Anyone have answers to Paul Doukos' questions on how the chicks got shipped out of KC? Glenn in Tulsa
Even after trains 20 & 21 were discontinued, the chicks still were shipped under the auspices of the Railway Express Agency. The the mixed trains 58 & 59 even carried a REA messenger aboard the baggage cars. (During 1959, REA employee Foreman was shot and killed at Belton as 59 passed by. The shot was fired by one of several boys who were "hunting".) As I recall, 58 would set-out the loaded baggage car(s) at KCUS where the REA would unload the car(s), and then transfer the chicks to other passenger trains or to REA trucks for delivery to their destination. When the car had been emptied, it was returned to the Frisco's 19th Street Yd. I don't have any recollection whether the KCT returned the car or if a Frisco switcher picked up the empty car(s) during its retrieval of 108's or later 102's cars. The chick business must have been a good one for the REA, because I remember that the baggage truck (wagon) at Lockwood usually had boxes chicks that were to be loaded on 108 for delivery to KC.
Karl and/or others, any thoughts on whether the process was similar before 20/21 were discontinued? I've used Karl's superb description of 105/106 switching operations at KCUS to design our very-truncated version of the terminal. On our layout, #20/#21will be operating via Olathe on still-intact KCCS trackage. Other than deciding whether to model the KCCS imagineered engine house at Olathe, I'm trying to firm up the operating scheme for KCUS. Thanks, in advance! Best Regards,
The when 21 tied up at KCUS, the passenger disembarked, the mail was removed, and the express was unloaded. The Frisco sent a 19th Street Yard switch engine to retrieve the consist, so that the cars and locomotive could be serviced at 19th Street. As noted in other threads the Frisco did not use the KCT RR to service its passenger equipment, and the Frisco performed that task.
