FL9

All three SFRH&MS busses were together at our last stop before returning to Oklahoma City.  Named after early settler Smith Paul, Pauls Valley, OK has accomplished a great deal in preserving its railroad history.  ATSF 2-8-0 #1951 was rescued from a city park and put on display with an-ex Frisco wooden caboose after both were given new paint jobs.

A new wooden Amtrak station on the left was built and the old AT&SF depot on the right refurbished and opened as a local museum, both overlooking a nice brick plaza.

The inside of the old AT&SF depot holds a large number of railroad related items.

Over thirty years ago I used this depot as a background for many passing trains.  Here is a picture of northbound Amtrak Train 16, The Lone Star, making its regular early-evening stop on August 8th in 1974 as the shadows lengthen.

When everyone had seen their fill, an approaching thunderstorm herded us all back onto the busses.  We arrived back at the Reed Convention Center in Midwest City only about thirty minutes behind the original schedule, and enjoyed a great BBQ dinner before taking one more bus ride to the Oklahoma Railway Museum.