I was originally going to call this my ICT Photowalk as my plans were to go downtown Wichita KS and do a little photo-walking. I am out here for aircraft recurrent training and have the afternoon off so I thought I would go exploring. I did go for the walk but found it to be rather depressing. It turned into a drive by shooting session and a short walk. On the way back to the car I walked under a train overpass with an old steam engine sitting on display. The train was on display as part of the Great Plains Transportation Museum. This is a collection of a number of old train engines, cars and cabooses (or is it caboosi?).
Atchison Topeka & Santa Fe 3768 locomotive was built in 1938 and and was retired in 1958. This puppy weighs in at 500 lbs shy of 250 tons (the easy math makes that 499,600 lbs.) Believe it or not old 3768 could chug along at 90 mph. At $178,767 in '38 I can not imagine the cost of something like that today.
This old girl was manufactured in 1967 and used in passenger service until Amtrak was brought into existence in 1971. Yep, four years of service just doesn't seem right. Must not have looked the part for Amtrak.
This engine NW 2 was built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. Starting in late 1948 the NW2s were manufactured in EMD's Plant #3 in Cleveland, Ohio. While Burlington Northern changed the paint scheme in the 80's the designation was changed to 421, it spent most of its life as Frisco 261 working the 29th Street Yards in Wichita KS.
Here are some real styling accommodations. I do not have any information on this particular caboose but it was heated as shown with the stove. Guess it beats sleeping on a stack of coal in the wind.
The title was a bit lame if I do say so myself but I did fly a plane out here, and had a rental car to get to the train museum. So there!
Take care all... Doug
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment