Nostalgia & History > SFe teakettle + varnish at North Topeka

Another B/W image set aside during my ongoing Gibson Collection audit. Just like some other recently posted Gibson images, this one was scanned from a black & white copy slide. Probably at least a 3rd generation effort. But oh my, what a subject... :^)

1. AT&SF 2-6-2 #1058 leads mixed train #57 through North Topeka, KS. Note the semaphore signal blade not yet dropped into displaying a “stop” indication. Photo date estimate: Circa 1946.
Original negative taken by William A. Gibson (WAG) Sr.

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



Edited 2 time(s). Last edit at 03/13/23 02:28 by santafe199.

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Is this train enroute Atchison?

Beautiful!
Bob

goldcoast Wrote: > ... enroute Atchison?
No sir... it's westbound #57 by the timeable from Atchison, rolling compass SSW parallel to the Union Pacific main line to Kansas City (on the right)...

Lance/199

Added: The semphore signal protects the crossing with the UP. This track will also cross the Kansas River to home turf just after crossing the UP...



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 11/25/21 09:26 by santafe199.

Morning train from Atchison to the big Capital city! 

It has been many years since I was last in Topeka and I don't have my bearings.  Framed by the station sign there appears to be a bridge in the distance and I thought that was the Santa Fe crossing of the Kansas River.

Neat shot, Lance!

RC Lundgren

This photo appears on page 162 of Iron Horses of the Santa Fe Trail.  The caption doesn't give a precise date, but does say, "During World War II, the Topeka-St. Joe motor car was, for a time, superseded by an experimental "mixed" consist - shown here leaving North Topeka."  If that's the case, it must have been very briefly, as the motor car schedule evolution in The Doodlebugs doesn't show a break in the existence of St. Joseph - Topeka motor schedules 57/58 until after the end of steam, and the mixed train schedule evolution in Coach Cabbage & Caboose doesn't show a St. Joseph - Topeka mixed at any time in the 1940's.  Also, Santa Fe Depots - the Eastern Lines says the depot at North Topeka wasn't abandoned until 1945.  Brill car M.110 was the usual St. Joe - Topeka motor until it was converted to a trailer in 1952, and it's possible the motor was just "sick" this day.  The 1058 was sold for scrap in 1949, so "circa 1946" is probably a good guess.

There was another time when Gibson & Co. captured steam "spelling" the motor car on this run in 1948 at North Topeka, as related in this old thread:

https://www.trainorders.com/discussion/read.php?11,3303593