Here are a couple pics that show Bowden in the 1940s, and again in the late 1970s. In the early pic is by Preston George and there are 3 sets of tracks, in the later pic there is just one line. The two photos were taken fairly close to each other. the S curve in Bowden is still a favorite spot for railfans and photographers. I live in Bowden and the area basically still looks the same today and is heavily used by BNSF and Stillwater Central, and there is still only one lane of traffic today. Bowden had a depot up until sometime just before WW2 according to my neighbor Bud, who is 90 years old and has lived here all his life. Bud told me that when he was a boy he had a job carrying the mail to and from the depot and the post office. The concrete footing for the depot is still here. In the early pic you can see oil derek's in the background, the first wells were drilled here in 1909 and the derek's are long gone now but the oil wells are still here producing oil and new wells are still drilled here today. Several of the structures in the Preston George photo are still here today also. There are a few concrete culverts running under the tracks here and all of them have the date 1917 cast into the concrete. I have some questions regarding Bowden so hopefully some of our experts can shed some light. 1. Why were 3 lines needed in the early days? and when was the line reduced to a single main line? 2. The culverts are dated 1917, was the line built new in 1917, or was the line built at an earlier date and then fitted with newer culverts in 1917? Thanks for your help ! Paul
1. Double track (each signaled with APB for one direction) with a center, 76-car-length passing track. 2. The concrete boxes post-date the construction of the railroad.
Thanks Karl, any idea when the line through Bowden was built? I know the Frisco came to be in 1878 but I cant imagine they laid the whole system out in one year. Thanks again !
Vinita to Tulsa: 1882 Tulsa to Red Fork: 1885 Red Fork to Sapulpa: 1886 As far as I can tell, the double track was retired between Norris and Oma between 1956 and 1959 as part of the installation of CTC.
Thanks Karl, the info is always appreciated. About 5 years ago the RR took out the telegraph poles along this line and I found 8 different variations of insulators along the S curve. I have them displayed above my front door. Fun stuff !
The 2nd (north) track between East Tulsa & Sapulpa, OK. was added in 1917 by SLSF, the south track was the original line built by the Atlantic & Pacific RR in 1882-1886. The middle track was probably the old siding at Bowden before the north track was added. The south track between Norris & Oma, OK. was abandoned in 1959 when CTC was installed as part of the new Cherokee Yard project, the rest of the double track is still in service. Roger
Roger, the second track being added in 1917 makes perfect sense, as all the bridges and culverts here are dated 1917. They would have needed to build the new concrete structures quite a bit longer than the old wooden ones from 1882 because they were not wide enough to accommodate the new double track roadway. Thanks Karl and Roger for the info. I always enjoy learning about the history of Bowden and the Frisco.
Found this item buried in the ballast about 20 feet north of the depot foundation in Bowden. Made of iron. Anybody know if the item is railroad related? thanks
There's a nice shot of #4154 pulling a westbound freight taken at the exact same location on Mike Condren's Tulsa Pages under the Tulsa freight trains (Frisco) heading. Larry F.
When we were doing the BNSF Employee Appreciation Specials down to Texas with 1522, I ran the three round trips between Cherokee and Sapulpa. I think the engine remembered being there before. Was a fun day. Turned on the wye at Sapulpa and just east of the diesel shop.
Thanks Larry, its an awesome pic you mentioned. I am very grateful that Preston George took some great pics her in the 40s, it gives me a picture window into the past at what my home town looked like before my time. The oilfields in the background are still here, and I work there every day. My grade school is south of the S curve, and its the same school my mom attended, and the same school my boys go to now. I was born and raised here , I left in my late teens but came back 10 years later to stay for good. This is the place where I first saw trains and watched them every day, they were orange and white Frisco diesel freight trains, they set the standard that all other trains were measured against in my eyes. Don, I'm glad you mentioned the 3 trips on the 1522 for the employee special, you are right it was a fun day for sure ! I have told this story on here before but I'm going to tell it again , I remember that day well, I was working in the oilfield early and I heard a steam train whistle in the distance, and it was completely unexpected. The sheer surprise and excitement was surreal and I jumped in the truck and drove to the crossing and 1522 came around the curve and it was an awesome sight, the first time I ever saw her. There were quite a few rail fans and one of them told me the train would be coming back and making several trips. I watched it go by all the other trips. One of the trips I actually drove down the ROW and parked 20 feet off the track in a secluded area and watched it without any rail fans in the background. Luckily I left before any Railroad Police could run me out !
Paul, the iron piece you have is off of a old "Cribber." It looks like one of the weights that was used to make it float. A cribber is a machine used on the steel gang, to remove ballast in the tie crib area for a steel relay.
Thanks William, I had a feeling it was some type of weight for MOW equipment, and when I posted the pic, I thought to myself " I bet Bill Jackson knows what it is" haha
