Elizabeth and I were most interested in a pair of steam charters organized by Dak Dillon, this time in conjunction with SLORailfanning, specifically the private three foot gauage Pacific Coast Railroad in Santa Margarita and the two foot gauge Norgrove Railway in Arroyo Grande, California. We purchased our tickets then lanned our driving tour to the Golden State.
3/31/2025 After our morning preparations, Elizabeth and I departed Columbia and she drove west on Interstate 70 to Interstate 435 then Interstate 35, where the tracks paralleled the highway.
BNSF SD60M 1426, ex. BNSF 9246, nee Burlington Northern 8146, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1990.
BNSF GP28M 1518, ex. Burlington Northern 1356 1970, nee Great Northern 906, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1959.
An unidentifiable BNSF grain train at Plevna, Kansas. Our route took us through Kinsley and we decided to re-visit the steam engine here.
BNSF 3788 West.
"Destination Home" mural painted by Dave Loewenstein and Freedy Johnston in September 2024. Painted on the newly renovated Midway Market, this unique mural brings together the talents of acclaimed singer-songwriter (and Kinsley native) Freedy Johnston and muralist Dave Loewenstein. The two had never met prior to the project but came together when after a performance in the State Capitol, Freedy was asked by the Kansas Lieutenant Governor if he would be interested in painting a mural in his hometown. The inspiration for the design came from Freedy's desire to highlight Kinsley's unique location as the mid-point between San Francisco and New York. Loewenstein elaborated on this by creating billboards that beckoned people to "Escape to Kansas" and "Getaway to Kinsley". Other features include a portrait of Johnston atop the local grain elevator playing his guitar, a map showing all the other places that are 1,561 miles from Kinsley and steam locomotive filled with colorful characters.
Santa Fe 4-6-2 3424 built by Baldwin in 1921 and donated in 1956.
Kinsley is the mid-point between New York and San Francisco at 1,561 miles.
While driving through Spears, we spotted Right Cooperative Association GP9 101, nee Norfolk and Western 519, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1958 and rebuilt as a TC-10.
Right Cooperative Association GP9B 1702, nee Northern Pacific 326, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1957. We went to Central Station Bar and Grill in Dodge City before checking into the Best Western Plus Country Inn and Suites.
4/1/2025 Elizabeth and I went to the International House of Pancakes then I drove us to Liberal, where we found the station.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Liberal station built in 1911 and restored in 1998, home to the Liberal Chamber of Commerce. The restored Grier Eating House and Cimarron Hotel houses the VA Medical Clinic.
The city of Liberal owes its humble beginnings to the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific Railroad. The track layers reached Liberal in February 1888 and then pushed on four and one half miles Southwest to "no man's land." This end of the line was called, "Old Tyrone." It was to be the end of the tracks until 1902, when the railroad built on through Texas County and later joined tracks with the Southern Pacific in New Mexico. The first depot, a three-story wooden structure, was built in the latter part of 1888. It had a 21 room hotel with a restaurant that was operated by W. Omer ---- but the town's boom period lasted only three months, and the hotel and restaurant soon closed.
Later in 1889, the T.J. McDermont family opened the restaurant and used only 10 rooms of the hotel. They operated this business for the next 17 years. In 1906, the John Grier Company, which operated hotels and restaurants for the Rock Island Railroad, took over the operation of the local railroad hotel and the restaurant.
On Friday evening, March 11, 1910, when the rest of the town was at it's evening meal, fire alarms signalled that the old wooden depot and Grier House were on fire. In a few minutes, hundreds of citizens gathered at the scene. It was soon apparent that there was no hope of stopping the blaze and everything possible was carried from the building. The flames roared for nearly three hours. The railroad estimated the loss of the buildings and their contents would amount to nearly $70,000. The railroad soon informed the town that two new brick structures would be built as soon as possible. The city was quite pleased with the news, as it was said that the new buildings would be furnished as well as any on the line. Architect A.T. Hawk of Chicago was called upon to draft the blueprints for the structures with the floor plan of the eating house and the hotel based on the guidelines and suggestions from J.J. Grier. The new hotel and depot were to be built side by side in the Spanish mission style, with concrete-faced brick walls resembling stucco and red tile roofs. Both buildings would be two story structures, but the eating house was planned with a wide veranda around the first floor and deep overhanging eaves.
Surveyors came to Liberal on September 23, 1910, and set the stakes for the new hotel and depot. The Liberal Independent, the local newspaper at the time, said, "It is plainly evident that the buildings will be something of which Liberal may justly feel proud." The Independent's October 7, 1910 article read, "A goodly number of Mexican and Italian laborers were unloaded here Tuesday to be used in the preliminary work leading to the construction of the depot and Grier eating house. It is claimed that 150 men can be used to good advantage in all departments." By November 18, 1910, the brick work on the hotel had been started. A December 1910 article in the Hutchinson News commented, "The new Rock Island passenger depot and new eating house and hotel for the railroad are fine buildings. The road will spend in the neighborhood of $75,000. It will be the best depot the railroad has in Kansas".
The opening day for the hotel and depot was Friday morning, June 23, 1911. The first meal was breakfast, and the manager of the hotel was Mr. and Mrs. Simon. The depot and hotel were said to be the finest and most modern between Hutchinson and El Paso, Texas. The final cost was $175,000 and, as was said in the paper on the opening day, "This is one of the finest structures in the town, and being near the station will probably draw more attention to the town than any other building in the city."
Museum view.
Southern Pacific economy baggage car 6792, built by Pacific Car and Foundry in 1962.
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific 160 ton crane 95020, built by Industrial Works in 1925.
Chicago Rock Island and Pacific boom car 90466, builder and year unknown.
In 1975, the railroad re-branded itself as "The Rock" and this emblem lasted until 1980.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific baggage cart.
A speeder of unknown origin painted in The Rock livery.
Derailer and a switch stand. We next drove across the state line to Oklahoma and I asked Elizabeth to look on her mobile phone to see if there were any railway displays in the communities we were passing. When we arrived at Hooker, she guided me to a display.
Burlington Northern caboose12206, built by Pacific Car and Foundry in 1978. Elizabeth then led me to Guymon.
Chicago and North Western caboose 11081, built by International Car in 1965, painted as Rock Island 17201, on display in Centennial Park.
The people who were involved in bringing the caboose to the park. We then drove into Texas and New Mexico.
Union Pacific 5694 West west of Dalhart.
Union Pacific DPU's 7423 and 8433.
Union Pacific DPU's 8774.
Union Pacific 2938 West.
The bridge over the Canadian River as seen from the highway bridge.
Union Pacific DPU's 7359 and 2641.
Mid Train DPU's 7985 and 5860.
The railway bridge over the Hudson Canal.
Union Pacific 5621 East.
Mid-train DPU's 6469 and 8713. I drove from Tucumcari then west of Cline Corners, we switched again and Elizabeth drove to Albuquerque where we went to Cracker Barrel for dinner then checked into the Best Western Plus Rio Grande Inn for the night.
4/2/2025 Breakfast was at the hotel then after checkout, we drove west to Holbrook to find the locomotive that had been donated to the city. While not yet on display in its final location, the lady at the Navajo County Courthouse told us where it was currently located.
Apache Railroad RS36 800 built by American Locomotive Company in 1962. It was donated to the Navajo County Historical Society in July 2024 and will be put on display at the historic Navajo County Courthouse. The locomotive was just one of 40 RS36s produced for six buyers during a brief 18-month production run. Its rarity has been compounded in the 21st Century not only by the near extinction of the model, but the fact that it remained with the original buyer for more than six decades, along with sisters APA 700 and 900.
I drove through the snow to Flagstaff Elizabeth then drove through the snow to Deer Park then we encountered snow and hail on the way to Kingman, where we stopped at Jersey Mike's for dinner before I drove to rest of the way to Needles, where we checked into the Best Western Colorado River Inn.
4/3/2025 After our morning preparations, we had a very good breakfat at the Wagon Wheel Restaurant and I started the drive to the rest area east of Newberry Springs, then Elizabeth drove from there to a rest area east of Mohave. I resumed the wheel over Tehachapi Mountains and across the Central Valley, where we switched drivers once more and Elizabeth took us to the Holiday Inn in Atascadero. Once settled in, we enjoyed a meal at The Habit before returning to the hotel.
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