Steam & Excursion > "Headin' Home" with 8444 -- a series 8 of 10

We had tied up overnight at the fabulous Texas & Pacific station in Fort Worth and after leaving railfan Mecca Tower 55 behind the next morning headed north through Denton, Whitesboro and Denison, TX to cross the Red River into Oklahoma, more new territory for 8444. Local newspapers quoted historians en route to our next overnight stop in Muskogee that we were in former territory of the Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf Railroad that had been acquired by Missouri Pacific. The KO&G ended passenger service with "doodlebug" motor cars. The 8444 and its "luxury" train was a sensation.



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/19/18 06:08 by Copy19.

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Thanks for the continued trip coverage John.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Beautiful photo and great memories John. I went to Muskogee that evening to see the train and was in the cab when it was decided a backup move was necessary to position the train for the night---fireman (Lynn?) told me to stay right there and enjoy. That became my first cab ride on a steam engine and first ride on the 8444. That UP train and the UP people put on a wonderful experience through Oklahoma that evening and the next day.
Brian Stevens

Just before Denton, we watched you barrel through Argyle, Tex.

Brian,
Lynn and I were not on the crew at that time. It would have been one of the firemen out of the mechanical department.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

A little off topic from steam, but on topic for the KO&G, not a fast railroad.
Jim Gessner came over to the MP from Southern Railway as VPO.
One day soon after he asked Newell Derryberry (GST) if KCFW was our fastest train from Kansas City to Fort Worth on its 24 hour schedule.
Derryberry replied, "Mr Gessner, that is our only train".

This is the kind of feed back I was hoping for.

Ooh boy that location.

Encountered a water moccasin in those briar patches, summer of 1985. Dumb move, the briars were so high you couldn’t shoot anyway.