Here is one more image from the George Strombeck album from his Sunnyland trip in 1965. I believe this was taken at Olathe. The second is a photo of the Meteor at (I think) OKC. I believe this is the location because of the proximity to the Rock Island obs one track over. Greg Stout
Greg, That photo of the 2018 E8 Racehorse is most definitely of the Newburg train depot. What sealed it for me was when I did a zoom in of the photo and noticed the trash on the hillside in the distance. That was the location of the old city dump and the trash was visible from the train yards. I live just east of the old train depot platform and am glad to say that the old dump has been closed and the trash removed. As of today, the hillside is green and recovering from decades of exposure to smoke and erosion. During the steam era the smoke from the engines coming into the roundhouse would settle over the hillside and actually blot out the sunlight, hence the term "Smoky Row" was coined for the location of the roundhouse and nearby "Bum Hill" where hobos were known to camp. Here is a photo of East Newburg in 1942 (looking west). Notice the roundhouse and the smoke in the distance.
Agree with Karl and friscogeorge - Newburg it is. The "Texaco" station depot, the hills in the background, and the yard to the left did it for me. What train is this - #4? Unusual, though it did happen, that it has only one unit, if it is #4. I rode that old hack from Rolla to StL US many a time - it always had two E-units. Ken
Excuse a novice but looking at the exhaust on that ABA unit isn't that an Alco set? Could explain the ABA? Rick|-|
When Strombeck rode passenger trains he usually took what he referred to as "triangle trips"--outbound over one route, return via another, often on a different railroad. My assumption was that he went straight back to Kansas City, but since this image is Newburg, he obviously headed home to Moline via St. Louis. I know he always liked to begin and end a trip on the Rock Island (his favorite), which is almost certainly how he got to Kansas City in the first place, so now that I think about it, maybe he took the Zephyr-Rocket. Anyway, that makes this train the Will Rogers--good to get this cleared up. GS
Yes, the Newburg overview pic does show an Alco FA/FB/FA A-B-A set sitting there west of the depot. To me, it looks like the lead FA has pulled away a few feet from the remainder of the consist. Wonder why? It's clearly later than 1942 since the Alcos are there. 1948/49/50? Also note the SLSF empty offset side 2-bay hopper sitting on one of the near tracks. Ken
Yep, that's a consist of two FA-1's and a FB-1 Alco diesels. They are in the yellow/black colors. These were standard for the freight trains in the 1940's. They were known for the massive plumes of diesel exhaust when they were powered up. George
Alco is a latin word meaning "turbo-lag". The Alco FA's and FB's arrived 1948-1949, so th etime of the Newburg overview pic is later than that. Ken
Figured you fellows knew the layout and town, but like you was placing the Alcos later than VJ Day so just spoke up. I made mistake of thinking were speaking of E8 in wrong photo. The Alcos were too short and chubby. Have a good night! Ricky|-|
I would place the photo about 1950. There's 4500 in the Hungerford scheme on the left side of the photo and very little other steam to be seen. Could even be 1951. 1942 would have no diesels or at most a blue and white 44 ton or VO-1000 and steam 'o plenty in the picture and the 4500 would have it's plumage intact. Photo is from Jerry Hurt.
The original 1947 "Texas Special" marked engines (Both Frisco and M-K-T) were E-7's with stainless steel fluting on the lower carbody sides. In 1950, the M-K-T received similarly decorated E-8's but without "The Texas Special" lettering and stainless steel fluting. The Frisco E-8's received in 1950 (Which also pulled the Texas Special regularly) were in the "Redbird/Racehorse" paint scheme. Also in 1950, the Frisco re-decorated their E-7's to the "Racehorse" paint scheme and the M-K-T removed "The Texas Special" lettering from their E-7's and put M-K-T heralds on the engines. Tom