I posted something similar to this about 400 members ago, and got nothing in response. Let's try it one more time. In the early 1980's the OKC board looked about like this: Oklahoma Sub. 4 pools running (eastward) #30 and OCCY. (westward) 537 and 539. Chickasha Sub. 3 to 4 pools running (eastward) 3210. (westward) 537. On weeknights, a Cyril or Fletcher turn would run. *** If 537 left for Quanah ahead of the turn on Friday nights, a certain conductor would set out all his work for the turn to pick up and switch...but I digress *** In the yards: a 7:00am switcher, 8:00am yard switcher, the "Dayton job", 4:00pm yard switcher, a "midnight job" as needed, a Lawton switcher on weekdays. During wheat harvest, a switcher was bulletined to be based out of Quanah to switch all the grain elevators from Quanah to Altus, and sometimes Headrick, OK. I can see from current maps that the OKC-Tulsa line has been spun-off from BNSF. Does anyone have an overview of what goes on in OKC these days?
Trainbooks, I left OKC in 1982. However I remember the jobs being close to what you have described. (BTW I think I know 'who that certain conductor' is.) It is my understanding that the only jobs left on the West end are double locals to Lawton working six days a week and a roadswitcher out of Lawton that goes to Altus six days a week. Nothing is run between Altus and Quanah except extras for the wheat harvest, etc. The East end is no more, with the crews running over the former ATSF to Black Bear and then over the Avard subdivision to Tulsa. I think there are/where three yard jobs left. East yard (north yard?) is still in operation but I would imagine not for long. Hope this helps. Jerome
That subdivision has a very interesting past, due in part to former Q.A. & P. president Charles Sommer who performed the impossible by getting a premier transcontinental freight train service routed thru Tulsa-OKC-Quanah-Floydada. That was not the best routing, and the train eventually moved to the best route, but the people based in OKC who moved those trains had to be the best in the business. I haven't boomed all over America to make a comparison, but I would still give them top honors. One of the most nerve-racking jobs I ever caught was keeping everything on the track while switching grain between Quanah and Altus in 1982. The track condition was horrid, and that made it hard to believe a fast freight ever traveled the line. It looks like the tire industry is the "life's blood" of the sub, now. Thanks for the reply, Jerome.
