George and list
Here's what I know about the KC&O
The line was built and operated by the UP for the purpose of "invading" Q
territory in south central Nebraska. A map of the line would resemble a
wishbone turned upside down.
The road came off the UP at Stromsburg and ran south through Benedict, York,
McCool Jct where it diivided, one branch of the fork going southwest to
Lushton, Bixby, Sutton, where it crossed the Q mainline Verona, Clay Center,
Fairfield...ran over the UP a short distance NW to a point called Alma Jct,
then again west to Spring Ranch, Pauline, Le Roy, Ayr Junction, Roseland,
Holstein Norman, South Minden Keene, Wilcox (crossed the Q DeWitt-Holdrege
"highline" here) Ragan, Huntley to Alma where it joined the Q's Republican
Valley line from Wymore to Oxford.
The other branch extended south from McCool Jct to Fairmont (crossed the Q
mainline) thence Burress, Milligan, Tobias, Daykin, Helvey, KC&O Jct (joined
the UP here and ran over UP through Fairbury to Endicott.
The line was still in full operation as described above according to my May
1938 Burlington TT except for the portion from McCool Jct to Fairmont which was
removed sometime prior to 1938.
When I worked as a trainman for the Q in the mid 1950's I worked locals which
operated over part of the old KC&O Namely a thrice weekly turnaround between
Hastings and Huntley and two days between Sutton and Lushton on the north and
Clay Center on the south end.
Portions of the line are still in today: The line from York to Benedict is
upgraded to handled unit grain trains loaded at Benedict. The line between Ayr
Jct and Roseland is also upgraded for unit grain trains out of Roseland. The
line from Fairmont to Burress is intact as built and is owned by Manning Grain
Company at Burress. There has been no opreration on this line since the ill
fated Fillmore Western ceased sometime in the 1980's. Manning grain recently
purchased a 600 hp switcher from WATCO and it's sitting at the elevator at
Burress. Just SW of Fairmont about 40 tank cars for ethanol are stored.
Wymore Story by Richard Kistler and Hub of Burlilngton Lines West by Alfred
Holck both contain several photos of operation and facilties of the KC&O..I'm
sure that Hub is out of print, but Wymore Story may still be available from
South Platte Press at David City, NE.
If you will provide me with your USPS address I'll be glad to photocopy some
pages from my 1938 TT covering the KC&O lines.
During my time braking in 1956 on the Huntley local some of the crew were old
timers who had worked over the KC&O and were full of stories (some might even
have been true) of things that happened and how the trains ran "back then".
No one seems to know when the line between McCool Jct and Fairmont was
removed..It must have been early on.
Extant depots are McCool Jct (off site but well preserved). The line from York
to McCool Jct was in service until 1984 IIRC. The bridge over I 80 was removed
then and used in similar service when the line to the Gentlemen Power plant was
built in the 90's or so.
The depot at Burress is still there, but has been incorporated into the Manning
Grain operation as sort of a "General Store". The depot from Keene I think is
restored at at Minden?? I've seen it, but now I can't remember which town it's
in. The Wilcox depot is sitting behind an automobile Junk yard at that town.
The depot at Clay Center was only recently removed. It had been used by a
local agricultural business for fertiizer storage and was in bad shape.
The original depot at Spring Ranch...kind of a resurrected Ghost Town was still
there, on site in 1994 filled with hay.
Well, that's about all I can think of KC&Owise now...Anything I say is strictly
from memory so feel free to ask anything you like, but don't ask for
verification of any "facts" I may "spout".
Pete Hedgpeth
-----Original Message-----
From: Dave Lotz <Dave_Lotz@bellsouth.net>
To: cbq <cbq@yahoogroups.com>
Cc: georgecrawfordsr <georgecrawfordsr@comcast.net>
Sent: Fri, Jul 1, 2011 10:51 am
Subject: [CBQ] FW: KC&O RR
Hi all,
If anyone can assist George, be sure to include his email and the lists in
your replies.
Dave Lotz
Pooler, GA
-----Original Message-----
From: georgecrawfordsr@comcast.net [mailto:georgecrawfordsr@comcast.net]
Sent: Sunday, June 26, 2011 11:21 PM
To: BRHS@burlingtonroute.com
Subject: KC&O RR
Hello,
I have been a member of the BRHS since it's inception in 1983. I am trying
to locate any information on the Kansas City and Omaha Railroad which was a
CB&Q subsidiary which ran from Columbus Neb to Mc Cool JCT Neb then on to
Fremont on the main line and south west to Alba Nb. York NB is my main
interest since that is my home town. Any information to include pictures,
timetables etc greatly appreciated.
George N Crawford
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
[Non-text portions of this message have been removed]
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