Nostalgia & History > Toto Tuesday: Looking up the Topeka & Northwestern

The train below is running eastbound on the “KP”, coming into Menoken and a junction with the former Topeka & Northwestern. The T&NW was a vital rail link built in the 1900s for the UP between its old Kansas Pacific main line on the west side of Topeka and the St Joseph & Grand Island at Upland Jct, a few miles SE of Marysville, KS. The T&NW combined with the already existing StJ&GI from Marysville up to Hastings, NE, thence straight north to Grand Island. Not long afterward a straight shot “Gibbon Cut-off” between Hastings & Gibbon on the original Nebraska main line was completed. Now Uncle Pete had a direct main line from important eastern connections in Kansas City up to North Platte which was destined to become the most important classification yard on the entire UP system.

This photo would normally be on the Western forum, but because of the historic background in my 1st paragraph I took the liberty of posting it here on Nostalgia. It was a pure “stop-for-a-few-seconds-roll-the-window-down” opportunity grab shot from the EB lane of US hwy 24. I was on my way into Kansas City for the regular Roundtable Dinner with the boys. Until I got this image downloaded and up on the monitor I didn’t realize I had so clearly captured the main line to Marysville curving away like this. Now I have another shooting project on my list: Get a well-lit meet shot of 2 trains, one on each main line. Or at least have fun trying…

1. UP 6390 on an EB train at Menoken (Topeka), KS on May 2, 2019.

Thinking back in time!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

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Somewhere in my collection of weird stuff, I have a wax sealer from the T&NW at Delia, Kans. Wonder if anyone has a photo of the depot ?

Posted from Android

LocoPilot750 Wrote:

> Somewhere in my collection of weird stuff, I have
> a wax sealer from the T&NW at Delia, Kans. Wonder
> if anyone has a photo of the depot ?

https://www.kansasmemory.org/item/446534

Beautiful shot.
Brian Stevens

Nice photo Lance.
Been there many times.

Bob Krieger
Cheyenne, WY



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/19/19 10:10 by Bob3985.

Thanks for the reminder of the alphabet soup collection of railroads that got UP from KC to Nebraska.
DAF

Yes beautiful location.  I'd hang out there for awhile!

An interesting look at the junction!

Larry