Nostalgia & History > Depot Friday: Rydal, KS

This is the former Rocky Mountain Rocket main line slicing through northwestern Kansas on its way from Omaha & Lincoln, NE to Limon, CO. From there the Rock’s own rails carry it further to Colorado Springs. And trackage rights still carry it into Denver over the Union Pacific (KP). The new Rock Island paint scheme is certainly a brave gesture. Alas... it is ultimately a case of red ink red morphing into bankrupt blue. At the time Art Gibson shot these images the Rock’s bitter end was less than 2 years away...

1. Looking east at the out-of-use CRI&P depot at tiny Rydal, KS. A company grain hopper peeks in on the left.

2. Depot now framed by the “new” style station sign.
Two photos taken in the Summer of 1978 by the late William A. Gibson (WAG) Jr.
Now from the James T. Wilson collection.

Thanks for looking back!
Lance Garrels (santafe199)
Jim Wilson (jtwlunch)



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/22 04:25 by santafe199.

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Glad Rock Island updated their station signs before the end.  Appreciated your post.

Interesting photos. I wonder how the transite siding (asbestos concrete) was delt with when the depot was torn down. Bagged and tagged as required, or bulldozed and buried in a landfill?

Luke

Posted from Android

This depot might have been a bit more ornate before it was denuded and the asbestos siding added.

Victor B.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/04/22 19:45 by wabash2800.

Based on another one that I'm aware of, likely the latter.

In one scenario a particular RR had an old gravel pit (initially used to ballast the RR during construction) for that. They would haul that kind of material and that of customers' in gondolas to be buried there. It was so common for years that the RR had a crane operator at the location on its payroll. Times were different then. Years later someone got the idea to start a campground, since there was a lake back in there. But later they changed their mind. I wonder why?
Victor B.

AMTRUK Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Interesting photos. I wonder how the transite
> siding (asbestos concrete) was delt with when the
> depot was torn down. Bagged and tagged as
> required, or bulldozed and buried in a landfill?
>
> Luke
>
> Posted from Android



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 12/02/22 15:27 by wabash2800.