Nostalgia & History > Sheridan Lake CO MoPac depot, 1976.

I'm sure this depot is long gone also. Sheridan Lake is located on the Colorado Plains about 150 miles east of Pueblo, now on the Towner line if the rails are still there.

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Brings back memories of when I was working on the MOP. The two-way radio antenna on the pole structure in the back ground was installed in the 1950's. I worked in the radio department for the MOP and was good friends with several of the maintainers who build that structure and put the first radio gear in there. They used to tell stories of the wild times going from town to town on the gang that was installing all that stuff. They were a wild bunch but they were some real good people......a lot of them are gone but not forgotten.

All across that subdivision about every 30 miles were these little depots with operators just like in this photo. There was wirelines along the track all the way from Kansas City to Publeo with 45 carrier terminals that provided dispatcher voice message lines, message lines, and some telephone tie lines. I remember when I first worked for the MOP. I was a summer brakeman in 1971. I would listen to the Dispatcher giving out train orders....."Council Grove, Osage City, Ottawa....Copy 5!" I can still hear them on the radio too. "MP Council Grove to the Extra 3011 East for location!" We didn't have all this fancy ATC stuff and GPS locations stuff.....

That reminds me of a story. It seems that the President of the MOP was on a special train inspecting the system. Budgets were tight but when ever the top guy was out on an inspection, everything got a fresh coat of paint. But since money was tight, the Superintendents were told to paint only the sides of buildings that faced the railroad tracks that Jenks would see from his business car.

That was great fun. Thanks for sharing the photo. I'll dig around and see if I can find my pictures of the depots too.

Rick

The rails are still there - for the time being. Since V&S bought this line, I would not assume they will stay very long. I intend to get my pictures in March.