Nostalgia & History > Who needs color, anyhow? (pt 6)

Between you ‘n me ‘n that street light over yonder I just never get tired of seeing KCUS when it was in its passenger train prime. At least a helluva lot more of a prime than it is nowadays. While the rest of the world was still mending its post-Cuban Missile Crisis frazzled nerves, Art Gibson stood near the intersection of E 22nd St & Grand Blvd and froze a slice of Kansas City, Missouri RR history just so we could look at it 58 years later. Thanks Art, ya done good…

1. The train yard on the east side of Kansas City Union Station as it appeared on November 10, 1962.
B/W negative by William A. -Art- Gibson (WAG) Jr.

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



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 01/26/23 04:12 by santafe199.

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Fantastic!  So many details.

John

 

Goodness, goodness, oh my goodness.  Just how many railroads can we see represented in this triumph of black, white and grey?

Art had a great eye for the scene. Beautiful.
Bob

Fabulous photo.  And isn't that the Rock Island observation car that they closed off the observation end to make it a baggage storage area?  Only the Rock Island would do that...

Lee Hower - Sacramento

Another great picture from that bottomless vault! I wonder how many of us have taken pictures from almost the same vantage point over the years ... I know I have ... but this scene is something special!!

mcfflyer Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Fabulous photo.  And isn't that the Rock Island
> observation car that they closed off the
> observation end to make it a baggage storage
> area?  Only the Rock Island would do that...
>
> Lee Hower - Sacramento

They did WHAT???

Any details would be much appreciated.

-John

This is a great photograph, capturing a moment in time in the daily busy routine at Kansas City Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri!

The Missouri Pacific Pullman Sleeper, a 6 Section, 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom caught my eye.  In my October 1962 ORG, it shows the overnight "Missourian" Tr 19 scheduled to arrive Kansas City Union Station from St. Louis at 645am. In the ORG "Missourian" equipment shows a MoPac sleeping car from St Louis to Kansas City in a 6-6-4 like the one shown. MP Train 19 did not go west of Kansas City, so this equipment will be switched by the KCT to the Kansas City Terminal Coach Yard for turning, cleaning and servicing. 

The Rock Island Baggage Obs was a regular on the "Imperial" Tr 39 in this era.  The Imperial Tr 39 was scheduled westbound out of Kansas City Union Station at 9:00 am.

The MKT (Katy) E units look likely to have been inbound with MKT Train 2 "The Texas Special" (post Frisco joint operation) due in at 8:20 am.

There is so much more to take in from this busy scene!

Thank you for sharing Lance.

Hu

Also, in October 1962, The Kansas City Southern "Southern Belle" was scheduled to depart east from Kansas City Union Station at 9:00 am.  That may be why the nose of a KCS E unit is visible under the train shed.

The Wabash-Union Pacific "City of St Louis" Train 210 is due out at 930 am, and we see various peices of equipment related to its arrival and pending departure.  (i.e. the UP Mail and Baggage car roofs in the back of the scene being unloaded by KCT baggage men and women after train 10's arrival from Los Angeles and Denver.

BuddPullman Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> This is a great photograph, capturing a moment in
> time in the daily busy routine at Kansas City
> Union Station in Kansas City, Missouri!
>
> The Missouri Pacific Pullman Sleeper, a 6 Section,
> 6 Roomette, 4 Double Bedroom caught my eye.  In
> my October 1962 ORG, it shows the overnight
> "Missourian" Tr 19 scheduled to arrive Kansas City
> Union Station from St. Louis at 645am. In the ORG
> "Missourian" equipment shows a MoPac sleeping car
> from St Louis to Kansas City in a 6-6-4 like the
> one shown. MP Train 19 did not go west of Kansas
> City, so this equipment will be switched by the
> KCT to the Kansas City Terminal Coach Yard for
> turning, cleaning and servicing. 
>
> The Rock Island Baggage Obs was a regular on the
> "Imperial" Tr 39 in this era.  The Imperial Tr 39
> was scheduled westbound out of Kansas City Union
> Station at 9:00 am.
>
> The MKT (Katy) E units look likely to have been
> inbound with MKT Train 2 "The Texas Special" (post
> Frisco joint operation) due in at 8:20 am.
>
> There is so much more to take in from this busy
> scene!
>
> Thank you for sharing Lance.
>
> Hu

BuddPullman Wrote: > ...  Thank you for sharing Lance ...

You're quite welcome! Although the real thanks goes to Art Gibson. It is through his incredible generosity that we TO members can regularly see so many images from the father & son "Gibson Collection", including trader material. I have a problem, although I have to admit it's a wonderful problem to have. There is SO MUCH "really neat stuff" to post, I always have a tough time deciding what to post next. And when you factor in the idea I also represent a half-dozen other photographers & contributors I very likely don't have enough time left on this space-rock to "gitter all done". Not to mention I still try go out and shoot on a semi-regular basis... :^)

Lance/199

A great and evocative image.  I think it odd to see all this action at KCUS, and zero Santa Fe in sight.
About one month before this photo, I visited KC for a few days......there was this girl I met on the train, the SP Coast Daylight, a year or two before......anyway, it was my last trip on company passes, I had been cut off by the SP.  It was a circle trip that took me up to Canada, and as far east as Boston.
Arrived KC on the Wabash City of Kansas City from St Louis, and departed on the UP City of St Louis.
Thanks fvor the memeories.

AA

Stanford White
Carmel Valley, CA



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/15/20 17:23 by agentatascadero.

Still a great place to go and watch trains. Not as good as it once was but still one of the best I've been to in recent years. Thankfully most of KCUS itself still remains.

That is a crazy looking observation car. I appreciate those who have already explained why.

Fabulous photo.  Thanks for posting, Lance.  Looks like a heavyweight MoPac baggage car behind the MKT units.