View Obscura

 Story by Ken Hulsey When I lived in Albuquerque, one of my favorite places was the New Mexico Museum of Natural History & Science. I have to admit that back in the 80s, the museum wasn't much to write home about - it had a couple of dinosaur skeletons and little else. However, it was still really interesting, and I always enjoyed exploring the exhibits, with my favorite being the giant leg bones of a Seismosaurus, the largest dinosaur ever discovered, which used to call New Mexico home.

 Photos and Story By Ken Hulsey Yesterday, I took advantage of a free afternoon to explore the grounds of the Southern Forrest Heritage Museum in Long Leaf, Louisiana. The museum is located on the site of the former Long Leaf Sawmill Complex, which was once one of hundreds of mill complexes in the region. While the mill itself is fascinating to explore, on this rainy day I decided to spend my time walking around the old facilities of the Red River and Gulf Railroad.

 Story and Photos by Ken Hulsey Is it morally questionable for a person to develop an emotional attachment to an inanimate object, such as an old railroad locomotive? Yesterday, I was traveling through McComb, Mississippi on my way to a job site. As I exited the highway, a sign for a "Railroad Museum" caught my eye, pointing to the left. Although my actual destination was to the right, as a railfan, I couldn't resist the opportunity to visit the museum.

  Terri and I have just returned from viewing a wonderful set of prints by the master of modern abstract art Pablo Picasso at the Alexandria Museum of Art. I have to admit that it was a real thrill to be able to view the works of such a renowned and influential artist up close. 

 From Tucker Baker of the Southern Forest Heritage Museum: We have some big upcoming sessions this spring. Thank you to everyone who has already let me know if they are coming or cannot make the session this week/weekend. This really helps with planning.

For the past couple of weeks I have been sifting through my collection of railroad photographs that I have posted over at my Rails West page on Facebook. I collected numerous images to share here at the Traveler's Guide, but I was puzzled on how I should feature them. Ultimately I decided to organize them by location instead of by date, which was my original intention. I figured that the photos would make more sense if the viewer knew where the images where taken. It would also be much easier on me to group them by location instead of simply featuring a random collection of photos that I would have to write a comment on each one so that they would have context.

The remains of Crowell & Spencer Lumber Company Locomotive #400 sit in the woods just outside the old Red River & Gulf Railroad facilities in Long Leaf, Louisiana. - Photo by Ken Hulsey  The Southern Forest Heritage Museum in Long Leaf, Louisiana has announced that they will be looking for volunteers this weekend to work on the restoration of the long abandoned Red River and Gulf Railroad facilities. It is their hope to one day return several pieces of vintage railroad equipment to working order, including a recently acquired Heisler Logging Locomotive and former RR&G 4-6-0 number 106. Are you looking for a unique railroading experience here in Louisiana this weekend? Come and get in touch with some real railroad history!

 This past week I was lucky enough to be able to travel through southeastern Louisiana so I decided to stop and revisit the DeQuincy Railroad Museum. The museum is as close to a state railroad museum here and Louisiana and features numerous items from the state's rich railroading history including a large collection of model trains and a Southern Pacific steam locomotive. Kansas City Southern Railway Hardcover Book - $29.99 @ Amazon.com - Order Here The museum is housed in the 1923 Kansas City Southern Railroad Depot which has been exquisitely restored to its former grandeur. The depot is one of the most outstanding examples of the Mission Revival style of architecture in the South. The facility includes meeting rooms for public functions and may be rented for private events as well. When I first visited the museum over a year ago the station itself was closed so I spent my time walking around and taking photos of all the railroad equipment on display outside. This time however the...

 Photo and Story from The Alamogordo Daily News: The New Mexico Museum of Space History will open its new "Sci-Fi, Sci-Fact" exhibit on Friday, Dec. 15. The exhibit will be located on floor 3B, according to museum spokeswoman Cathy Harper. "... it will be replacing most of the existing Star Trek gallery, but because it is incredibly popular some of it will stay," Harper said.    "We are opening up this 'Sci-Fi, Sci-Fact' exhibit and the idea is to go into some of the fun of exploring how science fiction has sometimes turned into science fact and how sci-fi has affected sci-fact. Basically, how they constantly influence each other," New Mexico Museum of Space History Executive Director Chris Orwoll said. The museum, Orwoll said, also planned to expand its gallery offerings for visitors. "We will have a new 'early space' gallery and a new 'preparing human for space' gallery for Fall of 2024," Orwoll said. "So, we are es...

 I have to admit that the wife and I have passed by the Martin Homeplace Museum on our way to Monroe well over a dozen times over the past five years. Today I found myself on my way up Highway 165 and I decided to finally pull off and check it out.  The moment that I stepped onto the property I felt like I had been magically transported back in time to possibly the 1930s. Just about everything within my field of vision was perfectly period and almost perfectly preserved just as it was. It almost seemed like I had missed the family that lived there by mere minutes and not multiple decades.  The Martin Homeplace Museum is an excellent place to take pictures and I spent about an hour walking around takings pics of everything. If you ever travel through Columbia you really need to check out the Martin Homeplace Museum. From News Star by Tanya M Scholsman Who needs a time machine when you can visit the Martin Home Place? Transport yourself to 17th century Louisiana and experie...