Nostalgia & History > Santa Fe crossing US 50, by request

Among the replies in yesterday’s No sun at Neva (Western) thread there was TO member “Orient” asking if anyone had ever shot a Santa Fe train crossing US highway 50 at Neva. I knew I had, but had to do some digging. I found both times where I had recorded such just a scene. So after a pleasant 2 hour diversion in Photoshop here are 3 images of those 2 occasions. More details in the captions>>v

1. & 2. AT&SF 3020 leads local train “LMI 01 1/24” over US hwy 50 at Neva, KS on February 24, 1985. My very first Santa Fe train ride was on the ‘ancestor’ of this train. Right before marking up to establish my Middle Division train service seniority on June 6, 1978 I had to ride local train 1333/34 on up and back student trips between Emporia and Salina, KS. My memories are a distant blur. I don’t specifically remember riding over this crossing, but I surely did in both directions. I would eventually ride many times over US 50. But I never shot any slides from the train(s)...

3. Reaching back a little further here’s AT&SF 3559 leading local train “1334 I-1” over us 50. This train is about to leave the Strong City District and join the 1st District Main Line seen in the foreground. This is Neva, KS on January 9, 1979. That red car on the right was not my car, so I’m sure I was riding with “somebody”. It would most likely be my late friend John Arbuckle. But I just plain don’t remember him owning that car. And I can’t figure out why I would be riding with him in this part of the state at this time of day. I tell ya what: it’s the real sheets getting old like this... ;^)

Thanks for asking!
Lance Garrels
santafe199



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 03/08/23 08:56 by santafe199.

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santafe199 Wrote:
<<That red car on the right was not my car, so I’m sure I was riding with “somebody”. It
> would most likely be my late friend John Arbuckle.<<

It was!! That's John's mother's car!!!!!!! A Porche! I bet you went fast.

Oh man, the memories!
DAF

Wow! Thank you Lance!

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monaddave Wrote: > ... A Porche! I bet you went fast ...

Probably did, and I wish I could remember. I wonder if I had any fun...

:^(

In photo #2, 1-9-'79, I don't know what time of day that was taken, but I used that crossing two times that morning. I drove over it going out to Newton. I signed my papers, took my physical, picked up all my books, and hired out as a Fireman. Then after that, I drove over that crossing again, going back to Emporia to make a student trip on the 188, on duty at 1pm, departed at 4:40 pm. When I got back and got rested, I made my student trips on Amtrak 15 & 16, then marked up for a pay trip on the 304 on the 12th. That was the night of the big blizzard that had everything burried for several days. They even trotted out the rotary plow and several wedges. I was stuck on one of them for several days all the way to Ellinwood and back.

It's just hard to believe that freight trains crossed Hwy 50 there!  The truck traffic is intense!

Some big trains came down the branch and over that crossing. I had the first RCE grain train the ever ran out of Agrex at Superior, to Emporia, and another that had mid-train manned helpers.

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