MoPac Depots - Screaming Eagles

MoPac Right of Way -
Depots

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Fredonia, Kansas depot - a neat little structure with a blue buzzsaw. - © photo Craig Meador

MoPac Right of Way -
Depots

The Small Town's Meeting Hall
Depots were a neccesity of railroading up until the demise of passenger service in the late 60's. After that, the Mopac utilized highly visible vans painted in corporate colors called a mobile agency service to deal with shippers, mainly in the customer's office. Many depots languished for years without passengers riding the rails. Ultimately this resulted in the closing of some stations.

The earliest structures were humble, usually single story wood buildings. In larger towns these would become imposing multi-story structures, with spires and elaborate trim, meant to impress and show the railroad's importance to it's citizens.

Typical depot colors on the early MoP were colonial yellow (almost a light lemon color) with medium green trim. It's been stated that the railroad used light yellow so engineers could see the depot at a distance. The MoPac changed from green to brown trim after 1925.

In later years the large buildings gave way to smaller, more utilitarian in design. The MoPac adopted all white paint for it's wooden depots. Brick stations had white trim. Finally, many depots met their end through fire, mishaps, or demolition, being replaced by frieght offices. Eventually even these disappeared.

Depot at Claflin, Kansas - A scene that could have been seen anywhere across American railroads during the Sixties - Lee Berglund photo/T. Greuter Collection ·

This page features a few of those depots, both those still used today, those preserved, and those long since gone.

In addition to this page, there are listings of known Missouri Pacific depot locations for Nebraska and Northern Kansas.

As sources are limited, some of this information may be outdated, and by no means complete. I'm also looking for build dates for each individual depot. With abandonments and renamings of subdivisions, the information can become confusing. Hopefully the material isn't presented to confusingly.

Also check out Structures for other Buildings and Yards.

The old I-G-N Depot - as it appears today at San Antonio, Texas. Thankfully this historical structure has since been restored to it's original granduer. See www.swphq.com for more - Gary Morris Photo

Click on the thumbnails to see a larger image

Newport, Arkansas - as seen in the early-mid-1980's. This depot has recently been restored - Lawrence R. Scholl Photo

Newport, Arkansas - this depot has been lucky, its been restored - Craig Meador Photo

Newport, Arkansas - another view of the restored building - Craig Meador Photo

Walnut Ridge, Arkansas - the depot has been restored and is in great condition - Craig Meador Photo

Coffeyville, Kansas - MP Freight Depot, Spring 2002. Notice the large buzzsaw emblem painted at the building's top corner. - Craig Meador Photo

Coffeyville, Kansas - 2nd view of depot - Craig Meador Photo

Coffeyville, Kansas - 3rd view of depot - Craig Meador Photo

Coffeyville, Kansas - back view of depot - Craig Meador Photo

El Dorado, Kansas - another magnificent structure. The MOP really knew how to build a beautiful depot; dated 5/2/04 - Paul Moffet Photo

El Dorado, Kansas - dated 5/2/04 - Paul Moffet Photo

Kingman, Kansas - My dad and I like to uncover old depots. Dad found the old MOP depot hidden behind some buildings in a very remote part of town. It appears there is no service at all
along this track; dated 10/19/2002. - Paul Moffet Photo

Kingman, Kansas - dated 10/19/2002 - Paul Moffet Photo

Lyons, Kansas - Down by the station early in the morning... we see a very short train consisting of a two U23-B's (one is MP 4540) and bay window cab #13701 - © photo Tony Moses

Carthage, Missouri - the depot is being used by a private railroad company which operates on the old MoPac rail - Craig Meador Photo

Gad's Hill, Missouri - very old shot of the depot - Craig Meador Photo

Lohman, Missouri - The former MOPAC Bagnell Branch railroad station that still stands in Lohman, MO. The railbed was formerly located on the dirt road in the lower right hand part of the photo. The station was originally located on the opposite of the railbed and then moved sometime in the late 1950's. The projected section of the station where the telegrapher's desk was located is also still intact and on the other side of the building. The station's now being used by MFA for grain storage. June 25, 2004 - Lee Wilhite Photo

Poplar Bluff, Missouri - this old MoPac station now wears the Union Pacific emblem. - © photo Craig Meador

Sikeston, Missouri - a classic brick design of many MoPac stations - © photo Craig Meador

Sikeston, Missouri - another view - © photo Craig Meador


Here's an early shot of the old M&I Depot in Ste. Genevieve, MO. The track closest to the camera is the Frisco's mainline to St Louis. - David Beckermann Collection	The Ste Genevieve depots, the M & I / MoPac on the left and the Frisco on the right, sometime in the mid to late 60's. The crossover track allowed M&I trains to head south on the Frisco towards Cape Girardeau, MO. The Frisco depot was demolished in the 80's, while the MoPac depot survived until 2002. - David Beckermann Collection

Falls City, Nebraska - displaying classic MoPac depot design, being the most elaborate of Nebraska's MP depts. Built in 1925, the brick structure attests to the fact that the town was an important rail center to the rail line. 5/3/97 - © photo T. Greuter

Falls City, Nebraska - from trackside. 5/3/97 - © photo T. Greuter

Falls City, Nebraska - 5/3/97 - © photo T. Greuter

Lincoln, Nebraska - Union Station, jointly operated by the MoPac and C&NW, as it appeared sometime after the turn of the century - from a postcard

Nebraska City, Nebraska - Turn-of-the-century scene complete with ornate little depot, steamer crewman tending his engine, and the horse-drawn trolley that ran between the city's two rail depots - T. Greuter Collection

Otoe (now located in Nebraska City), Nebraska - The Missouri Pacific railroad station was moved to Nebraska City from its original site at Otoe, Nebraska and is repainted in authentic Missouri Pacific colors circa 1905. The restored structure is now part of the John Brown's Cave outdoor exhibit and serves as the museum's gift shop. August 2002 - T. Greuter Photo ·

Otoe (now located in Nebraska City), Nebraska - two baggage carts on display with the restored Otoe depot; August 2002 - T. Greuter Photo ·

Bryan, Texas - The Missouri Pacific (I-GN) depot in Bryan, Texas in 1986. UP razed the depot in 1990. Mark Thomas Photo/Jay Glenewinkel Collection

Dallas, Texas - Missouri Pacific switcher with MP bedroom-lounge Eagle Cliff at Dallas Union Station; June '80 - © Gary Morris Photo

Grapeland, Texas - T&P 884, an F7A is seen at this small depot on 7/70. With the take-over of passenger service by Amtrak, she's saddled with the task of hauling mixed freight. It'll retire in August 1973. - © photo Brian Paul Ehni

Odem, Texas - station at Odem,Tx (Houston-Brownsville line crossing San Antonio-Corpus Christi line); February '86 - © Gary Morris Photo

San Antonio, Texas - The International & Great Northern/Missouri Pacific passenger depot in 1965. - Photographer unknown/Jay Glenewinkel Collection

San Antonio, Texas - MP 2311 works switching duties at San Fernando yard in San Antonio in 1983. It passes by the old International Great Northern Depot. Compare to the shot at the top - Jay Glenewinkel Photo

Featured Photographers:
Craig Meador, Gary Morris, Lawrence R. Scholl, Paul Moffet, David Beckermann Collection, Jay Glenewinkel, Lee Wilhite, Mark Thomas,Tony Moses, and Brian Paul Ehni

Recommended Site:
Missouri Railroad Depots - images of over 330 depots from a variety of roads.


	trainweb.org/screamingeagle l Last Update to this page: 25 April, 2008

	All images & text © 2000-2008 T. Greuter / Screaming Eagles, unless otherwise noted. All Rights Reserved.