Pratt, Kansas: 6 MAY'75
On the "Golden State Route", 274 miles west of Kansas City, Kansas, Rock Island's westbound freight #1 arrives at 1806 behind SP SD45, SP U33c, U33c, two more units (SP8832-SP8748-191- ? - ? - 257.) The train has stopped here to change crews, as a crew would take this train from Herington (where the Texas Gulf route splits off to go south) to Pratt, and another would take it from here to Liberal. The route was single track - from Herington, where double track from the east ended - and governed by timetable and train order while Automatic Block Signals provided protection. Timetable speed was 60mph, and trains did move along with it. During the TRAINS Magazine speed surveys of the '60s, Rock Island consistently racked up some of the highest speeds in the survey while out in this country, and I've no doubt that 60mph was considered to be "just a suggestion." Sadly, by this time the track was becoming more and more affected by the Rock's financial condition and the deterioration had set in…but I think that many crews were still trying to live the Glory Days, just as I saw on the Texas Gulf main. With Espee supplying power like this, who could blame them?
Pratt, Kansas: 6 MAY'75
On the "Golden State Route", 274 miles west of Kansas City, Kansas, Rock Island's westbound freight #1 arrives at 1806 behind SP SD45, SP U33c, U33c, two more units (SP8832-SP8748-191- ? - ? - 257.) The train has stopped here to change crews, as a crew would take this train from Herington (where the Texas Gulf route splits off to go south) to Pratt, and another would take it from here to Liberal. The route was single track - from Herington, where double track from the east ended - and governed by timetable and train order while Automatic Block Signals provided protection. Timetable speed was 60mph, and trains did move along with it. During the TRAINS Magazine speed surveys of the '60s, Rock Island consistently racked up some of the highest speeds in the survey while out in this country, and I've no doubt that 60mph was considered to be "just a suggestion." Sadly, by this time the track was becoming more and more affected by the Rock's financial condition and the deterioration had set in…but I think that many crews were still trying to live the Glory Days, just as I saw on the Texas Gulf main. With Espee supplying power like this, who could blame them?