Here’s an issue that’s been bugging me for decades.
A look of the Santa Fe Railway’s routes across eastern Kansas reveals a map that looks like a small bowl of cooked spaghetti that’s been turned upside down. I’m pretty clear about what constitutes the old “passenger main” across the state (via Dodge City), but I’ve never been quite clear as to what constitutes The Transcontinental Freight Main (T.F.M.) between Argentine Yard and Amarillo, Tex.
In 1970, when I rode my first Santa Fe passenger train (No. 1 between Dearborn Station and Richmond, Calif.), I’m reasonably certain that it followed the T.F.M. as far as Barstow, Calif. Today, though, I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the BNSF has upgraded one or more subdivisions across the southeast quarter of Kansas so as to allow directional running. Pray tell, what might those subdivisions be?
So as not to burden anyone’s answering efforts by drawing a map, all I require are some junction points such as Stations KCMO, A, B, C, D, and E constitutethe westbound T.F.M. and Stations E, F, C, G, H, and KCMO constitutethe eastbound T.F.M. That’d be sufficient. I could then apply those station names to one of my pre-1995 “Official Guides” and finally learn what constitutes the actual T.F.M. across Kansas.
As an aside, Jan.- Mar. 1971 I worked as a surveyor with the Railway’s Colorado Division engineering office based in La Junta, Colo. During much of that winter season I spent a lot of time in western Kansas, but the field parties I worked never went beyond Dodge City. I’ve consulted Santa Fe passenger timetables from that era and some early 1960s “Official Guides,” but none of the those publications can definitively suggest what constitutes the T.F.M.
The Emporia Sub (Wellington-Mulvane-El Dorado-Ellinor-Emporia-Lebo-KC) has always been the “freight main” for transcon traffic.
In the last couple years eastbound traffic has started to be rerouted over the Ark City Sub/La Junta Sub via Wichita and Newton. This is not really full “directional running” as has been reported in the foamer press, but is an operation descion made by the dispatcher. Not all eastbounds follow this route, but a majority do.
Your westbound hotshots left Kansas City with the thru-trains leaving the passenger main at Emporia. Anything requiring re-blocking or major pick-ups/set outs went to Sand Creek Yard at Newton. Everything else found its way into the yard at Emporia, Wellington or Argentine. (Wellington and Emporia have been all but phased-out)…
Trains often were routed on crew availability, priority and how much congestion there was between Newton, Wichita and Mulvane. (The ATSF Middle Division was always a busy, unpredictable place.)
In accordance to the freight route as mentioned above, the passenger route, on the eastern division departing KCMO, was KCMO, Holliday, Lawrence, Topeka, then connecting back to the freight trans con line at NR Junction in Emporia. At Ellinor, the passenger trains took the northern route. This of course was westbound traffic. Reverse for eastbound.
In looking at my August 1955 Official Guide, I notice that #1 out of Kansas City went west via Lawrence and Topeka. Running time was 2:20 for 127 miles to Emporia, including the two stops, or 54.5mph. Other trains running via Topeka included trains 5 (on to Galveston), 11 (Kansas Cityan to Ft. Worth) and 123 (The Grand Canyon Northern Section).
Several trains ran on the "Ottawa Cut-off. For instance, the Texas Chief ran from Kansas City to Emporia in 1:55 for 112 miles or 58.3 mph. Trains running on the cutoff included 21 (El Capitan), 17 (Super Chief), #3 (to San Francisco via Newton and Amarillo), 19 (Chief), 23 (Grand Canyon - Southern Section).
What is really interesting in looking at the schedules are the different routings used by Santa Fe in Kansas. It had multiple routings to cross the state, both to go to the west coast and also to Texas.
Bob, I remember back in 1966 I rode the Chief out of LaJuanta back to Kansas City as an 11 year old. What a train!
Do most of those routings still exist in Kansas, or are is it mainly the Transcon route and the line up to Newton?