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 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.

 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.

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!

A couple of days ago I received a USB drive from my compadre Everett Lueck of the Southern Forest Heritage Museum that contains an enormous amount of information about life in Central Louisiana in the early to mid 20th century. The files that he sent me include documents, newspaper articles, letters, a couple of videos and huge amount of vintage photographs. The bulk of the material focuses on the lumber industry and the railroads that operated in this part of the state, I have just started to go through it all so that I can begin to put together some articles. While I'm doing that I thought it would be fun to pick out a handful of photos and post them this morning as a sneak preview of what's to come.  The crew of Red River & Gulf #105. Locomotives in the Red River & Gulf engine house. A crew working on the street in downtown Lecompte. (date unknown) The office staff of the Longleaf lumber mill. A farmer plowing a field. (date unknown) A vintage steam locomotive runnin...

Sometimes you just need to find someplace peaceful and quiet so that you can pray and hear God speaking to you. Photos taken at the Southern Forest Heritage Museum in Long Leaf, Louisiana. Check Out: Everyday We Should Proclaim - This is the day which the LORD has made; Let us rejoice and be glad in it! Pastor James Greer - Journey Church - When You Receive the Favor of God Pastor Jurgen Matthesius - Awaken Church - Old Faith for the New Year With Jesus Sometimes We Don't See The Footprints Ten Must See Sermons To Grow Your Faith In 2023! Pastor James W Greer - Journey Church - Journey to the Light | In His Presence Pastor Steve Smothermon - Legacy Church - God isn’t a genie. ❌ JESUS IS SAVIOR. Hard Sayings of Jesus Pastor Steven Roberts - Journey Church - The Blessed Life: It's Not What You Think Pastor James W Greer - Journey Church - 5 Things God Wants You to Experience When You Stretch Your Faith The Six Phases of Faith - Great Adversity Will Lead to God's Greatest Ble...

  Why would a group of men and women brave pouring rain and winter cold to spend their Saturday working on a railroad that hasn't run since 1954? The Read River & Gulf Railroad ran it's last train from Lecompte to the saw mill complex at Long Leaf. Louisiana on March 30, 1954. The railroad that had once operated over some seventy miles of track had become too expensive to operate and maintain. The money it generated suppling lumber to the Long Leaf Mill could no longer pay the bills.   All the railroad's equipment, including several steam locomotives, numerous pieces of rolling stock, various structures and several miles of track, were simply abandoned and allowed to deteriorate for decades.  Likewise the Long Leaf Mill closed it's doors in 1969 after seventy-six years of operation and it, plus the adjacent town, also were abandoned. Let's flash forward to 2023 and the remains of the railroad, the saw mill complex and the town of Long Leaf are all under the ste...

Just about a month ago I posted a set of photos taken at the old abandoned Red River & Gulf Railyard just outside the historic logging town of Long Leaf. It was an extremely popular post and it has peaked a lot of interest in both the old logging railroad and the logging facility/town. This past Friday I passed by the site again and decided to take another set of photos. When I took my original photos it was a dark and rainy day. I thought that the dank conditions helped convey a feeling of the area being lost and abandoned. On this day the sun was just rising and allowed for a better illustration of just how the site actually looks.  Thanks to the sunlight and the fact that the surrounding foliage is now less dense because of an earlier freeze I was able to get a better view on just how much railroad equipment is at this location. It turns out that the railyard complex is much larger than I had originally perceived. Now dozens of more remains of old railcars can be seen in th...

 This morning I took a quick spin into what was once the Louisiana logging town of Long Leaf. Today it is part of the Southern Forest Heritage Museum. I specifically wanted to drop by today due to the light rain that was falling. I had anticipated that the scene would be good to photograph this morning due to the weather conditions and as you can see my feelings were quite correct. What I was able to capture was a very peaceful scene.   What you see in the shot is the area where the old Red River & Gulf Railroad crosses the road into Long Leaf. If there wasn't a picnic table in front of one of the old structures in the background the scene would have looked much like it did fifty or so years ago. The volunteers at the museum do an amazing job trying to preserve the old town, remaining sawmill structures and the old railroad to the best of their abilities. If you ever get a chance you need to come see this amazing bit of preserved Louisiana history. Map: Check Out: Abandon...

On March 30, 1954 the Red River & Gulf Railroad ran it's last train from Lecompte to Long Leaf, Louisiana. The once profitable lumber railroad was founded in 1905 to carry raw materials for a sprawling lumber mill in Long Leaf but by the early 1950s the cost of running the line outweighed the revenue it produced. The tracks, locomotives, rolling stock and facilities of the Red River & Gulf were simply abandoned where the stood for decades. The harsh weather combined with the aggressive fauna of central Louisiana has taken it's toll over the past 60 plus years. The locomotives are rusting away, the tracks are almost impossible to find and the wooden freight and passenger cars have rotted away leaving only their metal parts behind. Recently volunteers from the nearby Southern Forrest Heritage Museum, who have been working for years to preserve the Long Leaf sawmill complex and the railroad that served it, located the old Red River & Gulf yard in the woods nearby. A c...