BRHSLIST
[Top] [All Lists]

[CBQ] Re: 1945 to 1955 operations on Central Nebraska branches

To: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [CBQ] Re: 1945 to 1955 operations on Central Nebraska branches
From: Richard Kistler <rckistler@windstream.net>
Date: Sat, 03 Aug 2013 11:19:33 -0500
Authentication-results: pacmmta52 smtp.user=rckistler; auth=pass (PLAIN)
Delivered-to: unknown
Delivered-to: archives@nauer.org
Delivered-to: mailing list CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Dkim-signature: v=1; a=rsa-sha256; c=relaxed/relaxed; d=yahoogroups.com; s=echoe; t=1375546762; bh=+YzqdUji93F+5OVdH9ZFV7Uc73oXFGCD+R37nzNbjlQ=; h=Received:Received:X-Yahoo-Newman-Id:X-Sender:X-Apparently-To:X-Received:X-Received:X-Received:X-Received:X-WS-COS:X-Cloudmark-Category:X-Cloudmark-Analysis:X-Cloudmark-Score:Authentication-Results:X-Received:Message-ID:User-Agent:To:X-Enigmail-Version:X-Originating-IP:X-eGroups-Msg-Info:From:X-Yahoo-Profile:Sender:MIME-Version:Mailing-List:Delivered-To:List-Id:Precedence:List-Unsubscribe:Date:Subject:Reply-To:X-Yahoo-Newman-Property:Content-Type; b=Tn4xm7j/256fOx/KaxuQPYHx7vMyKlI4QIu+FmzwlmLENJ2c/5IzcU0y6DeTYEgjZNzv01llyNvX2qlwdE5JNqR7QmY8Odm0k20c356uIN7OqNzzPbbNwRnJyK+rG2YN/W/c7znXqLGoKuOfv9ucm6y9j5kjcrjCzscPQgAnmhY=
Domainkey-signature: a=rsa-sha1; q=dns; c=nofws; s=echoe; d=yahoogroups.com; b=xi3BI07c3sIGEK78j/aLDjeOAK8mdFGSu5TeUzmcfyulJn97mig+IEEC1SVba2/c04cgJhF5btnigEfZqhzDWGg/XMa2gtSdBf5UB6Vk0UbM14A32CuuYhW5xQYoOBrDAZqaG2JpAnNQi0zJfQH54Ada4z/QI7CuYMIAUBidXo8=;
List-id: <CBQ.yahoogroups.com>
List-unsubscribe: <mailto:CBQ-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com>
Mailing-list: list CBQ@yahoogroups.com; contact CBQ-owner@yahoogroups.com
Reply-to: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
Sender: CBQ@yahoogroups.com
User-agent: Mozilla/5.0 (Windows NT 6.1; WOW64; rv:17.0) Gecko/20130620 Thunderbird/17.0.7


In answer to livestock train operation 1945 to 1955. I hired out as a clerk on the Wymore Division extra board in 1956 when livestock traffic had disappeared.
The territory listed is primarily on the former Wymore Division.
Wymore - Crete    Handled by daily except Sunday freight Nos. 93-94
Fairmont - Helvey    Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mixed train
Fairmont - Hebron    Monday, Wednesday and Friday mixed train
Bemedict to Clay Center    Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mixed from Stromsburg  (Lincoln Division)
Edgar to Nelson    operated as Wymore-DeWitt-Edgar-Nelson mixed train, tie up at Nelson Monday, Wednesday and Friday
Edgar-Holdrege    tri-weekly mixed
Lincoln-Nebraska City, Nebraska-Tecumseh   tri-weekly mixed

Locals handled all the traffic on these lines, doubtful if more than 1 to 3 loads of livestock were ever loaded at one time at any stations on these lines, so it should have not been a problem to handle. Grain was the largest commodity handled, often the Holdrege-Dewitt train was double headed with 4-4-2s. All the other lines were handled by 4-6-0's and 4-4-2s.  I don't recall any one ever discussing  moving traffic from one train to another at crossing points.
 
The line from Red Cloud through Superior and Wymore to St. Joseph carried livestock trains until the early 1950's, mostly livestock off the two Kansas branches. Red Cloud and Superior were probably the most active along the line. The livestock trains over this line were handled at passenger train speed and only picked up at several stations. Empty stock cars were westbound the first part of every week to be distributed, with loads eastbound the following weekend to St. Joseph and Kansas City. Operation of these trains ended in 1952. There may have been a few livestock trains on the DeWitt to Holdrege route, but I never heard anyone discussing it.

I went through the Wymore Authority For Expenditure (AFE) from 1917 to 1969 and noticed the railroad began tearing down livestock pens at some of the smaller stations as early as the late 1930's as they were no longer being used. Nearly every station had stock pens, their size was dictated by the demand, cattle ranches were mainly west of Superior in the early part of the century. Prior to better roads cattle buyers working out of St. Joseph rode passenger trains to the area raising cattle, rented a horse and buggy to reach the farms to look over the cattle and bargain with the farmer on the price. They were interested in building a solid train of livestock which could be handled as easy as one or two cars on a local freight. Mikados were generally used on these trains from Red Cloud to St. Joseph. 

Burlington Bulletin No. 25  carried an very interesting and informative story on livestock traffic by Hol Wagner.

I hope this answers you inquiry, if not, please advise.

Richard Kistler



__._,_.___


Your email settings: Individual Email|Traditional
Change settings via the Web (Yahoo! ID required)
Change settings via email: Switch delivery to Daily Digest | Switch to Fully Featured
Visit Your Group | Yahoo! Groups Terms of Use | Unsubscribe

__,_._,___
<Prev in Thread] Current Thread [Next in Thread>