Mike Palmeri sent me these interesting points on the Poydras Street Yard.

While people of our generation think of almost all of the tracks in that area as IC, Poydras Yard and the tracks on Poydras Street were built by the Louisville, New Orleans & Texas, which had no connection to the IC. The LNO&T passenger depot was on Poydras at LaSalle, which probably explains the wide median and the layout of the tracks there. I don't know if the station was on the median or not, but this would make an interesting modeling opportunity... pretend that the IC didn't buy the LNO&T in 189x and it still existed as an independent railroad into modern times! I don't know if the property where the warehouses were came from the LNO&T or was bought by the IC for its use. I do not know where the LNO&T engine terminal was, but it may have been at Poydras Yard.

I think I told you that the Frisco was somehow involved in this area, but I'm pretty sure that was wrong. The Frisco had trackage rights into New Orleans from Baton Rouge over the Y&MV, but it used the NOTCO Bernadotte Yard and the Frisco/SOU station on Canal Street at Basin. After the Frisco went bankrupt in 1912, the railroads from Brownsville to New Orleans became independent and operated as the the Gulf Coast Lines; then, in about 1924, the MP bought the GCL. The MP continued to operate over the Y&MV into New Orleans, but it began using the IC's Union Station, and the MP's GCL passenger trains continued to operate over the Y&MV until the were discontinued in the 1960's. I think the MP may have had the use of some of the IC warehouse space in this area; but I don't think the MP actually operated into here. However, this offers another freelance modeling opportunity to make things more interesting.

During the 1960's and 70's, the IC kept an engine at Poydras Yard, and there was at least one transfer run from Mays Yard. During this time, there was also a hopper train known as the Kentwood Turn. This was during a building boom in downtown New Orleans, and there were several cement plants served by the IC around NOUPT, so the Portrays switch engine would collect empty hoppers and make a train. Them, around 5:00PM a road crew would go on duty at Mays Yard, bring 2-3 geeps to Poydras Yard, and head up the main line, swapping out empty hoppers for loads at several gravel pits between Hammond and the Mississippi State Line. Then they would turn around and head back home, drop their train at Poydras Yard and tie up at Mays Yard.

Thanks Mike, interesting and helpful...

guy