Nostalgia & History > Toto Tuesday: Chanute 31 years ago

At one time in Santa Fe/Kansas history the town of Chanute was the “Southern Kansas Division” headquarters. Even though through a streamlining of operating divisions the SK Division was absorbed into the Eastern Division, Chanute remained a very key Santa Fe terminal. A small battalion of local trains still called Chanute home base, and ran in all 4 directions. Right up until Amtrak start-up Chanute was a major passenger stop for Santa Fe passenger trains #211/212, the “Tulsan”.

But for some inexplicable & highly inexcusable reason THIS railfan almost totally ignored Chanute, KS during the late 1970s & 1980s. I could easily have recorded action in and around Chanute numerous times within that time period. Now matter which route one takes, driving time between Emporia & Chanute is way less than 2 hours. And I have but a tiny handful slides taken in Chanute only because I happened to be on late afternoon/early evening pass through the area. I was merely on my way home to Emporia from “somewhere else”. A very shameful omission on my part.

Enter Mr Tim Colbert! Due to the the magic of TO.com membership I have come to know Tim through some PM communication. And through my belated first-ever attendance at Summerail in Marion, OH I was able to meet Tim in person at his vendor’s booth. In the many high quality Kodachrome originals I was able to purchase from him were these 3 roster shots taken in Chanute in 1986:

1. AT&SF 3612, an old GP39-2 friend I shot a few times around both the Eastern & Middle Divisions.

2. AT&SF 2750, a rebuilt GP30 in the infamous “Oops, we jumped the gun” Kodachrome paint scheme.

3. AT&SF 3002, another old re-numbered GP20 friend I once spent a week with on a work train up in Superior, NE.
(3 photos taken by Tim Colbert on November 28, 1986)

Thank you Tim, for sampling Chanute for me!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/22 20:56 by santafe199.

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Nice rosters. A generation when many different models could be found, and usually being used for specific applications and service. Chanute was always an active hub for being what seemed to be the south end--stopped by there many times when traveling to Pittsburg for school.
Brian Stevens

So Brian you must be a Gorilla

Handsome set of diesels!

Cheers, Jim

I think your 3612 has lived in Oregon longer than it traveled your Eastern and Middle divisions.

Lance

Would love to see more from Chanute and the branches. Hope you can post more.

Jeff
Olathe

sfn2633 Wrote: > ...  more from Chanute and the branches ...
 I would love to go back in time and correct this gaping hole in my collection, but...
(read my second paragraph... ;^)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/17 12:28 by santafe199.

My Chanute story: Dad and his KBI partner, John DeLong, were driving the Governor back to Topeka from a dinner in Chanute in February, 195_?_. US 75 was a sheet of ice somewhere north of Yates Center. John was going around 70 mph when the Governor leaned forward and said: "John, it looks a little icy tonight". At that point John tapped on the brakes, the car spun around 720 degrees and then continued northward. John replied: "Yes sir it sure is". There wasn't any conversation the remainder of the trip to Topeka. ;>)

BB

bmarti7 Wrote: > ... the car spun around 720 degrees and then continued northward ...

Great anecdote!! I remember chasing Kansas Governor John Carlin's inauguration special (AMTK 500 + 5 or 6 cars). John Arbuckle & I were riding with Dave Franz in his '78 Bronco. We were headed out to Merrick to shoot it leaving town (Emporia). We were southbound near the old SFe Truck Terminal on the west side of town. Dave gingerly applied his brakes for an upcoming T intersection. He immediately lost control and started sliding on the ice. We did a perfect left-handed "270", ending up pointed west (to the right) in the very lane we needed to go west in.

true story...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/17 12:38 by santafe199.