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Pontchartrain Railroad
The Pontchartrain Railroad was chartered in 1830 and ran along what is now Elysian Fields Avenue for over a hundred years.
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Three (Amtrak) Trains Runnin’…on that line…
Three Amtrak trains running along the path of the New Canal, now I-10, with apologies to Little Feat.
AMTK 337 and 304 pull the Crescent #20 out of Union Passenger Terminal, up to Slidell, Louisiana, then Atlanta, DC, into New York City’s Penn Station (NYP).
Amtrak trains on a Monday morning
Amtrak Mardi Gras #24, and Crescent #20, departing Union Passenger Terminal (NOL), Monday morning, 15-September-2025. After the Eastbound trains depart, Mardi Gras #23 arrives into NOL from Mobile.
Mardi Gras #24
AMTK 176 takes the lead. It’s a GE P42DC “Genesis” in Phase VII livery, After pulling out of UPT, it turned onto the New Orleans Terminal Company track leading up to the Norfolk Southern “Back Belt.” From here, the train turns east, heading out to the CSX tracks at Florida Avenue. Mardi Gras crosses the Industrial Canal at Florida Avenue, then crosses Lake Pontchatrain at the Rigolets Pass. This is the old L&N route that served New Orleans and the Gulf Coast for decades.
Consist is two Viewliner II coaches, the second in Phase VII livery, followed by a Viewliner Cafe/Business Class car, also in Phase VII livery. AMTK 38, also a Genesis, brings up the rear. Mardi Gras operates double-ended because there’s no provision for the trains to turn around at Mobile. So, when this train returns as #25, AMTK 38 will have the lead.
Crescent #20
Amtrak Crescent #20, northbound to New York City (Penn Station – NYP), 15-September-2025. AMTK 337 and 304, both Siemens ALC-42 “Charger” locomotives in the lead, having turned onto the New Orleans Terminal Company track leading up to the Norfolk Southern “Back Belt.”
Consist is three Viewliner II coaches, a Viewliner II Cafe/Business Class car, Viewliner diner “Madison,” one Viewliner II sleeper, followed by “Iroquois River,” a Viewliner I sleeper, refurbished and painted in Series VII livery. A Viewliner bag-dorm car brings up the rear.
The Crescent heads north, then turns east on the Back Belt. It travels the length of the NS route, to the “Five Mile Bridge” across Lake Pontchartrain. Its first stop is at Slidell, Louisiana, as it heads to NYP.
Mardi Gras #23
The Westbound Mardi Gras train departs Mobile (MOE), just before the eastbound leaves NOL. It reaches the NOTC track, ready to turn into UPT, about 10am. The consist is similar to #24. AMTK 174, a GE P42DC “Genesis” in the lead, with AMTK 180, a second Genesis, bringing up the rear. Like #24, Mardi Gras #23 operates double-ended.
Consist is a Viewliner II Cafe/Business Class car, followed by two Viewliner II coaches. The Cafe and first Coach are, like the locos, in Phase VII livery.
#23 departs in the afternoon as #26, eastbound back to Mobile.
People Living Dangerously… #Amtrak
Amtrak City of New Orleans 59 4-June-2025, inbound passing through Jefferson, Louisiana, on its way to Union Passenger Terminal (NOL) in downtown New Orleans. AMTK 331 is a Siemens ALC-42 “Charger.”
I don’t go out to record people living dangerously. I enjoy the trains. One of these days, I fear I may go viral because of stupidity.
Crescent 20 Phase VII expansion
We’re seeing more Phase VII upgrades on the Crescent 20.
Amtrak Crescent 20 24-May-2025 with Phase VII Expansion
Amtrak Crescent 20, passing over the Canal Blvd. underpass in Lakeview, New Orleans.The train departed NOL on time, and rolled past my regular coffee shop. We’re treated to a bit of Phase VII livery here.
Consist
- Motive power: AMTK 324 (Siemens ALC-42 Charger) in the lead, with AMTK 174 (GE P42DC Genesis) behind. Both wear Phase VII livery.
- 3 coaches, two recently re-done in Phase VII
- 1 cafe
- 1 diner, Frankfort
- 1 sleeper
- 1 bag-dorm
#20 is approximately fifteen minutes out of Union Passenger Terminal (NOL), heading north to Slidell, LA, Atlanta, and points north.
New Paint!
It’s great to see the Genesis engines in Phase VII. We’ve had our share of the “special” paint jobs (40th anniversary, 50th anniversary, specials), since we have three long-haul routes originating at NOL. The Chargers offer flash over the Phase V of most of the Genesis fleet. New paint on the P42s blends in well.
The Phase VII coaches appear almost daily now on the Crescent. We still haven’t seen upgrades to the other types of cars, however.
Four Ways to Support NOLA History Guy
- Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
- Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows.
- Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
- Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!
Mixed Freight Consist on the Back Belt, 30-April-2025
BNSF, Ferromex, and KCS power this Back Belt run.
Mixed freight consist running westbound on the Norfolk Southern “Back Belt” in New Orleans, 30-April-2025.
Motive power:
- BNSF 5064 – GE C44-9W
- FXE 4057 – EMD SD70ACe
- KCSM 4091 EMD SD70ACe
- BNSF 8508 EMD SD70ACe
The consist is likely coming from the CSX Gentilly Yard, heading west through New Orleans, to Jefferson and the Huey P. Long Bridge and the BNSF yard in Avondale.While this particular train is more colorful than the typical NS or UP run, it’s still typical. We have CSX and Norfolk Southern in New Orleans, and trains travel back and forth from those yards to CN and KCS on the East Bank of Jefferson Parish. There’s also regular travel between all of these and the BNSF (formerly SP) and Union Pacific yards on the West Bank of Jefferson Parish.
Four Ways to Support NOLA History Guy
- Buy my books! Edward Branley is the author of six books on New Orleans history. They’re available from local booksellers and all the usual online suspects.
- Book NOLA History Guy to speak at your event – Edward speaks to groups ranging in size to local groups like Kiwanis and Rotary to major conventions and trade shows.
- Buy me a coffee on Ko-fi dot com. I just love this concept as a way to say thank you/tip creators you enjoy. Our idea of monetization is buying books and having us come to speak. If you see me at a coffee shop, stop and say hi. Otherwise, I’ll raise coffee cup to you if you treat me.
- Become a patron. Yes, we’re on Patreon. A lot of creators use the platform for direct monetization, and that’s great for them. We don’t have “exclusive content” for patrons. Still, if you think our history stuff is worth a dollar a month, go join!
Back Belt Intermodal 20250411
Amazon shipping containers are modern inspiration in Back Belt intermodal.
Container freight at Canal Blvd.
Back Belt intermodal
Seems like it’s been a while since an intermodal consist came past Lakeview on the Norfolk Southern Back Belt. Back Belt intermodal indicates freight passing through. While so much of the traffic going by the coffee shop is local, the long trains seem to be military hardware or tank cars. I remember more shipping containers passing through, particularly during the early days of the pandemic. I would run into the coffee shop, then spend the morning writing alone, out by the commercial nursery in City Park. Along with the reefers and tank cars, you’d see long-ish intermodal consists.
Container freight in New Orleans
The riverfront terminals at Napoleon Avenue are the primary intermodal facilities along the Mississippi River at New Orleans. Some specs on capacity:
840,000 annual TEU capacity; Load bearing capacity: 1,000 psf live load (ability to stack containers 5 high); 48-acre marshalling yard; Advanced Gate Appointment System with transponders to track truck movements; Reefer plugs: 304 units (40-foot); 15 refrigerated container receptacles with 450 electrified slots; Expansion footprint provides capacity up to 1.5 million TEUs per year.
Still, Back Belt intermodal isn’t in position to go down to the riverfront.
Prototype modeling
Transfer terminal at Napoleon Avenue (courtesy Port NOLA)
The Port of New Orleans offers a great deal of potential for intermodal modeling. This photo from PortNOLA, shows the container rail transfer station at Napoleon Avenue. This would make for a good addition to a switching layout. While it would compress the actual distance, it might even be possible to run a streetcar line along the edge of the terminal. After all, the Tchoupitoulas line ran as street rail for decades.
Additionally, it’s good to see the types of containers that pass through on the Back Belt. The Amazon containers here are a darker blue than the ones I usually see on the highway. These would be easy to add to any layout.
Deadheads on Amtrak Crescent #20
Sunday’s Amtrak Crescent #20 included a couple of deadhead cars.
New Orleans to New York on the Amtrak Crescent #20
Amtrak’s incarnation of the Crescent continues one of the oldest “name train” routes in the country. Here’s #20, crossing the underpass at Canal Blvd., in the Lakeview neighborhood of New Orleans:
- AMTK 368 and 348, Siemens “Chargers,” in the lead
- 3 Amfleet II coaches
- Cafe car
- Diner “Albany”
- Viewliner sleeper
- Bag-Dorm
The most notable changes in the regular consist are the return of the diner cars, and the reduction to one sleeper car from two. While I’m not privy to Amtrak strategy, dropping the sleeper car seems logical. Roomettes are more expensive than a coach ticket, of course, and travelers flying long distances grow accustomed to strapping themselves into an airplane seat for 6-9 hours at a time. Now, the Crescent takes a day and a half to get from New Orleans to New York City, but the rider has options. Rather than being trapped in a plane, the rider enjoys the freedom to walk around a bit, sit in the cafe, and eat in the diner. Additionally, Amtrak offers a more-reasonable seating configuration than most airlines. So, if you can sleep on a plane, you likely can sleep on the train.
Deadhead
In addition to the regular consist, AMTK 62041, Viewliner I sleeper, “Middle River” and a baggage car deadheaded on Sunday. The sleeper is in the new passenger-car variant of the Phase VII locomotive paint scheme. Trains mentioned the scheme in December. Since then social media buzzed about it. The center stripe matches the blue/red of the Chargers, and a few re-painted Genesis locos. Additionally, a full baggage car brings up the rear. While the Sunset Limited’s consist still contains a baggage car, the Crescent uses the bag-dorms. The bag-dorm provides crew quarters, and the baggage requirements are less for the shorter route.
Southern Railway Roundhouse #nolamidcity
The Bernadotte Yard contained a roundhouse for Southern Railway.
Southern Railway Roundhouse
Section of a Sanborn Fire Map for Mid-City New Orleans, from 1950-1951, showing a roundhouse and turntable facility. The roundhouse stood inside Southern Railway’s Bernadotte Yard, in the block bounded by N. Scott, St. Louis, N. Cortez, and Conti Streets. The yard tracks ran (more-or-less) from Canal Boulevard, across from Greenwood Cemetery, following St. Louis Street to just past Norman C. Francis Parkway. The tracks merged into a single pair, heading along St. Louis St. to Basin St., where they turned into Terminal Station at Canal and Basin.
The yard serviced a number of industrial sites in Mid-City. On one side of the roundhouse stood Inland Steel Company’s plant, with a Sears, Roebuck warehouse on the other. American Can Company operated their factory just two blocks away. So, this part of New Orleans was heavily industrialized. This limited the size of the residential areas of Mid-City, going into the 1950s. The New Canal, now I-10) to the West and the railroad to the East. Canal Street served as the main street in the neighborhood. So much industry along railroad and canal enticed families living in the French Quarter, Marigny, and Treme towards the lake.
Engine facilities
The railroad required a parking and maintenance facility for its equipment in the yard. Additionally, locomotives for Southern’s passenger trains required a facility. While the passenger depot stood at Canal and Basin Streets, there was no room for parking. So, Southern Railroad constructed a turntable and roundhouse for both. The map shows three tracks connecting building and turntable, but a note says “full of tracks.” It looks like there were six or eight tracks going into the roundhouse. Two tracks approached the turntable from the lake side, with a single through track and a siding on the river side.
Little trace
Google Earth screenshot of the location of the roundhouse.
In spite of the heavy industrialization of this neighborhood during and after World War II, few traces of all these operations remain. Most of the factories and warehouse were demolished or re-purposed. The area now features a mix of commercial strip malls, warehouse, and houses. We’ll add on to this exploration of the Bernadotte Yard going forward. I have little information on this facility behold the map. If anyone can point me towards more details, please drop me a note.
Citation
Sanborn Fire Insurance Map from New Orleans, Orleans Parish, Louisiana. Sanborn Map Company, – Jul 1950; Vol. 2, 1951. Map. https://www.loc.gov/item/sanborn03376_026/.
Kansas City Southern and Louisiana and Arkansas terminal
Trains for Kansas City Southern operated from the L&A Terminal South Rampart Street.
Louisiana and Arkansas Terminal
Franck Studios image of the Louisiana and Arkansas passenger terminal. The terminal stood at 705 S. Rampart, corner of Girod. It opened in 1923. Kansas City Southern took over the terminal in 1939. So, while this Alexander Allison photo is undated, it’s likely from 1940-41. What’s particularly interesting is the sign on the front. Earlier photos of the terminal don’t show the sign. The station was small, with only two tracks leading up to it. L&A operated a yard up from the station at (now) Norman C. Francis Parkway. Trains used a wye to turn around and back into the station. So, once passengers got off, trains ran up to the yard. Crews cleaned the cars and serviced the road locomotives. Switchers staged the next train on the station tracks.
Traffic to the terminal grew in 1928, as L&A acquired the Louisiana Navigation and Railway Company. That railroad operated from New Orleans to Shreveport. L&A inaugurated an overnight train, The Hustler, from New Orleans to Shreveport, in 1932. L&A investors started purchasing KCS in 1937. They gained control of the railroad in 1939. KCS absorbed L&A, but the subsidiary railroad remained on the books until 1992.
The Southern Belle
1940s brochure for the Southern Belle train.
With the acquisition of L&A (although arguably it was the other way around), KCS inaugurated the Southern Belle in 1940. This “name train” ran from New Orleans to Kansas City. The Southern Belle, along with other KCS trains, operated from the L&A terminal until 1954, when all passenger operations in New Orleans moved to Union Passenger Terminal.
The corner store
Corner store at the L&A/KCS Terminal, 1930s
I’m particularly interested in the store on the corner. It stood right on the corner of S. Rampart and Girod. While the earlier Trice photo shows the store Coca-Cola branded signage, the later Allison photo shows an awning. Since the store has an external, outside entrance, it likely serviced the neighborhood. This part of S. Rampart Street, just before the turning basin of the New Canal, contained a number of Jazz nightclubs and saloons. It’s hard to make out details on this image. So, we’ll be looking for better resolution and other photos.
Leon Trice photo of the station from the 1930s.
Like other railroad-related locations, the L&A Terminal is an ongoing research project.
New Orleans Public Belt in the French Quarter
The New Orleans Public Belt runs along the riverfront.
Streetcars and trains along the Riverfront
Infrogmation photo (2013) of three New Orleans Public Belt (NOPB) locomotives passing the Ursuline Street station for the New Orleans Regional Transit Authority (NORTA). From right to left: NOPB 3001, an EMD GP40, NOPB 3003, a GP40-2, and NOPB 2008, a Motive Power Industries (MPI) 1500D. All three locomotives bear the red NOPB livery used at that time.
New Orleans Public Belt
The City of New Orleans created the NOPB in 1908. From the railroad’s Wikipedia entry:
The impetus for the NOPB came at the start of the 20th century era when multiple railroads terminating locally created both congestion at the Port of New Orleans and safety problems on city streets. The railroad began operation in 1908 with the intention of giving the major railroads “uniform and impartial” access to the port.
So, the NOPB regularly operates along the riverfront. Additionally, the NOPB “owns” the Huey P. Long bridge, which connects about one-third of the nation’s east-west railroad traffic. From the Industrial Canal to Jefferson, Louisiana, NOPB horns can be heard.
Streetcars
Portion of the route map for NORTA’s UPT-Riverfront line.
While there are no streetcars in this photo, the Ursuline Station is a stop on the NORTA UPT-Riverfront line, Route 49. It’s the second-to-last stop as the outbound streetcars approach the French Market terminal. Hopping off the Von Dullen and 400-series arch roofs at Ursuline puts the rider at Latrobe Park. This snippet of NORTA’s map for Route 49 shows the various railroad tracks in this part of the port. While the first incarnation of the Riverfront line operated on “standard gauge” tracks, the line switched to “streetcar gauge” in 1997.
Red to Blue
NOPB locos in blue livery passing Jackson Square, February 2023. Mussi Katz photo.
NOPB adopted a blue livery for their locomotive fleet in 2019. The blue paint scheme distinguishes them from the streetcars on Route 49. The locomotives use horns, where the streetcar operators clang the traditional trolley bell.
Amtrak Training to Mobile
Amtrak Training to Mobile operates a special consist.
Amtrak Training
The national passenger railroad runs a two-locomotive, two-car training consist between New Orleans and Mobile. Crews prepare for the resumption of passenger service between the two cities. The train’s been running daily, in spite of the lack of a passenger stop/station in Mobile at this time.
The Train
Amtrak service to Mobile operated as an extension of the Sunset Limited between New Orleans and Jacksonville. That service stopped after Hurricane Katrina. This “training train” has the following consist
- AMTK 33, P42DC “Genesis”
- Bag-Dorm car
- Horizon coach
- AMTK 38, P42DC “Genesis”
The Genesis locos operate from New Orleans on all three of the city’s trains, Crescent, City of New Orleans, and sunset Limited. the Crescent uses a bag-dorm car on its daily service to New York (NYP).
Horizon Coaches
The coach on this consist is AMTK 54534. Here’s the update section on the Horzon’s Wikipedia entry:
As of November 2020, the Horizon coach cars primarily are used on trains based out of Amtrak’s Chicago division including the Illinois Service (Carl Sandburg, Illini, Illinois Zephyr, Lincoln Service & Saluki), Michigan Services (Blue Water & Wolverine), Hiawatha and Missouri River Runner.
So, Amtrak brought Horizons down from the Chicago area to New Orleans via the City of New Orleans.
Mobile Station
Amtrak took over the L&N station in Mobile in 1971. Prior to that, the Southern Crescent ran through Mobile, on its way to Atlanta. The L&N operated the Gulf Wind, Pan-American, and the Hummingbird through Mobile. Amtrak discontinued service through the city in 1971. They resumed service in 1984. Also from Wikipedia:
Amtrak service began with the Gulf Coast Limited, which operated between 1984 and 1985 and called at the station.[11][12] Mobile then served as the southern terminus of the Gulf Breeze train starting in 1989. The Sunset Limited began stopping here in 1993, and the Gulf Breeze was discontinued in 1995.[13][14] In 2005, Hurricane Katrina flooded the station and Amtrak discontinued the Sunset Limited east of New Orleans.
The railroad is now poised to resume service to the Florida Panhandle. Mobile is the only city lacking a station/stop at this time. Construction of a new station is in progress as training crews work the line. The Amtrak training consist is “double-ended.” So, it travels to Mobile, then the crew mans the loco on the other end for the return.
