Nostalgia & History > Mop Monday: Rare switcher in Wichita

It’s no secret that the dark blue paint scheme the Missouri Pacific wore was never one of my favorites. So my inventory of original Mop slides from the 70s & early ‘80s isn’t anything to get excited about. I just couldn’t get motivated to shoot drab dark blue...

It’s a good thing Bill Gibson never had that problem! After working intimately with the Gibson Collection for over 7 years I can say with confidence that Bill took a very democratic approach to his shooting. He covered everything within his immediate realm with equal zeal. That includes the Mop. He shot this surprising slide in 1974. It’s a little bit surprising to me to see a Mop switcher of this type at work anywhere in Kansas locations such as Atchison, Salina & Wichita. All the Mop switchers I ever saw/shot in person were just basic geeps. No SWs, NWs, etc. But as I’ve already indicated I’m no authority in Mop motive power. So this shot is a LOT surprising to me because within Bill’s extensive coverage of the Mop there just aren’t many shots of Mop switchers of this body type in the Gibson Collection.

1. MP 1126 backing up with a cut of cars in Wichita, KS on June 28, 1974. Note how the hogger is paying attention to where this movement going.
Original Kodachrome slide by William A. Gibson (WAG) Sr.

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



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 02/22/23 04:33 by santafe199.

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So you didn't like Mop Blue #@%$ looks like you have been holding out on us Mop Fans you better start
giving us some equal time maybe Toto Mop Tuesday ​for a couple months just for holding out on us!
We want to see all the Mop Blue you have! Ok i will get off my soap box now.
That is a great shot by the way! David

dpc37 Wrote: > ... looks like you have been holding out on us Mop Fans ...

Truth is... I don't have a whole lotta Mop stuff to be holding out from anybody! That's because I didn't shoot the Mop near as much as I maybe should have. In those long gone 1970's my beloved Santa Fe took #1 priority! And of course I tried to shoot as much Rock Island as I could in the heartbreakingly short 3 1/2 years I had. The Frisco, the Katy, the BN and even Uncle Pete interested me much more than drab blue. I do have some scattered stuff around Kansas, mainly in or close to Council Grove. And most of that is boring roster-type stuff. But there was one time back in August 1980 that I specifically chased the Mop mainline down in Texas between (roughly) Big Sandy & Texarkana. As I recall, I even snagged myself a Mop biz car on the rear end of one train. If & when I can get my Epson V550 to talk back & forth with my new computer I'll toss those Mop slides on the "to-do" list. Of course, there are already a few thousand slides on that list...

;^)

I remeber similarly, never saw a Mop switch engine in my home town, but saw many of that style on the Rock Island, Frisco, and the Santa Fe.  I have to admit I didn't shoot too much Mop either as that pesky yard was hard to get to and not easy to shoot pictures of.  Most of what I have is taken from the Interstate 135 overpass which involved a somewhat risky pull-over on the shoulder and a quick exposure.

Thanks for keeping them coming,

Dan in Wichita
On the ATSF Arkansas City subdivision
near the CRIP Cline Yard

Gwad, the mop had those SW's and NW's all over their system.   A lot of my favorite T&P units got hog washed with that damn blue paint too.

Very nice shot !

santafe199 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> dpc37 Wrote: > ... looks like you have been
> holding out on us Mop Fans ...
>
> Truth is... I don't have a whole lotta Mop stuff
> to be holding out from anybody! That's because I
> didn't shoot the Mop near as much as I maybe
> should have. In those long gone 1970's my beloved
> Santa Fe took #1 priority! And of course I tried
> to shoot as much Rock Island as I could in the
> heartbreakingly short 3 1/2 years I had. The
> Frisco, the Katy, the BN and even Uncle Pete
> interested me much more than drab blue. I do have
> some scattered stuff around Kansas, mainly in or
> close to Council Grove. And most of that is boring
> roster-type stuff. But there was one time back in
> August 1980 that I specifically chased the Mop
> mainline down in Texas between (roughly) Big Sandy
> & Texarkana. As I recall, I even snagged myself a
> Mop biz car on the rear end of one train. If &
> when I can get my Epson V550 to talk back & forth
> with my new computer I'll toss those Mop slides on
> the "to-do" list. Of course, there are already a
> few thousand slides on that list...
>
> ;^)
Texas where the hell is that we will take that Council Grove KANSAS stuff even if its a boring roster-type stuff over that Texas stuff any day you know Toto Tuesday!! David

Talking like 50 yrs ago but I do remember seeing these little blue boys working on WTA when it was Mopac's turn to supply switch power. Cannot recall any number series. That was really my only exposure to MP Wichita yard power.
 

Excellent shot of the MOP Blue that many did not get exicted over, now you have changed my mind slightly.

Don Allender

Thanks to Lloyd Hurst (Retired MOP/UP switchman/condutor/yardmaster Wichita) I received my introdution to railroad switching riding with the midnight south lead crew in the early 70's on switch engines like the one pictured and my first F-7 cab ride with the hostlers.  Was a great way to see what I wanted to do for my railroading career.  We can talk about it now without formal investigations.

Jim Wilson 

Anything washed and in good paint is OK by me.

It looks like he caught not just one but two of those little guys!
Gonut