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Hello, let me attempt to decode some of these items on the dispatchers sheet you reference.
The work train listed at the top right of the sheet shows its working limits in the “Between” column, in this case it worked between “Q” and Gypsum. Q is the telegraph call letter for Marquette, KS. If you go down to the section of the sheet for the Council Grove Subdivision, you can find the stations of Gypsum and Marquette. Each of these stations was also the end points of the Saline Subdivision, which paralleled the Council Grove Sub and passed through Salina. Back in that section for Work Trains, it shows this train tied up at Salina, so that tells us it was working on the Salina Sub that day. Engine #1535 would appear to be 2-month old MP15DC built in October 1974.
The only traffic shown on the Topeka Sub that day was the local turn from Osawatomie, which ran as Train #611/#610. #611 departed Osawatomie at 6:45pm with 9 loads, 3 empties and ran west to the junction at Lomax, then north to Topeka. It arrived Topeka at 9:40pm with 10 loads, 3 empties so it picked up a load somewhere along the route. The same crew departed Topeka as #610 at 11:45pm with 3 loads, 14 empties and arrived back at Osawatomie at 3:00am with 5 loads and 15 empties. Power for this job was GP18 410 and GP7 193.
Photo re-attached
Photo re-attached
September 27, 2025 at 8:35 am in reply to: Featured Photo of the Week – Automotive Traffic St Louis 1973 #11469Photo re-attached
October 17, 2024 at 8:35 am in reply to: photos of interior of Caboose MP11020 or any Magor Car Co Steel Caboose #4754Barb, thank you for the update on caboose 920. Perhaps you could send us a photo showing the current appearance.
Ted Ferkenhoff
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Yes, train orders with a clearance card were the authority to occupy the main track. Automatic block signals are a safety overlay, and do not convey authority.
Hi John,
Sorry for the delay in response, I am slowly getting caught up with the Forum.
If the signal right at the depot was in the “on” position to get a set of orders what indication would the last signal coming up to the depot be? Would they be interlocked so to speak?
The train order signal was completely separate from the block signalling system. Block signal indications would not give train crews any information regarding the train order signal indication.
in the stretch between Scott City and Na Jct were any of the mainline siding switches directly controlled by the dispatcher or were they all just hand throw with a electric lock box?
In that section, it was all ABS signaling so nothing was controlled by the dispatcher. Siding switches were hand-throw.
Using Eads as an example, if you were trackside looking at the signal just past the east switch and no train for miles on end either direction what would you see for a indication looking at it from both a eastbound and westbound direction or would it even be lit up unless the east or west switch was open or a train was within a certain number of blocks of it?
If “no train for miles” meant no trains within 3 signal blocks either side of the signals being observed, signals in both directions would be green. I do not know if signals on this line were ever converted to being approach-lit, where they would not light up until a train was in an adjacent block.
Ted Ferkenhoff
Hi there Thomas, I checked thru some equipment diagrams and have attached the diagram for this series. Note is says “MP” 8730-8759, but built by T&P at Marshall 1958. The drawing would indicate square hatches as delivered. I have not looked for photos yet.
Here is a link to the post in this forum about Train #76 out of Pueblo in 1966, which John is referring to.
http://mopac.org/bb/viewtopic.php?f=3&t=679&p=2358&hilit=pueblo#p2358
Hi John,
Interesting collection of cars. Short descriptions below, and I have attached the equipment diagrams for these cars.
TP 3606 from series 3570-3619. 70T RBL with 7-ft door. 50’ 1” length, 4396 cu ft capacity. Built by T&P Marshall shops 1958-1959.
TP 719194, 719197 from series 719000-719199, built by Magor 1964. 100T covered hopper, aluminum, 4000 cu ft capacity.
MP 35646 from series 35350-35824. Built by MP DeSoto shops 1955. 50T all steel boxcar 40-ft length.
MP 780125 from series 780050-780149. Built by GATC 1964. 70T RBL 50-ft length.
MP 86298 from series 86200-86399. Built by ACF 1945. 50T all steel boxcar, 50-ft length.Referring to the FFT train list, car 1 was a caboose. The train list has cars listed counting forward from the caboose.
Car 9 was an equipped gondola, meaning it had fixed cradles or other devices to hold specific types of loads.
Car 16 was a damage-free (DF) boxcar
Car 17 was a boxcar equipped with load dividers
Car 28 another DF boxcar, probably loaded with batteries.As for the unit coal trains, I have notes on reporting marks. You will have to do some internet searching for possible car types and series, however, we are well before the era of aluminum cars.
CUM/CMU – Mississippi Power Daniels plant via Memphis/ICG DEGX markings, bottom dump
CUS/CSU – Illinois Power, Federal plant (Alton, IL) mix of MP and DRGW bottom dump hoppers
CUI/CIU – American Electric Power, Metropolis, IL AEPX markings, I don’t have other info
CUO/COU – Union Electric Labadie, MO plant cars marked UCEX and AMAX. Ortner 5-bay rapid dischargeI do not know of a way to determine whose racks were on the various TTX cars.
Unfortunately, train lists seemed to be thrown out faster than any other type of paperwork. I have attached the only list we have in the archives for FFT from April 1981. Someone scribbled “not much of an auto train” at the bottom of the list, as half the train was non-Ford fill traffic for DRGW at Pueblo. The CSP and FFT history gets pretty muddied in the early 80s, as MP’s blocking instructions allowed FFT to be filled with non-Ford traffic on certain days, and after the July 1981 retooling shutdown at Milpitas, the MP started originating “their” FFT at St Louis and adding the N&W traffic at KC. CSP also handled Ford parts from connections at the St Louis gateway and would set them out somewhere between Leeds, MO, and Hope, KS, for the FFT.
Coal traffic thru Horace in the early 80s, all off the DRGW, would have been:
CUM/CMU – Mississippi Power Daniels plant via Memphis/ICG
CUS/CSU – Illinois Power, Federal plant (Alton, IL)
CUI/CIU – American Electric Power, Metropolis, IL
CUO/COU – Union Electric Labadie, MO plantOther bulk traffic were grain trains symbolled GUx where “G” for grain, “U” was the Kansas Division code, and then destinations like H=Houston, N=New Orleans, etc. Also occasional welded rail trains from CF&I in Pueblo.
Great photo. Tipton is the only town along that route that I recall having a water tower like that. It is now painted as an 8-ball (as in pool.)
However, I cannot account for the factory-looking structure in the right background.Great photo. Tipton is the only town along that route that I recall having a water tower like that. It is now painted as an 8-ball (as in pool.)
However, I cannot account for the factory-looking structure in the right background. -
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