Nostalgia & History > WAG Wednesday: Mail call at Hutch

On May Day in 1966 Bill Gibson found himself in an almost perfect spot for shooting Santa Fe mail trains in Hutchinson, KS. Even thought it was a bit of a back-lit high sun Bill managed to get a great shot of both counterparts of the famous “Fast Mail”: Trains #7 & #8 met right in front of his intrepid camera loaded with Kodachrome slide film! For fans of Uncle John’s business arrangement with Uncle Sam to haul the mail, it just doesn’t get much better than this…

1. AT&SF 39C leads train #7, the westbound Fast Mail onto the “Kinsley Cut-off” at CH Jct in downtown Hutchinson, KS.

2. AT&SF express box 4134 is toward the rear end in #7's consist.

3. AT&SF 47C leads counterpart train #8, the eastbound Fast Mail just coming off the Kinsley Cut-off.
Three photos taken May 1, 1966 by William A. Gibson (WAG) Sr.

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



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 10/20/22 21:05 by santafe199.

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To think that all this would end in another year or so. Sad!

Nice shots! Old Santa Fe T&E crews, based in Newton, KS worked to and from Dodge City, KS.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/17 08:16 by RodneyZona.

cabman Wrote:
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> To think that all this would end in another year
> or so. Sad!

In fact, the 50th Anniversary of the end of RPO Service on Santa Fe and other roads will be coming up in another month.

Thanks for sharing guys! In all the years I got to see No. 8 at Newton it always had the rider coach on the rear. Seeing two coaches on the rear of No. 7 is interesting.

BB

bmarti7 Wrote:
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> Thanks for sharing guys! In all the years I got to
> see No. 8 at Newton it always had the rider coach
> on the rear. Seeing two coaches on the rear of No.
> 7 is interesting.
>
> BB

It looks like there is also a heavyweight coach or sleeper 5th from rear on the same train.

santafe199 Wrote:
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> On May Day in 1966 Bill Gibson found himself in an
> almost perfect spot for shooting Santa Fe mail
> trains in Hutchinson, KS. Even thought it was a
> bit of a back-lit high sun Bill managed to get a
> great shot of both counterparts of the famous
> “Fast Mail”: Trains #7 & #8 met right in front
> of his intrepid camera loaded with Kodachrome
> slide film! For fans of Uncle John’s business
> arrangement with Uncle Sam to haul the mail, it
> just doesn’t get much better than this…
>
> 1. AT&SF 39C leads train #7, the westbound Fast
> Mail onto the “Kinsley Cut-off” at CH Jct in
> downtown Hutchinson, KS.
>
> 2. AT&SF express box 4134 is 3rd out in #7's
> consist.
>
> 3. AT&SF 47C leads counterpart train #8, the
> eastbound Fast Mail just coming off the Kinsley
> Cut-off.
> Three photos taken May 1, 1966 by William A.
> Gibson (WAG) Sr.
>
> Thanks for looking back!
> Lance Garrels (santafe199)
> Art Gibson (wag216)

Lance,
I cannot tell you how grateful I am for you showing these pictures.
I LOVE passenger trains.And the ATSF had some of the best.Don't stop.
BTW 4134 is on the rear just ahead of the LW cars.

Uncle Joe
Seffner,Fl.

retcsxcfm Wrote: > ...  BTW 4134 is on the rear just ahead of the LW cars ...

Bill would be very pleased to hear how much you enjoy his photography!
About the 4134: I went back and looked closer at the image and the cars it is between. And I believe you are correct. I'll amend my caption...

Lance

bmarti7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for sharing guys! In all the years I got to
> see No. 8 at Newton it always had the rider coach
> on the rear. Seeing two coaches on the rear of No.
> 7 is interesting.
>
> BB

Agreed. And the fact that they're lightweight is also unusual.

Thanks for posting, Lance.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

Cool stuff, getting to see mail trains that died just before I got started as a railfan. (I actually mailed a postcard to my late stamp-collecting aunt that got a cancellation on board the last RPO on the northeast corridor. But I never got to see the train run.)

Thanks for posting.

Love the variety in M&E trains. Thanks for posting these gems. Surprised no PRR or MP cars showing. One lonely REA towards the rear.

Beautiful images.
Bob

Lance:

What's the name of this Board again? Oh, yeah, your post is why it's named what it is ... thanks for these!

valmont Wrote: > ...  the name of this Board ...

Speaking of Nostalgia: Had I been able to witness ANY PART of my beloved Santa Fe's legendary passenger era I'm quite sure the Fast Mail would have been my favorite train. Sigh.........

santafe199 Wrote:

> Speaking of Nostalgia: Had I been able to witness
> ANY PART of my beloved Santa Fe's
> legendary passenger era I'm quite sure the Fast
> Mail would have been my favorite train.
> Sigh.........

My dad rode #8 once on a pass between Newton and KC. I think he said the rider coach had wicker seats (no cushions) and commented that the hogger really "whipped" it around the curves. I don't think that passenger comfort was a high priority on these trains.

BB



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/20/17 13:33 by bmarti7.

bmarti7 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Thanks for sharing guys! In all the years I got to
> see No. 8 at Newton it always had the rider coach
> on the rear. Seeing two coaches on the rear of No.
> 7 is interesting.
>
> BB

West of Gallup, the rider coach was in the middle of the train and the combine which came off/on number 3 and 4 brought up the rear. Alcos (PAs) in this pool ran through from LA on the Southern trains and the F's ran on 7 and 8 Gallup to Argentine.

Great stuff. The perfect location indeed! And I don't think I have ever seen that Santa Fe black-and-orange boxcar color scheme before. Like it.

You and WAG serve us well with these, Lance. Thanks!

MC
Muskegon, Michigan.

I've wanted to see Kodachrome slides of the Fast Mail for a long time.
These images are tops ! Thanks for posting them. --Kelly

Bill outdid himself in these excellent shots!
Gary

BarstowRiff Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> bmarti7 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > Thanks for sharing guys! In all the years I got
> to
> > see No. 8 at Newton it always had the rider
> coach
> > on the rear. Seeing two coaches on the rear of
> No.
> > 7 is interesting.
> >
> > BB
>
> West of Gallup, the rider coach was in the middle
> of the train and the combine which came off/on
> number 3 and 4 brought up the rear. Alcos (PAs) in
> this pool ran through from LA on the Southern
> trains and the F's ran on 7 and 8 Gallup to
> Argenti
SP would also place a rider coach in the center of 21&22 (Overland Mail) in order to better facilitate passenger boarding. It also carried a rider car at the end for crew use only. It could be a very long train, like 7&8.