K&O in Barton County Kansas, January 2014

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CGW101c

CGW Fan
I had a couple of days in west central Kansas, visiting relatives. I decided to walk and drive 10 miles of the ex-Missouri Pacific, Kansas Division. The Hoisington Subdivision extends from Hoisington to Horace, KS. about 172 miles. From what I can find Hoisington, the division point, had a back shop, roundhouse and turntable. There are some buildings still standing. My sister-in-law lives in a small town called Olmitz. It is at MP 568. It used to have a passing track but still has a siding. Olmitz is on top of the hill so it must have been something to see a couple of 2-8-0's or even a 4-8-4 to pull out of that siding. The line is a roller coaster ride of curves and hills. Kansas isn't flat in this area. 6 miles to the south the ex-ATSF runs relatively flat following the Walnut Creek. Santa Fe must have got there first. You can see why UP gave it up. The K&O runs a train once a week or so. I saw a train on the ex-Santa Fe but not on the MOP line. Here are some pictures starting at Olmitz working my way back towards Hoisington.

K&O East Olmitz_1_012314.jpg First Crossing East of Olmitz

K&O East Olmitz_2_012314.jpg Down into a valley along the hill

View attachment 128204 After going up it comes down and up towards MP565.

K&O MP565_Signal_WB_012314.jpg The signals are almost at the top on a curve. Anybody know what the "G" means?
 

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  • K&O MP565_West_1_012314.jpg
    K&O MP565_West_1_012314.jpg
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Not sure why that 3rd picture in the first post is an attachment. Anyway here is the view looking east

K&O MP565_East_1_012314.jpg Up the hill toward the signals

K&O MP565_Insulators_012314.jpg Some of the insulators are still here

K&O MP565_Signal_EB_012314.jpg The eastbound signal

K&O MP565_Look_East_1_012314.jpg And the view down the hill around the curve to the east. It is almost a horseshoe curve
 
Around the curve the line heads north and then turns back east toward the "town" of Boyd

K&O MP564_West_1_012314.jpg Looking west coming down the next hill

K&O MP564_East_1_012314.jpg Looking East down and to the East

K&O Meadowlark_012214.jpg The local K&O striped Meadowlark

K&O Boyd_West_1_012314.jpg That's Boyd in the distance
 
Past Boyd the line heads toward Hoisington. Some more nice curves and then some shotgun targets for those who just can't resist shooting stuff.

K&O MP563_East_1_012314.jpg Road crossing and then over some Criks

K&O MP563_East_2_012314.jpg Shoot it! It's got a warning on it. Take that you stupid sign

K&O MP563_East_3_012314.jpg A Crik or a wash who knows. This year it's just DRY!!

K&O MP563_Signal_012314.jpg The signals, the last ones before Hoisington.
 
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K&O MP563_Signal_Bird House_012314.jpg Nice thing is, if you shoot em enough it makes a nice bird habitat.

K&O MP563_Signals_012314.jpg Nice grouping

K&O Artsy Shot_012214.jpg Artsy

K&O Hoisington West_012314.jpg The west end of Hoisington
 
K&O Hoisington East_012314.jpg Looking east into Hoisington it curves again past the station and into the yard.

K&O Hoisington Kanbrick_North_012314.jpg Long ago there was a track towards Great Bend to the south. A brick factory is about 4 miles south, hence the timetable name Kanbrick.

K&O Hoisington Kanbrick_South_012314.jpg Still curves to the south

K&O Hoisington Kanbrick_End_012314.jpg It ends at the first road south of town
 
A little overview of Hoisington Yard.

K&O Hoisington Overview_012314.jpg Overview

K&O Back Shop_Hoisington_012314.jpg Back Shop

K&O Shop_Hoisington_012314.jpg Diesel House

K&O 3835_012214.jpg The front end of the 3835 on the ex-AT&SF outside of Great Bend
 
Back down in Great Bend the ex-CN Locos and then at the far north east end of Barton county is where there is an abondoned AT&SF line at the town of Holyrood. Hooray for Holyrood

K&O4035_012214.jpg A back lit shot of 2 K&O locos on ex-Santa Fe waiting for a crew to go to Great Bend. Really shows the difference in GP 38's and GP 40's

K&O 4029_012214.jpg 2 Ex-CN locos in Great Bend

ATSF Holyrood_Kansas_012314.jpg Looking west at Holyrood

ATSF Holyrood_Kansas_East_012314.jpg Looking east into Holyrood

There were AT&SF Lines all over this part of the country at one time. It was 65 degrees on Sunday the 25th of January. Thanks for viewing. Tom Z
 
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