Nostalgia & History > Fallen Flag memories at Herington

On a gorgeous Saturday in January of 1986 I enjoyed a fruitful photographic outing in the Herington, KS area with a cadre of a half-dozen semi-local Kansas railfans. It was a day full of “fallen flag” memories. Herington is the ex-Rock Island crew change terminal where their line down to Oklahoma & Texas diverted from their main Golden State Route. It was also where the ex-Mop’s KC ~ Pueblo Colorado Eagle main line crossed through.

With multiple vehicles and access to line-ups for both lines the bunch of us covered a lot of territory in & around Herington, and managed to catch all trains. As the gang was breaking up that afternoon I hung around and shot this typical SSW intermodal train. I had to take the approach shot at a heavily back-lit angle, but I’m glad I did. It’s one of the few times I ever got a train with the ex-Rock Island yard office in the shot.

In 1982 the Missouri Pacific would disappear into a merger with the UP. In 1989 the D&RGW would be swallowed up by the UP. Their old trackage rights over the ex-Mop main would morph out of recognition. And in 1996 the SP itself would dissolve into the yellow/gray cauldron taking the SSW with it, of course. The entire ex-Mop main line would be torn out and virtually all of the ex-Rock Island architecture in Herington would be razed. Fallen flags everywhere…

1. Cotton Belt parent specimen SP 8541 leads an eastbound hotshot coming from the southwest into Herington, KS off the former GSR. Still standing is the old Rock Island yard office is at the left, and this train is about to pound the crossing diamond with the ex-Mop (now UP) main line to Pueblo. The head end will stop at the newly installed main line fuel rack which is just behind my vantage point.

2. The 8541’s 4 unit consist pauses for a drink, leaving its train intact. The apparent practice was to spot at the fuel rack blocking the old Mop crossing. By 1986 a considerable amount of the Rio Grande’s Pueblo ~ KC trackage rights traffic was skating around the connection track to run over the Cotton Belt anyhow. In 1989 the Rio Grande would succumb to Uncle Pete’s voracious merger appetite.

3. SP caboose 4634(?) tags along behind as the train leaves for Kansas City via Topeka. A local SSW switch engine is sitting on the left.
(3 photos take January 18, 1986)

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/19 08:00 by santafe199.

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Nice ones Lance. 
Herington looks like a very interesting railroad town - no matter the era.
Gary
 

Not quite the same anymore.....sigh.

Out

Nice trio Lance.  Looks like the crew change has just occured.  A shot not often seen is the refueling process.  Last but certainly not least, the best looking car in the consist.  I sure miss those days, thanks for the look back.

Kent in CArmel Valley

callum_out Wrote: > ... Not quite the same ...

Not even close! Whenever I try to shoot around Herington I feel like I'm trying to storm a fortress.

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SW of town @ 1510, just having shot a 7 car passenger special headed toward Pratt, KS (go get 'em, gang!)



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 02/09/19 13:10 by santafe199.

Lance,

The Rio Grande didn't disappear into the UP in 89.  It bought the Espee in 88 and sort of gradually disappeared into the SP until the UP got the SP in 96.  Though as time went one it was disappearing faster into the SP.

GLC Wrote: > ... Rio Grande didn't disappear into the UP in 89. It bought the Espee in 88 and sort of ..........
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Yeahhhh...... I knew the intertwining history was more complicated. But the chronology is totally useless to the theme of my thread, which is about the "fallen flags" that are now gone from Herington. Besides, I went with the engine numbers Uncle Pete put on his heritage units...

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