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I spent my share of time in the beaneries and dormitories at Neff Yard in KC. They might have been great when they were built in the late ’50s, but they left a lot to be desired by the late ’70s and early ’80s. I’m not sure when the dormitories were closed down. I would guess by the middle ’80s. I think the east end beanery lasted longer than the other facilities, but that is mostly a guess.
The east end was generally home to the rear end crews from Jeff City, Carthage and Osawatomie. The west end was home to the head end crews and usually both ends of crews from Falls City. This was directly related to where these crews would be once the trains were yarded and the power taken to the diesel shop. The east end was behind the general manager’s office and just south of the rip track. Crews from the east and south would usually yard their train in the 300 yard which put the caboose on the opposite side of the rip track from the beanery and dormitory. The west end facilities were across from the diesel shop and near the west end of the 200 yard which is where crews from the north yarded their trains.
All of the buildings were of concrete block construction with a brick exterior. The dormitory rooms were pretty spartan and you had to share restroom facilities and recreational devices (TV) with the other individuals staying there. The TV was usually a piece of junk that only got a handful of over-the-air stations. The worst part of staying there was the noise. A pin dropped on the floor at one end of the building sounded like a piece of steel pipe at the other end. Imagine what it was like when the crew caller came and banged on the door of crew members that were being called. The HVAC systems were pretty poor, also. The west end was especially bad. It was a single story building in the shape of an L. It was always hot on one end and cold on the other. The only difference between seasons was which end was hot and which was cold.
The beaneries were OK. Generally, the food was good and they were open 24 hours a day. I would say that quality-wise, the east end was a little better due to its proximity to the general manager’s office. They were operated by contractors that were smart enough to know that you had better do well for the guys that were authorizing payment.
I could tell lots of stories concerning the shenanigans that went on at these facilities. When business was good, there were more crews than the dormitories could handle. The overflow was sent to a motel/hotel facility that was a definite upgrade in comparison. There were several tricks that were employed from time to time in order to avoid staying at the dormitory. And, there were plenty of escapades that involved crew members and those that were employed to work in these places. Keep your eyes peeled for an upcoming story in “The Eagle.”
