I'm working out how my future layout is going to operate and came up with a question. For the Kansas City Terminal in the 1980 time frame, what yards did the industrial switching crews originate/terminate? Were switching jobs segregated by the zones in the terminal schematics?
Ethan, I'll be interested when wiser heads weigh in. For this time frame, I always assumed that it depended on the location. Fairgrounds Branch/Southwest Blvd. industries were handled from Rosedale Yard; and West Bottoms industries from 19th Street. Looking forward to what Mark Davidson, Karl, Keith et. al. have to offer. Either way, if I'm picking up what you're putting down, it would be a grand subject for a small layout.
In 1980, the KCT would still be operating out of their roundhouse/service area alongside and west of Southwest Boulevard. Here's a pic I snapped back in '83. It was closed a few years later.
Nice photo Andre. I guess I should have been a bit more specific. I meant the Frisco specifically in their Kansas City Terminal.
Last night I had a conversation with John Grady, who was a trainmaster in KC, and one of my dad’s buddies. I will get my notes from that conversation into order, and get them posted. Unless SWA changes its mind, today, I’ll be flying to KC, and driving (AMTRASH annulled its afternoon train) to Knob Noster. We’ll see how well I have retained my winter driving skills.
Safe travels, Karl. My hope is that the snowfall forecast and accompanying hype is a matter of the bark being worse than the bite.
Argh. Just goes to show that I need to improve my mind reading skills. I read "Kansas City Terminal" as the railroad, not the Frisco's KC operations.
It doesn't diminish the fact that it's a fabulous photo of the general KC area environs. The level of detail in the photo is splendid.
Made it back to Houston, after SWA’s debacle. We had the luxury of not being trapped at the airport, so it was just matter waiting for SWA to get its act together. Here is a synopsis of my conversation with John Grady. Besides serving as a Trainmaster, he was an agent/telegrapher/DS. "All of the switch jobs at Rosedale started and ended at Rosedale, 3 shifts, 7 days a week. The switching out in Blue Valley industrial area was done by a job out of 19th Street, 6 days a week, I think. Beyond Blue Valley was done by the High Line Local that ran Clinton to 19th Street Yard on Mon-Wed-Fri and back to Clinton on Tue-Thu-Sat. The 19th Street Yard had all jobs starting at the diesel shop in 19th Street. 3 shifts switching the yard, 1 switching industries outside of 19th Street and the Hill south of 19th Street. And there were 2 or 3 jobs that just did transfer runs delivering cars to other RR's in KC. All yard switch jobs were 7 days a week and most transfer jobs were 7 days. We also called extra jobs about 4 to 7 days a week on different shifts, and they all started at the 19th Street diesel shop. The 19th Street YM was over all switching industries except the Rosedale YM was over the job that switched Sunshine Mills which was right at the north end of Rosedale Yard. The Hill or the Fair Ground Branch…it had a designated name but each yardmaster had their name that they used with their switchmen and that is how I learned it. When I was transferred to KC from Mobile in the summer of 1969 I got a track diagram of the entire KC Terminal and got out and walked every track where we had switch crews working. That is how I learned where all the industries were located and one time down north of 19th Street in what they called the West Bottoms I ran into a switch crew. They wanted to know what in hell I was doing out there. I told them I wanted to know the tracks, where they were, the industries, etc., so IF they ever got a car on the ground or anything that they needed help with I would know where they were and how to get there. It impressed them as they had never seen a trainmaster out walking tracks to see what and where they did their job."
Wow. That is a fantastic break down of KC operations. Thanks a bunch for gathering that for me, and thank you to John for providing the info.
Fascinating summary, Karl - pass along our thanks to John Grady for the details. Off track, but the Mizzou marketing person with whom I work at basketball games was trying to get back from the bowl game in Tampa. Supposed to depart via SWA on Christmas Eve. Finally arrived back in COU on the 29th after getting a rental car in Baltimore with a previous stop in Hartford. Still has no idea where her baggage is. Indeed, your experience sounds fortunate, and am grateful it wasn't worse.
