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Watts

KCS RWT102, the Watts Dodger, builds its northbound train after switching the feed mill in its namesake town. In the foreground is the remains of a repair garage in the town's declining downtown business district.

 

Watts originally sprung up in the 1910s after KCS moved its division point here from Stilwell. With a population of nearly 400, the town contained multiple banks, hotels, stores, and even a local newspaper. The transition from steam to diesel and the ultimate elimination of the division point brought about the town's slow downfall. Nonetheless, a large feed mill remains in operation, a Dollar General has blossomed just a block from here, and the Dodger continues to make its rounds from the old KCS yard.

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Uploaded on August 8, 2023
Taken on March 30, 2023