Nostalgia & History > No coal for Miss Katy

Here’s a trader slide I picked up from friend & very talented railfan photographer Dan Munson. After some snooping around in Google Maps I was able to place the background building on the left. So I’m pretty sure the train is northbound in the late afternoon, but will certainly accept any corrections. A piece of information I picked up via TO’s Static Photography feature says this coaling tower was erected but never used. And that it was finally torn down a number of years ago. But it sure did make a nice photo prop…

1. MKT 320 is northbound in a tightly photographed consist image. This train is passing under the shell of an old coaling tower in McAlester, OK that was never used. Photo date: May 14, 1988.
Original Kodachrome slide by Dan Munson.

PS: Here’s a link to another look by “gcm” at this tower ( https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3608872,3608872#3608872 )

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/30/22 20:35 by santafe199.

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Katy had a big coal mine just outside McAlester and that mine powered all its lokies 
up until the early 20’s when the road converted all its steam engines to burn
oil.  Oil was also very plentiful in Oklahoma - Tulsa calls itself the Oil Capital,
or at least, it used to.

Really neat shot.  Maybe the 2 photographers were there together in May '88 shooting the trains that came through town.  Appears to be a little north of the depot in 'Old Town" but unfortunately it was torn down before many of us got to see it.
Brian Stevens

 
SCKP187 Wrote:
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> Really neat shot.  Maybe the 2 photographers were
> there together in May '88 shooting the trains that
> came through town.  Appears to be a little north
> of the depot in 'Old Town" but unfortunately it
> was torn down before many of us got to see it.
> Brian Stevens

Great shot by Don Munson.
We must have just missed each other shooting the Katy in McAlester.
I was with a couple of railfans taking a last look at the MKT up north.
Gary