Western Railroad Discussion > The Streets of Emporia

Emporia has special meaning to me as well. My father was one of the original KBI (Kansas Bureau of Investigation) agents. His partner was John DeLong. The DeLong family was well know in Emporia and Lyon County. We would go visit the DeLongs several times per year and always on the days of the Greater Prairie Chicken hunting season (2nd weekend in November when I was growing up). Emporia is another Kansas town started by the Santa Fe Railroad. One of TO's frequent contributors, santafe199, used to be based there and knows the area far better than I do, I'm sure.

My visit Emporia on this trip was to use it as a base to explore the Flint Hills. However the frequency of trains in the city kept me glued to the streets of Emporia for hours. There are only two underpasses under the BNSF 3 main tracks. None of the grade crossings are "quiet zones". So you can hear the trains coming with multiple trains simultaneously at times. The normal running was eastbound on track one, and west bounds on tracks 2 and 3. However there were exceptions. I do have a few symbols but mostly just fun train watching just coming and going and coming and going........have to take a potty break on 6th Ave....hear another whistle...missed one or two. (happened more than once). Here's about half of what I shot:

BB

1. Approaching Emporia from Newton I spotted a headlight where the old and new US 50's split. I caught the BNSF 8720 west with a Z train between Merrick and Ellinor, shining in the late afternoon sun
2. Now in town, the 6306 east switching on track 3
3. Here comes the 7173 west with a Q train
many more.....

---

---

---

4. 3-in-1 shot: eb number unknown on track 1, 7173 on track 2 & the 6306, now in reverse,on track 3
5. 7197 west clearing NR Jc on track 2
6. 8286 east on track 1
more...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/19 16:56 by bmarti7.

---

---

---

7. 7493 east on track 1 (last of this day)
8. After a tour of the Flint Hills, I returned to the streets of Emporia to catch the 7353 east leading  the VALTKCK, approaching NR Jct on track 3
9. 7416 east with the SLHGLPC on track 2
more...

---

---

---

10. 736 warbonnet on the SLHGLPC
11. Same train going through NR Jct plant
12. 7224 east with the HCDTGAL with an ethanol plant in the background
more...

---

---

---

13. Emporia honors its hometown veterans - these banners are displayed throughout the downtown area
14. 7578 east on track 3
15. yellowbonnet 1773 is the 3rd unit on this train
more...

---

---

---

16. 6399 east, just when I've decided to re-position
17. 7249 east - grab shot at crossing (attempting to get to the other side before the lights came on)
18. 4168 west leading the VFTMPEA
2 more.....

---

---

---

19. 4158 east passes the 4168 west with a baretable train (8-axle, windmill cars)
20. 4114 west with 799 trailing on track 2
time for supper at Freddy's.....long day tomorrow

---

---

Emporia is a neat place.  i spent a couple of nights next to the station in the early seventies and a night next to the yard office in the late 1980s.
Dick Eisfeller

Awesome coverage.  Plenty of train action there..  Looking forward to future installments of your trip..

PWM

Excellent series of images Bill
Looks like you had a great time!

Posted from iPhone

Thanks Bill for the nice tour of Emporia. Been through there several times years ago in my travels. Did some of those crossings in Emporia have wigwags in your young days?

Larry

I always loved working west out of Emporia, and got out with Lance several times. In '88, they shut it down as a crew change point, and moved us to Kansas City, to work west through Emporia to our same away terminals. And, in the 90's, I worked with an east end conductor named John Delong, maybe a relative of the ones you knew.

Posted from Android

Nice catches.  Neat that you could find so much going on this day right in town.
Brian Stevens