Greenfield Spur - South Greenfield to Greenfield, MO

[(unregistered]

Image is from a circa '30's Northern Div blueprint from my collection. The profile shows track elavation, grade, curvature, rail weight, ballast type, pole line, secton crew responsibilty, water tanks, fuel, and track schematic. Of note, the 3.6% grade is the steepest on the entire Frisco.

[karl]

This is an image taken from a hand-drawn Norhern Div. B&B inventory, circa '30's. It didn't scan well, because it was drawn in pencil, and the pages have aged. Bridges between Greenfield and Soth Greenfield are shown

[kal]

From my Northern Div B&B inventory. Greenfield to S. Greenfield.

[karl]

From the B&B inventory. Greenfield depot, and related structures

[karl]

Greenfield engine facilities. A reference from another part of the B&B inventory indicates that the turntable came from Coburg Yd. (KCO&S, Clinton Sub) in KC. In other railroad literature,I have seen "gallows" type turntables called "Prairie" turntables. I don't know if it's the case here.

[karl]

Greenfield Stock Pens

[LARRY MURPHY]

Greenfield Stock Pens

Karl: FYI, Greenfield stock pens drawing, top of drawing is east. Stock pens located on east side of siding that served Greenfield Ready-Mix, Phillips Petroleum bulk plant, Greenfield Mill and Elevator, Shell/Skelly bulk plant and Greenfield Lumber sand and gravel bins. "Main line" continued north to Sinclair and Dixie Gas bulk plants and poleyard of Empire District Electric Company. Originally that track continue north about 2 miles to end at what is now known as Russell Road, across the road from the farm where I was raised.

Thanks for the drawing!

Larry Murphy
larry@murphyagro.com

[LARRY MURPHY]

Greenfield engine facilities. A reference from another part of the B&B inventory indicates that the turntable came from Coburg Yd. (KCO&S, Clinton Sub) in KC. In other railroad literature,I have seen "gallows" type turntables called "Prairie" turntables. I don't know if it's the case here.

Karl:

Had a friend, Calbert Scott of Greenfield, who lost the toes on one foot by engine running over them on that gallows turntable. Always fascinated me as a kid. When turntable retired about 1926, SLSF built a wye to the west of the track. My Dad and Granddad indicated that the engine house was between the legs of the wye. Possibly wye existed before engine house demise since likely turned entire passenger train. Tail of the wye was quite long and would have accomodated engine, tender, baggage car and coach. Book "History of Lawrence County" has several pictures and an article on the Greenfield and Northern. If you are interested, I will get some things I have scanned (need to do it anyway) and send them to you. However, would need to get your email address if you are comfortable with that.

Larry Murphy

[LARRY MURPHY]

Image is from a circa '30's Northern Div blueprint from my collection. The profile shows track elavation, grade, curvature, rail weight, ballast type, pole line, secton crew responsibilty, water tanks, fuel, and track schematic. Of note, the 3.6% grade is the steepest on the entire Frisco.

Karl:

Thanks again for all this information! I never saw the Greenfield depot in its original position. It had been moved out in front of the Greenfield Mill and Elevator and turned to face south. I was never smart enough to take a picture of it before it was dismantled. Did get a Hemingray beehive insulator from a short bracketed cross arm which would have been on the south side of the telegrapher's bay.
My dad used to tell me ithe 3.6% grade was the steepest in the state of MO but perhaps that was just on the Frisco. have story from my Granddad about runaway train on that grade. Had to cut in two acct steep grade. Crew went back to get rest of train. Gone! Brakes held but let it slowly drift back to "South Town" where they found it standing on the house track behind the S. Greenfield depot. Other stories of electrifying the depot water bucket in which they kept ice in the summer. Telegrapher hooked up the 44 v. telegraph line to the bucket, made sure floor was wet then closed the key when some depot loafer was drinking the staff's ice water! Shocking, I reckon...and from experience!

Larry Murphy

Larry

[LARRY MURPHY]

This is an image taken from a hand-drawn Norhern Div. B&B inventory, circa '30's. It didn't scan well, because it was drawn in pencil, and the pages have aged. Bridges between Greenfield and Soth Greenfield are shown

i DIDN'T KNOW THERE WERE ANY BRIDGES EXCEPT THE BIG TRESTLE JUST NORTH OF THE DEPOT IN SOUTH GREENFIELD.

[LARRY MURPHY]

From my Northern Div B&B inventory. Greenfield to S. Greenfield.

This trestle just north of the S. Greenfield depot seemed huge to me when I was a kid. Eventually takenout of service in late 1950s or early 60s and Greenfield spur attached to the main north of the large concrete arch bridge north of the S. Greenfield depot.

Larry

[Karl]

Larry, pleased to make your acquaintance. I have roots in Dade County; my mom is from Lockwood, and I still have an aunt, and several cousins who live there, as well as scores of more distant cousins

There were three small trestles between Greenfield and South Greenfield. Since they consisted of one, 14-foot panel each, they probably weren't very noticeable.

I have the same B&B records and track diagram for the line between S. Greenfield and Aurora. I am headed to Springfield for a long weekend, and will try to get the rest of the Aurora Branch posted soon.

I would certainly enjoy seeing anything that you have.

Here's a plat from 1903 which shows the depot, "roundhouse", stockyard, elevator, and lumber yard. Unfortunately the track configuration isn't shown. However using the plat and the track schematic from the track diagram, one can get a feel for the general arrangement of things.

[LARRY MURPHY]

Karl:

Sorry I haven't been back to you sooner but have been on the road this week.

Small world with mutual roots in Dade county. I left Greenfield and Dade county to go to the University of Missouri in the fall of 1955. My wife Sandy and I lived on a farm of my folks' (King and Ottalee Murphy) sputh of Pennsboro in the summer of 1959. G&N grade crossed the west side of the farm and piling of the trestle over Honey Creek were still there. Have some things that are written about the G&N/Frisco which I will send. Have you seen the book on South Greenfield? Mostly pictures, actully quite a project. I have a copy...somewhere! It and Lawrence County history book have several pictures of the G&N. My son Russ has done a drawing of the Hattie J G&N 4-4-0 #4 locomotive which needs to be digitized. I think Russ worked it up from a photo in the Lawrence county history book.

Thanks for the Greenfield map. Looks like one that was in the Dade county plat book of which I have a photo copy. Shows alignment of the line from the dead end north of Greenfield to the Lawrence county line. Hope to locate similar plat book may of Lawrence county, both around turn of the last century.

Still trying to figure out how to work this system to attach things so may have to make a separate stab at that!

Sure do appreciate your help! I am going to ask Russ this next week (geologist in Houston) to re-produce a drawing of the Greenfield depot diagram.

Let's stay in touch.

Best regards. Larry Murphy