Steam & Excursion > T&P 610 arriving at Houston Union Station

Feb 1976
610 is headed to Union Station.
It arrived in town with the Freedom Train but had left the cars and will enter the station light.
Later, Missouri Pacific and Houston Belt & Terminal Bicentennial units will switch the cars into the station.
The station is off to the left.

 

---

---

Coming off the main, 610 is on the tight radius of station trackage.
The double searchlight signal was still there - but not for long.
Very slow running and plenty of grease on the rails worked successfully.
610 might have been the heaviest steam loco to ever enter the station.

 

---

---

---

.

---

A look after the Freedom Train consist was switched in.
Houston Astros Minute Maid park occupies the station track area today (the station building is still there).
That and the rest of the area is unrecognizable today compared to these images.

Gary

 



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/31/24 05:49 by gcm.

---

First-rate set of photos.
Bob

I received a phone call from a gentleman who introduced himself as Amon Carter ( IIRC ) and said that he owned the Houston newspaper and was considering helping raise the funding to restore the 610 so that for at least part of the 48 state journey the train would be properly " Texas Powered". I told him that if would get the 610 restored by Feb. 1, 1976 we would have it pull the AFT in Texas at least.

    Now you know the back story.  Thanks, Ross Rowland 

Nice photos and fond memories. The guys hanging around the flat car ramp in the last pic are the train operations crew I worked with. I see Doc, Jim, Scott, and Tony for sure. I can’t positively ID the other two. I’m not in the photo, probably because the ramps are already assembled and the first wagons are already off the flats. Usually, once we’d finished the ramp I was off to other tasks like setting up the fire escape ladders on the display cars. If it was a mid day arrival, like this one, we’d be under pressure to get the train open to the public ASAP. Houston was a fairly easy site- flat dry ground and no serious obstacles like trenches or whatever. So we could complete things in maybe 3-4hrs. Hard work, but every day was an adventure!
SR

Ross ,  Carter owned the Ft Worth Star telegram, not a Houston paper.  He also owned radio WBAP 820 AM  and WBAP TV channel 5.  All were sold shortly before and after  his untimely death.  His  Foundation which  helped fund 610 wanted nothing to do with 610 after his death and ultimately  led the engine to be given to the Texas State Railroad. 

gcm Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Coming off the main, 610 is on the tight radius of
> station trackage.
> The double searchlight signal was still there -
> but not for long.
> Very slow running and plenty of grease on the
> rails worked successfully.
> 610 might have been the heaviest steam loco to
> ever enter the station.
>
>  

I was there that day, a 12 year old kid staring in awe of the locomotive I had seen earlier that day in Navasota. I think the heaviest steam locomotive to get into Union Station on a regular basis were the 3400 Class Pacifics of the SAnta Fe.

Even the HB&T celebrated the T&P 610.

 

---

Thanks for the cover shot !
Gary