Nostalgia & History > 'River risen......Train a-comin !'

A friend with a large collection of old photos shared this one with me.

The floodwater is shown flowing over the rails.....and the folks are waiting to see
if the old local train is stalled or slowly moving southward.

A few folks in Valley Center, KS are shown waiting on the 'high and dry' platform
near the old Union Station serving ATSF and Frisco.....probably in the 1880s.

The photograph apparently took in a scene along the ATSF line from Newton, KS to Wichita and south......



Vince in Valley Center

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Looks like the guy in the foreground has a new pair of rubber boots to celebrate the occasion. Great photo!

EO

The Little Arkansas river wasn't so little that day!

What a gem of an image! Steeped in history with lots of things to contemplate. It looks like the gentleman in front with the parcel is well off enough to afford eye glasses. Maybe he is about to visit someone in the big city (Wichita) just down the line. What is that other gentleman looking for inside his hat? Or is he just camera-shy... Are any of the prospective passengers thinking about the possible peril of riding over submerged track? Or is RR technology still so new it doesn't concern anybody? Cool picture! Thanks for posting it, Vince!

Lance/199

PS:  That Santa Fe main line sure looks different than when I was riding through there in the 70s & 80s... ;^)

Wasn't the man ready to go to Newton? wag216

wag216 Wrote: > ...  Wasn't the man ready to go to Newton?

I took a long look at Google Maps. It shows the current business district is on the east side of the main line, which I assume matches the position of the few buildings that have sprung up in the background of the 1880s image. I'm also looking at the sun angle which would seem to suggest a mid-morning shot, making the train southbound (timetable west). And with the Arkansas River flowing on the west side of Valley Center, that would seem to be compatible with the direction the water is washing over the track.

Lance