Lenny I think those VO engines were assigned at St. Joe...I think at that time..winter 53-54...probably 54...my parents and I were going or had been to Ames to "Check out" Iowa State College for my continuing education...At that time that engine would have been being used on the Villisca-Corning MO. branch. In all the times I saw this run over the years 49-56 I never saw one on that line in actual use...Usually an SW 1 did the trick for that short train. I also saw and have some photos of one of those VO's used on a work train at Phelps right after the 52 flood. The Villisca-Corning branch belonged to the St. Joe Division..which you probably know and Villisca, itself, was Creston Division.
I never saw a VO actually running on that branch...In 51 when Jim and I made our first "overnighter" Corning-Villisca the regular train was 94-93 and there was a second "Clarinda Turn numbered 97-98 IIRC which used a 44 tonner. That run came off when the mail came off 93-94 and, hence, there was no need to make the connection at Corning with 20 and 27 and 93 or 94 could do the Clarinda switching and make the run down to Shambaugh when necessary.
Pete
-----Original Message-----
From: Walter Ohrnell wohrnell@kc.rr.com [CBQ] <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
To: CBQ <CBQ@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Tue, Jan 2, 2018 8:25 pm
Subject: [CBQ] Re: Villisca Info?
Interesting there was a VO-1000 apparently assigned there. Red Oak only rated a 44 tonner. Maybe Pete could remember when the pictures were taken.
Lenny Ohrnell
Sent from my iPad