Nostalgia & History > Frederick KS Depots

I have been enjoying the threads about Frisco in the High Country.  http://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,4195012,4195938#msg-4195938  

Today I was perusing some old scans that I have been collecting on Kansas depots and found picture number 1.  I believe it shows the MP depot at Frederick on the left and the Frisco on the right.  What is interesting is that while the Frisco line to Ellsworth didn't actually go to Frederick (it crossed aways east) they did build a spur that ran into beautiful downtown Frederick.  From Google Maps you can still see the traces of that spur heading into town.  I suspect that both depots were located south of KS 4 and along Fredrick Road. I don't know much else about the scan or Frederick but thought some might like this. 

Mark





 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/17 16:47 by Cumbres.

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Yes, both depots were located South of Hwy 4.

A little more info I remember was that the line when built into Ellsworth in 1866 - 67 was to go on to Lincoln, KS and on up to Nebraska. I don't know where from there then, but it never made it past Ellsworth. It was known as the Midland RR and went about a 1/2 mile North of Hwy 40 that was along the North edge of Ellsworth. The Midland RR had a 6 stall roundhouse up North of Hwy 40 and one day it caught on fire and they lost 4 stalls and then some time after that the other 2 were torn down. Also up North of the roundhouse was a big hole in the ground as it was a water well. I would guess they got water out of it some how for the steam engines. I was around 30 across as I remember it as I had to fill it up with dirt. I was running a dozer for a const company here at the time and filled it up.
Cashco, a valve making company to the East of the line that ran up to the well area, took over the building after the first company folded up. They built trailer houses and wanted a RR dock built for them so they could receive RR cars of I-Beams. They received one car and that was it. While doing the dirt work for the trailer house site, I found a RR spike that I believe came from the Midland RR track. I put it in our local depot museum here in town.  upkpfan

Mark, you're right on the depot locations.  Sad thing is Frederick consists of a concrete elevator and maybe one or two residences nowadays and although it's still classed as a city, nobody wants to operate it.  Voting is strange there.  This linnk should tell more and show some pics.  http://www.kansasagland.com/news/stateagnews/tiny-frederick-kansas-had-people-vote-who-weren-t-registered/article_97df5b81-1a64-5813-bc42-6540289b5133.html 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/10/17 19:02 by rrman6.

I appreciate both of the responses.  I was surprised to see that the town had moved south and also west from it's original site.  They said it was due to the RR missing them when they moved.  I presume that was the MP.  I also found it interesting to getmore info on the tracks for the Frisco in Ellsworth.  I knew that it went there but hadn't seen where since I expected the tracks to come in from the south east instead of the south west.  It is curious that even at this date there is a lot of photo evidence from Google Maps about where the tracks had traversed.  However, I couldn't find any sign of the well or roundhouse on the current map.  That area must have redeveloped.  

The spur is still visible just west of Cashco, rails and all, atleast 150ft or so of it. I would love to see a surveyers map of the town when the Frisco was there and all trackage that was there in town.

I have found some Sanborn maps for Ellsworth but none show any rails other then the UP. If you find any please share as I am interested also.

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The roundhouse was several hundred more feet North of the dock at Cashco and the well was about a 1/2 mile farther North yet from Old 40 Hwy. This was in the early 1900 when Midland RR had it. upkpfan

You can see the rails on Google maps, they are inside the fence of Cashco just above Old Rte 40 curving slightly northeast. About 150 feet of them!
Gonut