Nostalgia & History > Monday Meets: Meet me at Rose Hill

Kansas City ~ Richmond [CA] train 309 was generally a higher priority then the scroungy 703 train I’m riding in this shot. Many times the 309 would be all loads & would not exceed 5000 total tons. There were a couple of other routine qualifications the 309 usually met, all of which would allow the manifest to run at 70 MPH. Nearly always having at least three big 6-axle road units seals the deal.

So why is the 309 taking the siding to meet my lowly 703? It’s obvious we arrived at Rose Hill first, but still held the main. I don’t remember the exact details from my trip 36 years ago, but here’s a very likely scenario: We departed Wellington going on duty @ 1640. There might have been a hotter intermodal train, maybe an 881 come on duty shortly afterward. A fleet-footed 881 would have no trouble catching my sluggish and dawdling 703. So the dispatcher has sacrificed the 309 in this meet, but we’ll go in at Salter (next siding) and wait. The 881 will come along meeting the 309 here at Rose Hill then will ‘clip’ us at Salter.

Just another moment in the life of a single track main line handling 40-50 trains every 24 hours…

1. AT&SF 5685 leads train 309 Y-2 into the siding at Rose Hill, KS on June 26, 2979.

Thanks for riding along!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 08/08/22 20:45 by santafe199.

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If I remember, Rose Hill was a shorter siding. Too, perhaps your doggie 703 was way too long to fit?

DAF

Very nice scene witnessed many times.
JB

And there were two very busy crossings at Rose Hill. Usually as soon as the first train saw a flashing yellow signal, he would call the opposing train to see where they were. If no answer, you went into Rose Hill either on the siding or maybe the main, and held back of the first crossing. When the other train called, or you finally saw his head light, you pulled on into the clear for the meet. Hopefully you only met one train.  I went in there westbound once, short on time, met one train, tied up the crossings waiiting for a signal to leave. The DS came on the radio, and said we would meet two more there, and to cut the crossings, the last one was still at Wellington. We cut the crossings, and ended up going dead right there.

Lance, appearances are that the 309 is still moving right along. . . . . or is that smoke decieving us ?

dcfbalcoS1 Wrote: > ...appearances are that the 309 is still moving right along...

We are stopped (or just crawling) on the main while the 309 is entering the siding. I had to double-check my text, but your answer is right there in the first 2 sentences of the 2nd paragraph, and in my caption. What may surprise you is that siding turnout speed was 40 MPH in those days, and I'm pretty sure it still is...

Lance



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 04/27/15 13:37 by santafe199.

It's called Rose"hill" for a reason. In the photo, the westbound is pulling the grade, which crests at the main steet crossing. The head half of Lance's train is rolling downward toward the signal, the rear half hanging over the back side of the hill, hopefully in the clear by now.

Posted from Android

I was on a westbound once and since we were not lined up at the west end of Rose Hill I stopped short of the main street crossing.  We were then instructed to "flag" the west end.  Pulled down and was just crawling along as the brakeman got off and ran ahead to check the switch points, signalling me to proceed and he got on as I was moving over the switch points.  After entering the cab he excitedly said "you didn't stop for the red signal".  My reply:  Oh yes I did.  I stopped for that signal at the main street crossing.  He thought I was a little bit crazy which I'm sure I was.

Mark Cole
Temple, TX

Nice shot, Lance!

Randy Lundgren