’s not a good place for quality photography. Also it gets more Amtrak traffic than I like. However for sheer numbers it’s hard to beat. Another positive for me is Gary, IN is right down the street and for people who love urban exploration like I do, it’s a little slice of heaven! I was lucky enough to photograph the station someone mentioned above as well as the City Methodist Church before the roof caved in and some other abandoned places. Chicago isn’t that far away which is always fun. I think Blue Island, Ill isn’t that far away I don’t think? I still haven’t gotten there yet so that would be a bonus. I’m trying not to get my hopes up about going because there is no telling what might happen between now and then?
Largely complete. Still cleaning up the mess left behind by the Penn Central Estate (American Premier Underwriters), InDOT and ConRail that IHB, NS & CSX inherited. CN/EJ&E had their own fun. At least a little of Gary got cleaned up in the process.
It seems I’ve had a change of heart about this coming weekend (May 9-10) and hope to go to Laurel, MS instead of Pine Junction. I realize there are not a lot of trains like Pine Junction. What changed my mind is I got word they are supposed to be tearing down a place in Birmingham, AL I’ve been wanting to hit (urban exploration). I figure I better hit it before it’s too late if it’s not already?
I plan on leaving Thursday after work from North Carolina and stopping in Austell, GA for the night. Friday will likely be spent in Birmingham all day, at least I hope I can get it done in a day? Saturday will be Laurel and Hattiesburg, MS. Sunday and Monday will be the return trip home and I’ll be freestyling with no special places in mind, just whatever I stumble accross? I don’t know if I’ll come home via Tennessee or follow the NS Crescent route back home?
I have the following NS scanner frequencies if anyone can verify them for me please? 160.245 and 160.950 for Austell, GA. 160.950 and 161.535 for Laurel and Hattiesburg, MS? The trip down will basically be following the NS Crescent route to Mississippi. If anyone has any info on shortlines along that route I would love to know about them? It will be roster shots for them since I doubt they work on the weekends.
I’m open to any and all suggestions for photo ops in the Laurel and Hattiesburg areas as far as trains? Lastly, catching a Ferromex locomotive has been at the top of my railfanning bucket list for years. I realize the odds are slim to none to catch one on my trip, but if you had to pick a spot that had the best chance to see one I would love to know? I had planned to hit the Meridian speedway but someone told me there are less than five trains in the daylight hours now on that route so I scratched that… unless there is a chance for a Ferromex?
Thanks to all who took the time to read this and any help is welcome and greatly appreciated!
