Late last yr the U. of New Mexico Press pub. a book titled "10
Turtles to Tucamcari" by Klink Garrett. What does that have to do
with us Burlington fans? (I would never even have taken a 2nd glance
@ the book given it's title but fortunately a friend had & convinced
me to read it).
The Burlington for decades, was an Adams Express affiliate (look at
old depot pics for the Adams sign). However when nearly all the
Class I RR's created REA in 1929 from most of the existing express
companies, the Q became to 9th largest REA stockholder). Into the
1950's (REA liquidated in "76), every depot serving any town of size
had an REA office in or near it, had a large fleet of express cars
(usually located right behind the locos in a passenger consist) and
was, in its heyday, bigger than UPS/Fedex are combined today.
Mr. Garrett, now in his 90's, had an REA career that spanned almost
the entire life of REA, starting as an "extra sub" @ the Rapid City,
SD office in "35 rising to VP-Gov' Contracts & staying with REA into
the 1970's. More importantly for Q fans, the bulk of the book covers
his experiences as a young agt in Burlington towns such as Lead,
Deadwood, Pluma, Shoshoni, Bonneville, Newcastle & Cody (where he
made a name for himself with REA and has the most coverage in the
book). Published @ $25.95, you can find the book from discount
sellers for $18-20 or so plus S/H but you can buy direct from Mr.
GArrett for $22 which includes mailing in a 'bubble' envelope.
172 page hardbound, just a few b/w pics (none of trains BUT a great
shot of him pasting a new sign on the side of the familiar green REA
delivery trucks while standing on an REA baggage wagon in Cody!)
If nothing else, the book will explain to you what a lone REA agt
did when his express car was spotted by a Q road crew with a
telephone pole blocking the baggage door (& no local switch crew to
respot it!)
I have been in correspondence & phone conversations with Mr.
Garrett; the result will be a page story hopefully for the Zephyr or
BB, explaining how gold bullion was shipped from the Homestake Mine
via the Q down thru the Black Hills to Edgemont and then to the mint
@ Denver (and when the conventional train was converted to a 'mixed',
REA trucked the gold to Newcastle to put on the Burlington there).
If interested, $22 to:
Klink Garrett, Hickory House - Apt M43, 430 Oriole Dr., Spearfish, SD
57783. Don't wait too long given his age.
If unsure, I'll have my copy of the book @ Oregon meet, Apr. 17.
Gerald
(& "10 Turtles" title comes from an old REA boast: if someone asks
you if they can ship 10 turtles to Tucamcari, you answer "yes, box or
snapping?")
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