In 1951 my Buddy, Jim Christen and I had taken our first overnight branch
line train trip from Corning to Villisca.
We had joined the train crew for supper and had walked down the street
afterwards with Sid Keown an old time conductor and a genuine raconteur (look
it up if you don't know what it means). Something came up about engines and
roundhouse damage.
Sid regaled us with a tale (supposedly true), of an engine in the Falls City,
(NE) MOP roundhouse blowing a cylinder head while in the house. "The head
went right through the roundhouse wall....across the street... through the
hotel window and......set the bed on on fire". I was in Falls City in the
early 1980's after moving to Nebraska. I went to the site of the MOP
roundhouse....you could still see the footings....for the express purpose of
checking the story.....Sure enuf there was a little building which had been
a hotel right across the street from the roundhouse.
The story telling session ended (in 1951) a few minutes later....we were
standing on a street corner while Sid continued his "tales of the rails". He
glanced down the street to the west and there was a middle aged woman
standing about a block down. She was waving in our general direction.
When Sid saw her he turned and said "Pardon me boys,...I think that woman
wants me"...and away he went. Railfanning was more fun in those days.
Pete
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