Nostalgia & History > OKT in Wichita in '88

In May of 1988 I was just heading into my first summer up in the Big Sky, working for brand-new Montana Rail Link. Meanwhile back home in Kansas the railfan friends I left behind kept right on shooting. Good thing, because the selection of RRs on my railfan menu had been drastically reduced. I was now basically looking at LOTS of Cascade Green garnished with whatever 2nd-hand power MRL could scare up, run for a while and get painted into MRL Blue.

Here’s a great OKT action slide, taken by future TO.com member Fred Tefft and traded to Art Gibson. I don’t really know which came first: Fred or Fred’s slide. But I would meet both some time in the early 2010s. Fred through my resumed attendance at Wichita Chapter NRHS meetings and his slide through my 7+ year scanning & archiving of the Gibson Collection.

1. MKT 337, an ex-ICG geep-38(?) rolling through Wichita, KS with a manifest on May 20, 1988. Consist: 337, 382, 384 (both ex-Kennecott Copper) & 196.
(Original Kodachrome slide by Fred Tefft, now in the Art Gibson collection)

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels (santafe199)
Art Gibson (wag216)
Fred Tefft (ATSF93)



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 01/12/23 03:57 by santafe199.

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Quite an interesting scene.
Bob

Did the OKT have CTC from Fort Worth to Harrington or ABS?

santafe199 Wrote:
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> 1. MKT 377, an ex-ICG geep-38(?) rolling through Wichita, KS with a manifest on May 20, 1988.
> Consist: 337, 382, 384 (both ex-Kennecott Copper) & 196.

MKT 337 was a GP38AC. It lasted all the way until 2009 on the UP roster before being retired.

They must of been practicing economy measures regarding horns.

That one Leslie bell in the first photo should of been part of a 3 or 5 chime horn.

Functioning alone,  it would of sounded terrible!

Regards, Jim Evans

ble692 Wrote: > ...  MKT 337 was a GP38AC ...

Thanks! I got the download caption correct & the consist lineup correct. But I can proofread and stare at a typo a half dozen times and still miss it...

:^/

OKT did not have CTC in Texas.  Can't coment on Okla or Kansas.

ble692 Wrote:

> MKT 337 was a GP38AC. It lasted all the way until
> 2009 on the UP roster before being retired.

Former Illinois Central 9513. Ironically, delivered from EMD with all the jewels for the short lived pool service with the UP. Looks like the L shaped windshield survived into the Katy era. Thanks for a unique image.

Northern Wrote: > ... Did the OKT have CTC from Fort Worth to HERINGTON or ABS?

I believe ABS was all the Rock Island ever had south of Herington on the main line to OK & TX. Same for the GSR southwest of Herington out to Pratt, Dalhart and on to its connection with the SP at Tucumcari...

Lance/199

I remember the block signals being turned off about  50 miles NW of Ft Worthmm  (Boyd) and not being active after that until UP took over the Katy.

I remember the block signals being turned off about  50 miles NW of Ft Worthmm  (Boyd) and not being active after that until UP took over the Katy.  It was just as well because I saw several defective signals on the line.

South end of Cline yard @ the BN crossing. Good photo Lance. I am still working on the OKT book (going at Katy speed). Hope to use this and other photos by you in the book. Sam

Ahhh, remember the 80s OKT days very well. Nice clear shot of some motley junk they used to run! I would often see these lashups down in FW where I lived at the time. Nice look back...

JG