FL9

Oklahoma City Skyline

Filed under Daily Doings | Posted by KenFL9 at 9:07 am    

Too many times I choose a slide that shows a train coming towards me.  Today I used the same box I drew from yesterday, except looking for a caboose shot.  The Oklahoma City skyline is growing larger on the horizon as a westbound Rock Island freight train out of Shawnee slowly traverses worn-out rails approaching its next stop at Harter Yard.

CRIP westbound into Oklahoma City OK 03-27-76

This is Subdivision 33 of Rock Island’s Southern Division, part of what was more well known as the “Choctaw Route” between Memphis, Tennessee and Tucumcari, New Mexico.  Not long after this photo was taken, the Santa Fe looked into buying this line and rebuilding it as a new transcon route, but eventually decided the cost would be too great due to its run-down condition. 

3 Comments »

Comment by Bryan Nelms

February 1, 2008 @ 4:37 pm

Ah, yes!!! The old rickety Choctaw route!!! Grew up almost right next to it. I was pretty young but vaugley remember those old blue and white GP-9’s and 38’s screeeeeching by on that awful track. I am told The Rock wouldn’t run six axle locos here(at least past my house) cause the curves were supposedly to sharp somewhere on the line. They were soon replaced with the John Deere Green and Yellow I cut my railfan teeth on into my teen years. That is until the Armour Yellow flood came, asimilated everything and took away my monthly cab and caboose rides to El Reno, BLAH!!!

Comment by Bryan Nelms

February 1, 2008 @ 4:41 pm

Oh, and someone once told me when the Santa Fe looked at buying the Choctaw route they ran a short inspection train down the line using Sante Fe and Rock business cars. But, the line was so bad part way through the trip the Sante Fe execs got nervous about the train derailing and cut the trip short. Any truth to this story???

Comment by KenFL9

February 1, 2008 @ 5:37 pm

I think that story is true Bryan. Let’s see if David Eads who used to work for the Rock will comment on this.

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