Nostalgia & History > Frisco passenger train in 1958

Don't know the location or train but photo by John Charles.
Looks like a heavyweight diner in the consist.

Gary


 

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With this mix of lightweights and heavyweights, I wonder if this is the Meteor?

B&O Bill

Neat shot, Gary!

texchief1

That's quite the combination of equipment. Thanks for posting. Alas, I have no idea where or what it is.

2003 was originally assigned to the Texas Special, named Steel Dust

I agree this is probably the Meteor as the special ran with two E's and was
all lightweights by this date.

love to see it colorized

It looks like there may be two E units on it, but does not negate that this is probably the Meteor.
WrongWayMurphy Wrote:
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> 2003 was originally assigned to the Texas Special,
> named Steel Dust
>
> I agree this is probably the Meteor as the special
> ran with two E's and was
> all lightweights by this date.

I think this photo is in Twilight of the Great Trains by Fred Frailey. My copy is boxed up.

John Charles, his dad, and his grandfather (Katy railroader) all lived around the Dallas-Greenville area.
Could this be the TEXAS SPECIAL or BLUEBONNET?



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 09/17/23 09:37 by PVSfan.

PacificElectric1961 Wrote:
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> I think this photo is in Twilight of the Great
> Trains by Fred Frailey. My copy is boxed up.

Yes indeed! Page 82.

Southbound Texas Special on MKT at Atkins, Texas, July 14, 1958.

By the way,  Steve Goen's next book should be out by the end of this year:  PASSENGER TRAINS OF TEXAS--KATY.

Atkins was located at MP 761.4 on the Dallas Subdivision, which is 5.5 miles timetable north of Dallas Yard. I believe this curve is located near the north end of White Rock Lake, and the train would have just finished crossing over Northwest Highway, Loop 12, at the other end of the curve. This train would cross over the SP line to Denison in about 2000 feet or so and then reach the north switch for Atkins about 3/4 mile farther south.

https://maps.app.goo.gl/LVEBpxaWqB7nnkFTA

Matthew

Must be hours late, then -- in March 1958
the Texas Special was due into Dallas at
8:29 AM.

Wow! My memory worked!😂

That is some serious super elevation on that curve.  I wonder how fast passenger trains moved thru it?

ts1457 Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> PacificElectric1961 Wrote:
> --------------------------------------------------
> -----
> > I think this photo is in Twilight of the Great
> > Trains by Fred Frailey. My copy is boxed up.
>
> Yes indeed! Page 82.
>
> Southbound Texas Special on MKT at Atkins,
> Texas, July 14, 1958.

Thanks for this.  I thought I recognized the photo, but I'm on the road and can't check it out.  

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

coach Wrote: "That is some serious super elevation on that curve.  I wonder how fast passenger trains moved thru it?"

Let's have a look at ETT, #29, effective March 1, 1957:

http://wx4.org/to/foam/maps/2-Moore/018/m/1957-03-01MKT_Southern29-Moore.pdf

On the unnumbered page after the front cover (page 2 of the .pdf), the speed limit shown between MP D665.5 and Atkins was 75 mph for passenger trains and 45 mph for freight trains.  On page 16 of the ETT (page 18 of the .pdf) section 8b listed the exceptions in this area.  This curve is not listed among the excepted locations in this zone, the closest exception being street crossings and the crossing of the GC&SF line to Paris in Garland, I'm guessing about 7 miles north of this curve.  Atkins was MP 761.4, this curve probably about MP 759, and Garland was at MP 750.9.

(This post replaces an earlier post focusing on info in the earliest relevant ETT in my collection, #34 effective September 17, 1961, before I found ETT #29  Conditions in that ETT were virtually unchanged from #29, with reference to crossings in Garland replaced by Garland city limits.)

Matthew

Assuming those two radio towers on the left are truely straight-up-and-down vertical, the image is tilted about two degrees to the left.  There is definitely superelevation on that curve, but maybe not quite as much as the photo suggests at first glance. 

I'm not sure if this map will show three markers, but I will post it and find out.

http://mapper.acme.com/?ll=32.84787,-96.73059&z=14&t=U&marker0=32.85170%2C-96.73406%2C5.8%20km%20ExNE%20of%20Highland%20Park%20TX&marker1=32.84341%2C-96.75453%2C3.7%20km%20ExNE%20of%20Highland%20Park%20TX&marker2=32.86362%2C-96.72372%2C7.2%20km%20ExNE%20of%20Highland%20Park%20TX

Marker A shows the location of the photographer; marker B shows the north end of Atkins siding; marker C is where the radio towers were; the towers seem to have taken down around 2000.

Matthew

Like in most urban areas, you would not recognize that area now as dallas and subs have grown north with a vengeance.