Nostalgia & History > Toto Tuesday: The End pt. 1 (of many parts)

I have recently begun a complete scan of my caboose collection, so for this week’s Toto Tuesday I’m putting the cart before the horse, as it were. This shot was taken at NR Jct. in Emporia, KS where the current transcon from Kansas City (we called it the “Ottawa Cutoff” in those days) is rejoined by the passenger main from Holliday through Lawrence & Topeka. The configuration of the NR plant has changed drastically from when this shot was taken. The 3rd main between NR & the Wiggam crossover plant a few miles east has been taken up, and with no more need for code & communication lines the RR has allowed trees & other vegetation to encroach upon the right of way, creating a sort of tunnel of green during the spring & summer months. The shots from the various street crossings are tighter but greener. As ever, there are many trains to be observed & photographed in a given day. But, alas, there are no more “little red cabooses”


1. AT&SF 999145 on a westbound manifest passing through NR Jct. in Emporia, KS on November 1, 1979.

Thanks for looking!
Lance Garrels
Santafe199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 05/02/22 13:03 by santafe199.

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Love these shots from back when railroading was railroading and appreciate that Santa Fe made great efforts to get a "low" car ahead of the caboose.
JB

Nice one, Lance!

MKT Parsons Junction City line crossed just behind the caboose three or four car lenghts. NR JCT Tower stood just south of the main and the MKT line was just east of the tower. I remember in the early 70's you could still see where the towers foundation was and there were still ties left from the MKT line. Also, the Howard District left about five cars or so west of where the caboose is. Time has a way of erasing everything.

Very nice, Lance. You couldn't have ordered a better sky, or did you? You've combined all the elements of a great photograph and came up with a winner!

Some RR's had the low car rule in the Union contract. On the Katy, they required 3 low cars ahead of the caboose, but let you get away with one.

mopacrr Wrote:
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> Also, the Howard District left about five cars or so west of where the caboose is.


Right then. The old roadbed remnants I thought are MKT are ATSF. I'm learning more about Emporia all the time.

switchlock Wrote:
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> mopacrr Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Also, the Howard District left about five cars
> or so west of where the caboose is.
>
>
> Right then. The old roadbed remnants I thought
> are MKT are ATSF. I'm learning more about Emporia
> all the time.


This might help.
http://www.davidrumsey.com/luna/servlet/detail/RUMSEY~8~1~23548~830028:Map-of-Emporia,-Kansas---L-H--Evert?sort=Pub_List_No_InitialSort%2CPub_Date%2CPub_List_No%2CSeries_No&qvq=q:emporia,+kansas;sort:Pub_List_No_InitialSort,Pub_Date,Pub_List_No,Series_No;lc:RUMSEY~8~1&mi=4&trs=5

Thanks! I used that to verify what I was able to trace from Google maps.

That's just as good and probably better than any head shot Lance. The tank ahead of the caboose is appreciated. The yard jobs in Salina were always good about that when building trains on the UP. Cabooses (waycars) and rear-end crews has got to be one of the items missed most nowadays.
Brian Stevens