Springfield Diesel Service Tracks - Springfield / Kansas Avenue / West Yard - Springfield, MO

Springfield Diesel Servicing facility and Turntable

Springfield diesel locomotive service track facility and turntable.

Photos taken November 25, 2000.

Left Image
Springfield diesel locomotive service tracks. To the south, left, of the shed is track 2. It served as a storage, staging or ready engine track. Continuing north, under the shed are tracks 3, 4 and 5. Track 3 served the same purpose as track 2. On tracks 4 and 5 are fuel, oil and water stands and filling of locomotive sand boxes can be performed.

Tracks 4 and 5 also have inspection pits for access below locomotives. At the east end of the shed is a sand tower. It was used to fill the overhead traveling sand gantry. The gantry traveled along tracks 4 and 5. It featured a worker platform that could be elevated to different heights and traversed between the tracks. This facilitated sanding multiple locomotives without the need to reposition a multiple unit consist.

The end sand tower was filled from a bulk storage silo on the north side of the shed. A covered track permitted sand hoppers to be spotted for unloading. Sand was dropped into a between rails pit, a screw auger moved it to the side and a vertical bucket elevator leg raised it to the top of the silo for storage.

As needed, a valve was opened at the bottom of the silo to fill a tank. The tank was sealed and pressurized to blow the sand to the top of the yellow sand tower. It in turn was dumped into a hopper on the gantry for later use in filling locomotive sand boxes. The gantry system replaced earlier fixed sand towers.

The open end and partial lower sides shed was constructed in early 1970. The project featured other improvements including new fuel, oil and water stands, the gantry sand crane, concrete inspection pits and a slab floor.

Starting near the lower left corner of the photograph are the south yard lead, two yard bowl lead tracks and the north yard lead. The south yard lead connects with the 4 south long tracks. The north yard lead connects with the 5 north tracks. The long tracks are train receiving and departure (R&D) tracks.

From the mid right edge of the image are the Clinton Subdivision main / west shops lead, the diesel pocket track, the east lead to the 9 diesel shop tracks and the sand supply track. Note the locomotives stored on the diesel pocket track and the sand hopped car under its shed beside the service track shed. Out of view to the right is the 100 feet locomotive turntable.

View is looking west northwest.

Right image
View of the Springfield 100 feet turntable. The turntable was originally located at the roundhouse in Sapulpa, OK. When the main yard operations were transferred to Tulsa the turntable was relocated to the new roundhouse in West Tulsa. It survived in place through the conversion of the yard to from a flat switching to a hump operation.

In the mid 1970's the railroad made a significant capital investment to expand capacity and improve operations at Cherokee Yard. This included new diesel service facilities and a new diesel shop. With the improvements a locomotive turning wye was constructed adjacent to the service tracks.

With the improvements the former roundhouse was raised and the turntable removed. The turntable was moved to Springfield and temporally placed in storage. After building new elevated approaches and a large, deep foundation it was later installed at this location adjacent to the service tracks area.

Note the elevated approach and tail track negated the need for a turntable pit. This helped reduce expenses associate with maintaining a subsurface pit structure. An added benefit at the same time was to help improve safety by largely eliminating a potential fall exposure to workers.

Pits traditionally collected debris and water or snow which could be a threat to electrical motors that powered the turning of the bridge. On the bridge structure note the n shaped arch. To this structure an electric line provided power to operate the turntable bridge. The silver painted operators cabin in on the right edge in this view.

The Clinton Subdivision or High Line main / west shops lead is to the left. Diverging from that track is the lead to the service tracks area and east diesel shop lead. Visible in the distance is Kansas Avenue Expressway / Missouri Highway 13 overpass.

Edit 1/24/2024: Added left and right image narratives.
MKD

 

Diesel Service Facility

Unknown location and year. Frisco file photo from the Western Historical Manuscript Collection.

Edit 1/24/2024: Photograph was taken at the Springfield service tracks. The locomotive service area is located east of the Springfield Diesel Shop. This shows the original arrangement of the sand towers.

The center storage bin is larger than the flanking sand bins since it is positioned to serve units on two tracks. Dry sand is blown into the upper round bins for storage. Gravity is then used to flow the sand down the hoses with valves on their ends. Workers can then fill locomotive sand boxes from the elevated walkways that parallel the service tracks.

Positioned on the left north track is EMD F3A SLSF 5001. It is followed by at least a couple of EMD F7 units. On the right south track is an unidentified number Alco FA-1. Note the worker standing on a drop down side platform filling the locomotive fireman's side sand box. Similar drop down side platforms can be seen folded in their upright position to allow more clearance.

Along the left edge of the image, working inward are an industry lead on the along the rise, note the crossbuck sign. Dropping down hillside bank is the Clinton Subdivision main / West Shops lead, the diesel pocket track and the lead to the east end of the Springfield Diesel Shop. The east end yard leads are on the right edge of this image.

View is looking east.
MKD

 

Springfield, Mo Diesel Fueling Building