Western Railroad Discussion > Aerial photos of Herington "hub"

Since I started posting items to TO shortly before the end of the year, I have been fielding some questions about the current Union Pacific switch yard and facilities in Herington, KS. Herington is a town rich in railroad history and the Herington yard still plays a vital role in some transcon traffic on the Union Pacific in and out of California. Good for the local economy are more than 200 train crew jobs. The town is still considered a railroad "hub".

I am posting three black and white aerial photos I took on May 20, 2000. The railroad layout has not been altered much since then but I will point out some changes.

Pic 1: This picture is looking to the northwest. Shown at the lower left are two U.P. engines waiting just south of the Walnut Street crossing, the only east-west crossing in town over the U.P. The crossing will be eliminated in late spring or summer as a new motor vehicle-pedestrian overpass is being built. At the far lower right are three buildings that were immediately north of Walnut St. The building closest to the railroad was a dormitory for layover train crews from Pratt, KS, back in Rock Island days. The dormitory was razed 2-3 years ago. One of the two privately-owned lumber yard warehouses next to the dormitory was also razed last summer in preparation for the overpass. All buildings and homes that fronted Walnut Street on the west side of the crossing have also been razed, including a Casey's convenience store that can be seen in this photo.

Pic 2: This view shows the U.P. yard office at the lower left. All of the vehicles belong to train crew personnel who were out of town on runs to Kansas City or Pratt when the picture was taken. Wichita-based crews man trains that operate between Herington and Wichita on the former north-south line that was taken over by the OKT (Katy) following the demise of the Rock Island. Pictured at the far right is the Herington R.I.P. track and unenclosed car shelter. Almost in the exact middle of the photo is the old connection with the Missouri Pacific Railroad. You can see the rails missing from the former MoPac main line that crossed just northwest of the yard office building. The old MoPac trackage extends about 7 miles to the west to Hope, KS, is now used to store surplus cars. The car department is charged with making emergency repairs to bad orders on arriving trains.

Pic 3: This photograph shows the R.I.P. track area at the lower left. In the left center is the carmen's office building. Next to it is an engine fuel rack. At the far lower right are two large fuel storage tanks owned by the railroad. A fuel rack is available for westbound trains. Most eastbound trains are refueled by semi-trailer transport trucks at the north end of the Herington yard. Two of those semis can be seen to the upper right of the yard office in Picture No. 2. The area where the current R.I.P. track area and car shelter exists is where the Rock Island had its roundhouse for many years. Following the end of steam engine days on the Rock Island, the R.I. used the roundhouse as a Maintenance of Way repair facility. More than 40 mechanics and other shop personnel lost their jobs when the Rock Island folded. It took a few years, but the former Southern Pacific that followed the R.I. transformed the Herington yard facility in several ways, including the demolition of the depot, freight house, roundhouse and old yard office, plus the enlargement of the switch yard. I don't have a good photo to post for comparison purposes but I think I have a lead on one. One of these days, I may be able to show you how things looked 40-50 years ago.

Hope you all enjoy these pictures. They may be extra special for modelers.

L.B.
Herington

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Thanks for sharing! My parents lived in Herington for about four or five years earlier this decade and I enjoyed watching all the rail traffic that went through there when we would come up for a visit. It did seem like there weren't very many good places to watch it from except for along Walnut.

Cheers,
Bill

Great pictures! I have never actually been to Herington, even though I've lived in Topeka most of my life. I guess I should get down there soon.

Greg

Larry,
Then the new overpass is going in on the North side of Walnut St. where Caseys used to be? Great pics. Usaed to stop at Caseys when we would come in. upkpfan