Kansas City Clinton and Springfield (KCC&S) / Leaky Roof - Freight Operations Question

Discussion in 'Timetables' started by Bradley A. Scott, Aug 15, 2006.

  1. Does anybody in the group have any detailed information about the freight operations of the Kansas City, Clinton & Springfield (KCC&S) prior to its absorption into the Frisco?

    I've already looked over the Eastern Division timetables from 1933 and later that Karl has posted. They're useful, but I'm more interested in the KCC&S's freight operations before the line was severed between Clinton and Deepwater, and before its operations were coordinated with the parallel Kansas City, Osceola and Southern (KCO&S)/Frisco "High Line".

    I've also looked over Mike Good's set of webpages about the railroads of Clinton, Missouri. http://tacnet.missouri.org/history/railroads/index.html

    He has some excellent maps, newspaper accounts, and public/passenger timetables, but I didn't see any schedule of freight operations. The KCC&S operating statistics from his page provide some figures on total freight train miles per mile of track per day, which give a general idea of the average density of freight operation. The figures cited suggest that about one freight in each direction daily was the average density, but I would like something with a bit more detail.

    Information gleaned from the newspaper accounts on Good's set of webpages include the following. "When train No. 84, north-bound - the regular daily freight - on the Memphis, arrived here shortly after 12 o'clock to-day, it contained four cars which were to be transferred to the M. K. & T. road." From the Clinton Advocate, Jan. 17, 1889.

    Anybody have any more detail? I've love to see an Employee Time Table, but I'd settle for anything I can get!

    Bradley A. Scott
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 17, 2023
  2. Peddling Joe

    Peddling Joe Frisco Employee

    The Olathe Naval Base reportedly used some of the original KCC&S tracks.

    After it closed down, R.D. Long Contracting Company, Inc. was one of several companies that had facilities in some of the vacant buildings. Looking at R. (Richard aka Dick) D. Long's business information dated April 1988, it shows his address as the following.

    One Industrial Parkway
    Industrial Airport, Kansas 66031

    Dick was involved in a number of projects during his career including rehabbing the Panama Canal RY and also considerable work at the Hawthorne, Nevada Military Base. I believe he called KC his home?

    My guess is some of the original KCC&S tracks are still in service at the Olathe industrial site? In searching the maps, I am unable to determine this.

    Joe

     
    Last edited by a moderator: Dec 17, 2023
  3. mark

    mark Staff Member Staff Member

    I can find no evidence that the Kansas City, Clinton and Springfield (KCCS) Railroad ever passed through or adjacent to the airport. There is no evidence a branch or spur of the railroad ever existed into the airport area land. The KCCS passed over 4 miles to the northeast through Olathe, KS. The railroad was abandoned to the west before the turn of the century and to the east in 1932. Only a short section of its main connecting the Frisco and Santa Fe tracks remain.

    The Naval Air Station Olathe was an “emergency” project during World War II. It opened on 10/1/1942. Located adjacent to the small community of Gardner, Kansas, it was often referred to as the Gardner Navy Base. The base was originally operated by the Naval Air Primary Training Command (NAPTC) and Naval Air Transport Service (NATS).

    After the War, the airport remained active as a Navy and Marine Reserve base and as Naval Air Technical Training Center Olathe (NATTC Olathe) school. In addition, during 1950 – 1955 the Air Force Reserve operated a unit at the base. They also added an Air Defense Command radar surveillance of the continental United States unit. The base was decommissioned 10/29/1969 and officially closed in July 1970. Several buildings were retained as Naval Air Reserve Center Olathe.

    Johnson County acquired the airport in 1973. At that time, it was renamed Johnson County Industrial Airport. The name was chosen to reflect its intended purpose as an industrial park with an airport. On 9/28/1994, it was again renamed as the New Century AirCenter. During 1996 all remaining functions of Naval Air Reserve ceased.

    The base was served by the Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (ATSF) Railroad. It passed by the airport adjacent to its south side border. A spur connected to the Santa Fe’s Second District. The Second District extended from Argentine Yard in Kansas City, KS to Emporia, KS. It is part of today’s successor railroad’s “Southern Transcon”. The spur originally served the airport’s west side supply facilities and warehouses. This area of the base property was later developed as an industrial park. Today the industrial park is operated by the Johnson County Airport Commission and serviced using their New Century AirCenter (JCAX) Railroad.

    As noted, the airport was built at least a decade after the KCCS was gone to the north. There is no evidence it passed by or through the future airport base land. Further, due to the time lapse between abandonment of the KCCS in the area, the high demand of scrap leading up to and for the War effort, coupled with the later building of the base, it is unlikely retired track or other materials would have found their way to the airfield property. As a result, it is not at all likely there was or is any remnant of the KCCS at the airport in Gardner.

    As a side note, John Glenn, then in the Marine Corps, trained and made his first flight in a military aircraft from the base. He would go on to become a decorated WW II, Chinese Civil and Korean Wars veteran, engineer, businessman, test pilot, NASA astronaut (one of the Mercury Seven), later United States Senator from Ohio and politician. He was the third American in space and on 2/20/1962, aboard spacecraft Friendship 7, the first to orbit the Earth. On 10/29/1998, at age 77, he again returned to space on the Shuttle Discovery.

    Hope this helps.

    Thanks!

    Mark
     
  4. Karl

    Karl 2008 Engineer of the Year Frisco.org Supporter

    I

    To be sure, the former KCC&S never served the naval air station. However, I suppose it’s a matter of the definition of the word, “tracks". It’s my impression from Joe’s post that what he meant by track is rail and OTM. In other words, when the Frisco retired the former Leaky Roof in Johnson City, KS, some of that rail and OTM was used to construct the trackage on the Olathe Naval Air Station. This may be a possibility, but given the time between the road’s retirement and the development of the air station, this scenario is probably unlikely. If any KCC&S rail/OTM is extant on the former air station, it would carry a 19th century mill date. Joe, what say you?
     

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