Railroaders' Nostalgia > No more toy trains in Winfield?

Things have a habit of disappearing or changing beyond recognition in 37 years. Nothing can escape this fact of life. Anyone who is unconvinced should probably look at their HS graduation photo a split second before glancing in the mirror… :^(

In August of 1982, well into my first year of post-divorce, single life in Emporia, KS I had talked this ‘sweet young thing’ into going on a photo-safari, with dinner as the grand finale of the day’s activities. This young lady was quite a looker, and certainly had all bells & whistles installed in all the right places! As I recall she was fascinated with many facets of photography, but not necessarily with railfan photography. With no other ulterior expectations my idea was to do a ‘photo shooting road-trip’ thing which would culminate in having some great Mexican food at “La Familia” (aka ‘The Green Door’) in Arkansas City, KS. This was a regular dining spot for us Santa Fe crews at our away-from-home crew change terminal at Ark City, so I was very familiar with the place.

We did stop and shoot some rural farm barns, silos, etc in the Flint Hills area, and I very gallantly kept my RR shooting to a minimum. (oh, alright… it was kinda cloudy anyway…) And we hop-scotched a few other places here & there. We were both enjoying the day as we rolled through Winfield, KS. Ark City & La Familia was just another 14 miles away. But something caught my eye as we crossed the Walnut River. I begged her indulgence and turned the car around for another pass. There on the parallel Santa Fe bridge I had travelled over dozens of time was some lettering I just had to stop and shoot: Some enterprising jokester had crawled out over the bridge and applied the name “Lionel” to the very top beam. My feminine companion saw what I was shooting with my telephoto and asked if that was some guy I knew. When I explained what Lionel, as in “Lionel Lines” meant to a RR bridge she understood and it became a point of hilarity for the whole day. We had some fabulous Mexican fare in Ark City, and re-traced our leisurely path back home to Emporia…

Fast forward 37 years. On the way home from my recent Texas trip I made it a point to stop in Winfield and photograph a number of things, not the least of which was that bridge span over the Walnut. Whether it’s from Father Time’s natural fading properties, or if it was from the cleansing action of some M.O.W. crew the name “Lionel” is now gone from that steel beam. Apparently they don’t run toy trains through Winfield any more…

1. Santa Fe’s Middle Division 3rd District bridge over the Walnut River in Winfield, KS on August 27, 1982.

2. Close-up of above… :^)

3. The BNSF’s Arkansas City Sub bridge over the Walnut River (sans ‘Lionel’) in Winfield, KS on June 28, 2015.

Thanks for looking back & forth!
Lance Garrels
santafe199

PS: The “sweet young thing” in question never did become a romantic attachment for me, although we did become very good friends within a broader circle of friends I was quickly making. I believe her reasoning was something to the effect of: “Sorry Lance, to me you’re just one of the girls!” ;^)

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> PS: The “sweet young thing” in question never
> did become a romantic attachment for me, although
> we did become very good friends within a broader
> circle of friends I was quickly making. I believe
> her reasoning was something to the effect of:
> “Sorry Lance, to me you’re just one of the
> girls!” ;^)

That also sounds like,"I love you like a brother or good friend".
Easy way out!

Uncle Joe,Seffner,Fl.

The "Lionel" looks like chalk.  Probably why it didn't last.  Although some chalk markings I have seen lasted a long time!

Rob

Lionel used to be painted in large letters on the bridge over Higuera St in San Luis Obispo too about 30 years ago. Tom

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