Nostalgia & History > WAG running extra (#65): with Shelby Campbell sittin' in

Art Gibson gave me a call the other day and asked if I would be interested in a Rock Island steam photo at Zeandale, KS. Let’s see now… the Rock was my Grandfather’s career employer. The Rock ran through my hometown of Manhattan and Zeandale is a mere 8 miles away to the east. And the Rock Island was my first subject when I converted to 35mm photography in 1976. Hmmm………

Nahhh, Art… Geez, I gotta go paint the shed. Then I have to watch and make sure the paint dries. Then I gotta go scrub the shower curtains and do some other spring cleaning I didn’t do last spring. The oil needs changing in the rig, and I have to pay a few bills. And I’m way behind trying to catch up on correspondence. I dunno, Art… is that all ya got to offer???

Of course paragraph #2 just above is total bull$#!+! I just typed it up to see if anyone was paying attention… SURE, I’d love to see the photo in question! Steam?!! Home turf?!! Rock Island?!!! I’m having trouble keeping my britches dry. Then Art threw me a curveball. He said: “Just keep the print, it’s yours!” Dang, the dam just burst…

1. CRI&P 4-8-4 #5105 rolls west near Zeandale, KS in the 1950s (best guess). Even with no landmarks other than the pole line in the shot, I am 100% trusting the info scribbled on the back of this priceless 8 x 10. I have slides of a Rock Island meet at Zeandale in 1977, with the pole line running on the north side of the tracks (main + siding). That would make this train a westbound. Considering the lay of the land and the long tangent track shown here I would say this train is just west of Zeandale. But that’s a 60-40 proposition, at best.
(Photo by the late Mr Shelby Campbell, from the Art Gibson collection)

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/15/22 03:36 by santafe199.

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Cool photo. It appears that the 5105 has been plowing grasshoppers, etc looking at that protection shield on the pilot.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY

Your caption makes this even better!
Bob

Rock's big stuff was good looking.