Nostalgia & History > WAG Wednesday: Portland Rose in my heart!

Every now & then we will run across a photograph that cuts deeply, speaking to the very core of our railfan hearts. It’s usually an image of our #1 favorite railroad! Or not… Although I am and always will be a Santa Fe fan, I did grow up in a Union Pacific (& Rock Island town). My first-ever up close & personal exposures to any passenger trains was with our family putting Grandma on early morning trains down at the Manhattan, KS Union Pacific depot. The first time was probably as a Kindergartener circa 1960. And as a young grade school kid I clearly remember seeing Uncle Pete’s long yellow trains roll through Manhattan in those early 1960s. My very first passenger train ride was with my father as a chaperone in ’63 or ‘64 on the westbound Portland Rose over to Abilene, KS. The very same Portland Rose in Bill Gibson’s slide image seen below.

Back in 1979 Bill graciously let me start picking through his amazing slide collection. As that Santa Fe fan I was on the hunt for those irresistible Red & Silver paint jobs, of which I knew he had several dozen examples in his collection. But this particular Union Pacific slide was in the first group of Bill’s slides I ever browsed through. And it cut straight to the heart of my childhood railfan memories. Bill was about to trust me to leave his house with the first group of 20 Santa Fe slides to send off to Kodak for duplication. That was quite an honor & responsibility. But I had to “bump” a Santa Fe slide to make room for this one. Quite a stretch for someone who bleeds Red & Silver. But I think you’ll understand when you see all there is to see in Bill’s slide image below:

1. UP 948 leads train #17, the “Portland Rose” into the station stop at Salina, KS on September 15, 1957. The Plainville Branch motor car train #533 is sitting at the left.
Photo by William A. Gibson (WAG) Sr.

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels (santafe199)
Art Gibson (wag216)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/22 21:39 by santafe199.

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Great shot!  Old UP Salina based engine crews worked Salina-Junction City-Ellis-Salina, KS. KC based train crews worked Kansas-Ellis-Kansas City.

RodneyZona Wrote: > ... Old UP Salina based engine crews ...

That was RECORD time, Rodney! Only 12 minutes. I just barely got done with the final proof-reading. You must be hiding out in my closet...

;^)

That's a real Gibson classic ! Train time at Salina !

This is one of my favorite images.  Thanks for sharing.  I know a guy who grew up in Chapman and the High School is right next to the KP tracks.  Every day during 3rd Period English, the Portland Rose would "blow" through Chapman and the teacher would just go silent, even in the middle of a sentence, until the storm had passed. 

Bob Helling
PRose



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/15/17 09:07 by PRose.

Awesome, a branch line RPO. Paid for the train even if no passengers.

Best regards,

Rob L.

What a neat shot of #17. This was taken a couple of months before I was born. My first train ride was with my kindergarten class in May of 1964, from Hays to Ellis. My old UP timetables are stored away, but it looks like the Portland Rose could of been the first train ride I had. Thanks Lance for posting this.
Glenn

Oh to be able to ride this train again. And stand on the platform at Salina to watch the trains. Many, many hours.

This slide has to rank as one of the BEST I've seen. 
Thanks for sharing it ! --Kelly

Amen...