QA&P Musem trip 2017 Quanah, Paducah TX

Discussion in 'Quanah, Acme, & Pacific (QA&P)' started by gjslsffan, Sep 12, 2017.

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  1. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Thought I would start a new thread for this as I don't want to high jack another thread.

    I have been in the Quanah-Paducah area for the last few days, I managed to get inside the Museum in Paducah. A whole other story there, a lot of very colorful history in these little west Texas towns. The people I visited with at Paducah in that little museum were friendly, knowledgeable, but still a little touchy about the taking up of this little giant of a railroad and the impacts they still feel from it. One of the more touching moments was when we were told about the servicemen who carved their names in the bricks in the depot close to where they waited for their trains to take them to WWI, suppose it was because they perhaps somehow knew they would not be coming home, and just wanted someone to remember them. Every year that slips by there is less that represented the QA&P out thru here. Many ranchers and farmers have reclaimed the ROW (as well they should) along the RR. I have 300+ pictures to go thru and will get started in the next week or so, to start working them over and posting them. Can't say enough about how nature, time and man will eventually reclaim their own, The cuts and fills are still clear, but only a few of the bents for the various little bridges in the draws were even visible, there has been some rain out here, more than I ever remember, and the mesquite trees and other vegetation have overtaken ones ability to see them, it is very green out here. The Johnson grass and weeds are so tall there was no chance to photograph any of the water tank concrete foundations, none were visible, and I know where a few of them are. I am glad that I came out here with my brother, he has a little better understanding now too of what took place going on some 30+ years ago. The Quanah Acme & Pacific bridge so famous at Acme's paint is getting to the point that I am confident the carrier will be repainting it soon, but hey that paint job has last a looong time, I want to remember it as it was and not how it looks now, so no pictures of that from me.. Well not yet.

    But I found some real surprises too. Like a whole bunch of pictures QA&P related that I had never seen before. And also a real nice surprise that at least some of you may want to call the QA&P museum about, but more on that later. A few newspaper articles that include photographs donated by the local populates concerning trackage only visible before in Sanborn maps. Kind of excited about this, not a lot of info but proof it existed anyway. Would be little easier to research if I wasn't 12hrs away.
     
  2. Steamnut

    Steamnut cinder sniffer

    I made a pilgrimage out that way about 15 years ago. Got to talk to an old QA&P engineer at the Quanah depot, and was allowed to spend some time upstairs at the depot (really cool, lots of uncategorized stuff at the time...). I found the old Y east of Roaring Springs and picked up about 60 lbs of real QA&P granite chatt to crush up for ballast on my layout. The Roaring Springs depot had been turned into the town's meeting hall.

    Tom is correct in regards to things disappearing because of nature and man. I need to make another trip to catch a little more before it's gone.
     
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  3. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Darren
    Do you remember the engineers name by chance?
     
  4. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    This was a surprise for me for sure, finding this was pure luck. The Quanah chamber of commerce had 3 buildings produced of historical buildings in Quanah.
    One is the QA&P depot, others are the Palace theater and the old Jail museum. Pictured of course is the QA&P depot, it is kinda like those Hallmark type decorative Christmas buildings, has a 110v light bulb with an on-off switch included, the effect is pretty good actually. The detail and paint is kinda sloppy, I dont care for the "Quanah" emblem gonna make my own out of photo paper that will more closely match the prototype
    Also will dress up the trees and shrubs with the appropriate colored material, touch up the paint here and there. But if you have ever seen this building and considered trying to scratch build it this is simply outstanding, and reasonably accurate. When you consider the the image with the figure glued to the front entrance, I think it is fairly close to HO scale. She only has a few of these left so if you have ever wanted one, you better get it. the depot is $40.00, the others buildings were included for $60.00 total.

    Without the figure this is straight out of the box, it is packed very well for shipping too.

    DSCN2233.JPG
    DSCN2194.JPG
    DSCN2200.JPG
    DSCN2202.JPG
    DSCN2208.JPG
    DSCN2214.JPG

    Here is their contact info, Tell them I sent you. I told them I may help her sell a few, they could really use the help.

    DSCN2228.JPG
    Thanks for looking.
     
  5. Thanks for so much info Tom. I can not wait to see your photos too.

    Steve
     
  6. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    These image is just west of Paducah, you can barley make out the road bed and the trees have taken over, the image is looking RR east towards Paducah TX.
    DSC00158 (1).JPG

    Well this isn't working so well I seem to be getting error messages when uploading image files :mad::mad:
     
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  7. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Had to resize the image to get it to work, this image iss RR west looking towards Floydada TX, the way the vegetation has taken over evident. I will resize all the images and try to upload again.
    QA&P west of paducah looking RR west - Copy.JPG
     
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  8. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    This is 2 miles east of Paducah TX and the only place I could get images of the small bridges on the ROW without being air born. It would have been nice to have a drone to look down from the top.
    just east of Paducah.JPG

    Below is the west crossing between switches at Swearingen this is looking eastward.
    Swearingen looking east.JPG

    This is westward facing.
    Swearingen looking west.JPG

    Below is an image of the crossing itself, note the ties are still there,
    Swearingen I.JPG
    Somehow a tie plate made it way to Colorado. This on was on the MT.
    MT tie plate on road xing Swearingen.JPG

    Thanks for looking.
     
  9. Steamnut

    Steamnut cinder sniffer

    Jim, I think...or James, or Jerry, or George...(n):LOL:

    Looking at your pictures, I believe my next trek out there might include a drone. As long as no one takes exception to it and thinks it's a dove. :ROFLMAO:
     
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  10. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    Well the farm I grew up on now has Deer blinds and wild pig hunts, Quail and other hunting. I never saw a Deer or Wild pig in my life down there and now they are all over the place. Prolly cause they knew us 4 boys would eat anything that didnt eat us, and we was hungry all the time. :)

    I would like to see it with a drone pictures.
     
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  11. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    I cant remember if these images were taken at the Paducah Museum or the QA&P Museum in Quanah. Dont even know what year this is, but looked like quite a blizzard.
    That snirt "a combination of dirt and snow" blew in the cuts. A double header to clear the cuts. Interesting there is no caboose, unless it was cut off out of the image somewhere. The images were all taken with permission of the museum curators, who now holds all these images.

    QAP snow 1.jpg
    QAP snow 2.jpg
    QAP snow 3.jpg
    QAP snow 4.jpg
     
  12. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    Incredible photos!! It would be fun to know where on the line this occurred.

    Just returned from visiting my brother in Knox City, TX. We're considering moving back to TX and would settle in the west central area away from all large cities. There's no scenery compared to Colorado where we currently live, but it's peaceful, lots of great west TX history, and it's super cheap to live. I like the wide open spaces with big views, so it wouldn't bother me. And the older I get, the less I like cold!!!

    Paul Moore
     
  13. gstout

    gstout Member Frisco.org Supporter

    No argument there. Couldn't wait to get out of Chicago.

    GS
     
  14. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    After years of considering a move and four trips to TX since Dec 15, we made an offer on a house on three acres in Rule, TX, and put our home on the market. Rule is on the defunct Orient Line, not the QA&P, but it's close. It's an hour and 15 minutes south of Quanah. There will be field trips to the museums in Quanah and Paducah.

    The people in West Texas are incredibly nice. I don't mind the scenery. Colorado isn't the place it used to be and I'm ready to get out of here. Surprisingly, there are quite a few cyclists out in West Texas, and I've already gone on a 40 mile ride with a guy who is an oilfield supervisor in that area.

    In 36 hours we had 17 showings and three offers on our home. The offer we chose was for $7000 more than our asking price. Hopefully, this proceeds so we can move in a month or so.

    Have a great week,

    Paul Moore
     
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  15. rjthomas909

    rjthomas909 Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Congrats and welcome to Texas.
     
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  16. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    Thanks. It's actually welcome back to TX. Dallas is my hometown; I graduated from UT Arlington.

    Paul
     
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  17. gjslsffan

    gjslsffan Staff Member Staff Member

    I am glad for you Paul! I/we are considering a move out that way (back home) some day. And brother you are so right about CO not being what it used to be 35-40 years ago.
     
  18. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    p.s. the property has a 25' X 35' building that has already been named the railroad building!!!

    Paul
     
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  19. Sirfoldalot

    Sirfoldalot Frisco.org Supporter Frisco.org Supporter

    I only have a simple inquiry -- How did you manage to find that town?
    That's really, really "out there"?
     
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  20. skyraider

    skyraider Member

    Sherrel,

    My brother lives in Knox City, about 18 miles north. We've been looking all over West and Western North Central TX for awhile. The property values are extremely depressed right now in Rule, and that is the main reason we chose it. The home we are buying is a 3500 sq ft brick home on three acres, it's a super nice home with enormous rooms, there's a pecan orchard on the property, plus two extremely nice cinder block outbuildings. And it was dirt cheap!!!!!!!!

    We've already made several friends in the area.I've been bicycling with one of guy in Rule and he knows several other cyclists in the area. Plus there's a lot of ranch and railroad history in the area. The original Rule, TX, KC M & O depot is still there and in use by the city for functions!

    Talk to you later,

    Paul
     
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