I have run into a different use of the word station that I hope someone can help me understand. In my research on the St. Louis, Morehouse and Southern (SLM&S) Railroad which would later become part of the Frisco, there is a good deal of information about stations. The work was divided into stations and work accomplished would be listed as from station ?? to station ??. Note this quote as an example. "Castor river, being Station 220, south of Little River, across Rose Briar Slough, being approximately 24 to 30 stations.” Does anyone have an idea how far apart "stations" used in this way would be? Was there a particular standard used to measure such stations? Thanks. Mark
In this context a station is 100 feet. Later, I'll post a drawing that will show how this nomenclature is used.
“Station - a place on the time table designated by name.” Rules of the Transportation Department St. Louis-San Francisco Railway Company- March 1, 1957 I do not think the Frisco had a minimum distance between stations as some of the stations, as distinct from a depot, here in Northwest Arkansas were as close as 1,500 feet. Central Division stations had a wooden sign and those without a depot, had cinder platforms according to the Interstate Commerce Commission Valuation Survey of 1918. I would imagine the same standards applied to stations on other Frisco divisions. Our local NRHS Chapter in 2006 installed eleven signs at a number of Fort Smith Subdivision locations that once were stations with depots. Because they are now marked with signs the Federal Railroad Administration requires the Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, the current operator, to issue new employee timetables that incorporate the new stations.
In this case, I believe the stations that GenBap referenced are engineering/surveying Stations and not railroad stations When surveys are made, stations are established that are usually 100 feet apart. Structures, horizontal curves, vertical curves, geographic features, etc. are referenced to these Station numbers. In the included example, as part of a flood control project a higher levee was built along the St Francis River. This affected the Frisco's Piggot Bridge, and required a grade change. The new levee would cross the branch at Sta(tion) 251 plus 10.5 feet. My father's proposed changes to the Piggot Bridge can be seen in pencil. The new grade will begin at Sta 241 plus 05 feet at an elevation of 269.80 feet. It will achieve its max elevation at Sta 251 plus 05 feet, and then return to the original grade at Sta 265 plus 05 feet at an elevation of 266.60 feet.
Karl, thanks. It seems that might be in similar areas. My interest is in the Leachville Branch of the River Division. Anyway, I suspected it was a standard measure. I think I had read somewhere that a railroad survey chain was always a set distance and I was not sure if that was the distance between stations or, as you have clarified, a set number of feet. One thing I am unsure of is that you say it is 100', but the diagram seems to indicate 1000'. Am I misreading something? Thanks again.
There are 10 stations between 230 and 240.... 231...232...233...etc. They were not shown on the drawing for the sake of clarity. 10 stations times 100 feet equals 1000 feet. BTW a Gunter's Chain = 66' and an Engineers Chain = 100'
