View Obscura

If you have ever driven on Interstate 20 through Shreveport, Louisiana you may have noticed a building just north of the highway that looks very much like an old railroad station. I have literally driven past it over a dozen times and wondered just that. A week ago my curiosity got the best of me and I decided to go see if what I was I seeing was indeed what I thought it was. (Writing can be hard at times my friends.) I was thrilled to find out that the building I spotted off the highway was indeed an old railroad station, the Shreveport Central Railroad Station to be precise, which just so happens to be the oldest surviving railroad station in the city. From the historical marker: Central Station - Built 1910 for Arkansas St Louis Southwestern Railroad. Only surviving passenger railroad terminal in city built prior WWI. Listed on National Register of Historic Places 1991. I have to note that that marker and Wikipedia have conflicting information.  The marker states that the stati...

 This morning I decided to wake up before the rooster crows to capture the Memorial Day sunrise over England Air Force Base Heritage park here in Alexandria, Louisiana. The park features many of the jet fighters that were flown by the pilots of the famed 'Flying Tigers' that were stationed here from the late 1940s until the base closed in 1992. Watching the light begin to shine on these majestic machines brought up images in my mind of the hundreds of service men and women who woke at first light to prepare to fight and die for our country in the skies, on the high seas, and on countless battlefields around the globe. I don't want to take too much time sharing my thoughts about my experience this morning, instead I want to let the images that I took speak for themselves.    Check Out: Louisiana's Hidden Gems: England Air Force Base Heritage Park, Alexandria Memorial Day: Remembering Erskin Leon Hulsey First Lieutenant US Army Air Corps B-17G Flying Fortress 'Nine O ...

A week ago my wife and I took a wonderful trip into eastern Texas and explored the area around Lufkin and Diboll. We were truly surprised by how many interesting attractions there were in this part of the country. Being a true rail buff I had to work in seeing a train on our visit if I could and I was surprised to discover that in the area of Lufkin there were a total of three preserved steam locomotives on display at various sites.   We had just finished having a wonderful afternoon at the Naranjo Museum of Natural History and there was just enough time to sneak in a visit to one of these exhibits. The closest one to us was Locomotive 13 at The History Center in nearby Diboll.  The museum itself is a wonderful collection of historical items pertaining to the once vast lumber industry in the area. There is a similar museum here in Louisiana called the Southern Forest Heritage Museum which is an actual old lumber mill complex including old railroad equipment. This museum m...