West Bottoms Street Surface Construction - Cobblestone, Brick, Asphalt, Concrete - Eras Inquiry

This is a difficult one and I will be lucky if anyone can give a definitive answer.

I'm starting to plan the scenery on my Kansas City West Bottoms switching layout. Today the streets are asphalt. I ran into another Friscophile and he was pretty certain that they were originally brick. I went down there today and there were a few places where track was still in place on sidings, Weber's warehouse, and it was concrete between the rails.

Is there a slim chance an old Frisco hand is out there that can confirm it was once brick?

I can handle whatever it was, I would just like to get it historically correct for 1950-1952.

John

 

John,

I found a picture of the Rudy Patrick Seed Company building on Santa Fe at West 9th Street.

It shows the roads and sidewalks being brick paved! I think it is pre war though. You can find it on the Kansas City public library site. If you click on the local history / genealogy link under research resources, then on the next page scroll down to digital images under quick links and click this button.

On the digital images page, mark images under the search box and type in Rudy Patrick Seed Company, you should find two pictures and one map. Unless you've already found an answer. Sorry this is a bit long winded, but had trouble trying to get a link to work.

Hope this helps.

Brian.

 

Thanks.

Great detective work.

 

From the third picture down it looks like brick streets to me.

The truss rod box cars would indicate 1915-1930, more or less.

 

John,

Do you use the Google Maps street view?

If so, have you come across the brick paving under the 12th Street viaduct? The google view isn't to clear, but might be worth a couple of photographs if you or anybody else is out that way during the convention, that's provided it's still there!

Regards,

Brian

 

One of two major train hobby shops is located in the West Bottoms on Mulberry Street next to the UP tracks.

So I am down there every couple of weeks. All streets are now asphalt.

If you go to Google Maps, go to the where the 12th Street viaduct goes over Santa Fe Street. Drag and drop the little man on Santa Fe facing south. You should see the two deck 12th Street Viaduct. The Frisco freight house, photo in this website, sat just south of the viaduct.

Now turn around and walk up Santa Fe to the north. About the time you get to Tower 2 on your right, picture also on this website, you will see the outline of where tracks ran up the center of Santa Fe. It went due north until about 8th street and made a left turn behind a large building with a curved back, Rudy Patrick Seed, running parallel to the track.

Frisco then went west for 1/2 mil or so to the large Armour Meat beef packing plant which is now all gone. There was a lot of switching here. That is basically my layout. It is 28 feet along one wall, the freight house to Rudy Patrick Seed, left turn along a 10 feet wall into a small Henning Street Yard and Armour.

John

 

Your track plan sounds good.

I have been reading through your other threads with interest, as this helps me with my layout.
I've followed the street trackage as far as the curved Rudy Patrick building with the help of the Sanborn maps, but didn't know were the tracks went after that. It is just a big space looking at Google Maps.

Your layout will look good with all that brick paved street trackage.

Will you be using embossed styrene or carving the bricks in plaster?

I can cheat modelling 1978-1980, lots of asphalt!

Brian