Nostalgia & History > The Fading Past

Our minds fade over the years and we forget a lot of those good times.But from time to time
something will bring back memories,even something as a faded photograph.Such as I post here.
I have been to Kansas City,but not at the time shown in these photographs.But for some,I hope
these faded photographs will bring remerence to them.
I have no information as to photographer or date.Color correction to those who desire is approved.
I have a few more of these faded (color shifted) slides.
I have three more to post after these.

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

---

---

---

These great vintage photos are always appreciated by these old eyes.  AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA

Hi Uncle Joe! Thanks for posting these great images! That first one is especially fun if you blow up the right half and look at the stuff under the roof.

Here are a set of color-corrected (well, more lik ecolor-changed) copies of your images. I'm sure none of them are 'right", but I think they are kinda pretty anyway.
 

---

---

---

So hard to believe all this variety existed a mere 50-60 years ago - what images!!  From the classic terminal, concourse and Bush train sheds to the immaculate maze of terminal tracks, the stacks of spare parts and equipment to service the trains, and of course the trains themselves - such details for the eyes to feast upon!!  All this even though these images were most likely taken well into the decline of passenger rail (my SWAG would be late 50s-early 60s).  KCUT was truly an awesome place to be during those times.

Thank you so much for posting!

Fantastic views!  Thank you  for sharing!

​There is so much activity to focus on in these views!  Kansas City Union Station has always been a great destination for railfans.

Fantastic!  I don't think I have seen very many pictures, if any, of KC Union Station that had this amount of activity in one scene.  Thanks much for posting (and also for the color correction)!

I'll take a stab at  which trains are which. KCS train is the inbound  #16  Flying Crow due in at  7:20  A.M. Rock Island train looks to be either the inbound  Kansas City  Rocket #509 due at  7:45 A.M. or No. 39 The  Imperial due at  7:50  A.M. The  Frisco train is the No.107 Sunnyland  due out at 8:05 A.M. UP train looks to be the inbound #10 City of  St.Louis  at 7:05 A.M.  Mop train looks to be #12 the  Colorado Eagle still coming from the west over the Frisco into KC  due in at 7:15 A.M. The  two Santa Fe trains look to be the San Francisco  Chief due in  6:30 A.M. on the far left track next to the Colorado Eagle, and the other looks to be #124  The  Grand  Canyon due in 6:35 A.M. All this looks to be pre 1960. Corrections are welcome.

A WAG as to the dates,would be the paint schemes.
All look to be original. IE as delivered.

UJ

The Rock Island units are in the first simplified scheme which was around in approximately the 1953-57 timeframe.  Using a 1956 Official Guide, I would guess that the eastbound Santa Fe trains are No. 20, The Chief and No. 124, Grand Canyon.  I agree with the guesses for the other trains.  Fantastic finds.  Lots of nostalgia!

Wonderful photos of a family icon!  My grandfather worked the trains at KC Union Station from 1923 to 1959 and I have some wonderful memories there! I love the one showing the MP PA's, UP E-units, etc. Thanks so much for sharing these!

ShastaDaylight

I remember standing on the Broadway Bridge (west side of station), the Grand Street Bridge and Main Street bridge on the eastside for hours as a young person.  The busy tractors and wagons hauling mail and express along with baggage was non-stop.  I was amazed at the strings of wagons, at least 10 wagons long at times, did not get hit by a loco or train move!  Well orchestrated.  I am sure it must have happened, but I never saw a hit or spill.  A credit to the hundreds of KCT mail, baggage and express handlers, not to mention senior Conductors and Engineers!