In gathering material for my Frisco in Color, Vol. II, I came into possession of several slides of the final No. 1 at Newburg. It appears that the final run included three heavyweight coaches tacked onto the end of the train, the last car displaying a banner reading "Amer. Assn. of Railroaders/Last Passenger Train." Other images in the sequence suggest that the three cars laid over at Newburg and then returned to, I guess, St. Louis on No. 2. Does anyone have information on this movement beyond what I have already indicated? Also, it does not appear that a similar movement took place as part of the final runs of Nos. 101-102 in December 1967, but I have no photographic evidence other than at the Memphis end of the run. Does anyone know one way or the other for sure? Thanks! Greg Stout
The last run of The Southland was documented by Channel 5, then KCMO-TV, in Kansas City. As passenger trains passed from the scene in the Kansas City area, the station produced a half hour program entitled, "The Last Train to Cherryvale", in which the Southland footage was reprised. The program was hosted by Wendall Anschutz. Perhaps the film remains in their archive.
Greg, Are you asking about the Oklahoman or the Southland, or both? BTW, "The Last Train to Cherryvale" was a program about the last run of Santa Fe's train No 211/212, "The Tulsan". I still have a VHS copy of the program somewhere. ABD Jacksonville,FL
Please dig up your VHS copy. I know that the program dealt mainly with the discontinuance of the Tulsan, hence the program's name. However, I seem to recall that the program noted the passing of several other trains that called on Kansas City.
A DVD version of that film is still available (I believe) through the Heart of the Heartlands Museum in Carona, KS. My wife, her grandmother and sisters were aboard that train.
Regarding Rancho Bob's note, I was referencing the Oklahoman, but I had two questions. First is, I am looking for is additional information about the "American Association of Railroaders" group that apparently chartered three cars and rode that train, I am guessing, from St. Louis to Newburg to Springfield and back. Further examination of the slides I have in hand indicates that the cars laid over in Newburg, but the group and the banner they displayed continued on to Springfield because there was not time to switch the chartered cars at Springfield, so they were picked up by No 2 at Newburg. Does anyone know anything about any of this? My second question is, was there a similar "funeral train" event when the Southland was discontinued a few months later? Again, thanks for whatever help anyone can provide. GS
The Last Train from Cherryvale is available from the Heart of the Heartlands Museum at Carona, KS on DVD for $20.00. I have a copy and have watched it numerous times and they only briefly mention the fact that the Frisco had already dropped passenger service into Kansas City Union Station in 1967. There is no footage of any Frisco trains on the film. John Chambers 2011 Heartlands President
I've found a Tulsa newspaper "web article" with a reference to the Oklahoman's last run. http://www.tulsaworld.com/webextra/...nnial_storypage.asp?ID=070502_1_A4_spanc88145 There was also an earlier "Oklahoman", trains No 111-112, a night train between Kansas City and Tulsa. Tom
