Just got a new Morning Sun color book at GATS Sat. called Trackside Around Granger Country. Lots of neat photos. It has several photos taken here. One of the neatest photos is one taken from Topeka Blvd. bridge showing a RI freight headed by an ABA set of F units in the red and black, crossing the river going south. You can see the roundhouse, not the little remnant that was here when I came to Topeka, and an interlocking tower. But there is a problem, the book's photos were supposed to be all taken in 1952 and 1953, and the day the photographer was in Topeka was in May 1953. Yet the RI bridge is not the lift bridge that is here now. Was there an interim bridge between the '51 flood and the lift bridge, that I never heard of?
Larry- Can't answer your question. But I have one about this book. Perhaps you can answer? What geographical area is covered? What railroads represented? Boxcab E50
The territory in order of level of coverage is Iowa, Western Illinois, Eastern Nebraska, Central Wisconsin, Denver CO, Topeka KS and Kansas City MO Roads in order of coverage are Rock Island, Chicago, Burlington & Quincy, Illinois Central, Chicago North Western, Milwaukee Road, Davenport, Rock Island & Northwestern, Union Pacific, Soo Line, The Omaha Line, Colorado & Southern, Southern Iowa RY and Chicago Great Western. Also single photos of Wabash, Kansas City Southern, Missouri Kansas Texas, Santa Fe, Minneapolis & St. Louis, and Lake Superior Terminal & Transfer. The photos are all supposed to have been taken in 1952-1953 (except possibly the photo my question is about, which appears to predate July 13 1951, the day the old bridge when down)
About 50-50 steam-diesel. Some RI steam but mostly diesel, nearly all of the CB&Q is steam, UP is steam (4-12-2's), most other roads are diesel, two gas electric doodlebugs and a few electric engines. I was attracted to the book because I have a slight interest in CGW, but there is little in it on that road. When I saw the Topeka photos I had to have it. And the rest of the book is enjoyable, photos of a different world. For example there are several photos of a derailment on midstreet trackage in Muscatine IO. The big hook can hardly work for all the men with their little boys standing around, and not a RR cop to be seen. Reminds me of train wrecks that my dad took me to see.
My favorite railroads, are the MILW, and NP. However, I have an interest in the M&St.L, plus curiousity of other grangers such as the RI, and CGW. With my tight budget, I'll wait a bit. I know someone who will buy the book. So I can then glance through his copy. If sufficiently impressed, I'll certainly go for a copy of my own. Boxcab E50
Scott The date given is April 12 1952. The train was a Milw. train on RI tracks. The rear truck of a reefer somehow came loose droping it to the ground and derailing the following stock car, directly in front of the Hotel Muscatine. Not much of a wreck. Hard to believe that the RI brought in big hook 95022 to rerail two cars, but they did.
