RSS feed for all messages. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/ I could sure use some help from anyone familiar with T&P in the Weatherford area of Texas around 1900. Family legend has it that my great-great grandfather worked as a bridge engineer on the line there. But wasn't most of the line already done by 1900? What would a bridge engineer in Weatherford be doing? I'd appreciate any thoughts you might have on the subject. Many thanks! http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=7CDAC403-1422-11F2-0AD0C43E4D2898EC&r=1 2008-11-08T16:06:31-06:00 T&P in Weatherford Texas Here are the water stations on this stretch of the T&P as of March 15, 1921: Baird Abilene Merkel Sweetwater M.P. 470 M.P. 500 Big Spring Stanton M.P. 551 Odessa Monahans M.P. 621 M.P. 631 Toyah M.P. 691 M.P. 703 M.P. 707 Van Horn Allamore Sierra Blanca Fort Hancock (water tank still there 20 years ago) El Paso http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=55895C41-1422-11F2-0AC23AD96BF30662&r=2 2008-11-01T00:52:24-06:00 Water stops (Rio Grande Division)-- DHogan Hello from El Paso. Do you have information on the western water stops? My father (a 30-year T&P brakeman) told me they would stop eastbound out of EP at Fabens then Small for water but I don't remember others. Small is between McNary and Sierra Blanca. No sign of the old water facilites remain. Keep up the good work on this forum! George Bailey http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=3B094D45-1422-11F2-0A7EE2C4BD46A643&r=3 2008-10-26T21:22:24-06:00 Water stops: Trans-Con (1921) Steve Brown's image collection includes this rare view: [url]http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/oldftw/browntandpinterior.jpg[/url] I call this T&P depot #2---the one patterned after St. Louis Union Station. Also the same one that burned circa 1904. The existing modern depot(dating from 1931), I call #3. The depot at the northeast corner of the T&P-GC&SF crossing, I call #1, though there were probably two or three depot upgrades built in that vicinity. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=EDDBC453-1422-11F2-0A0B8B37544FF68F&r=4 2008-10-11T21:41:54-06:00 Ft. Worth depot interior Allow me to present these links: [url]http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/oldftw/tandpfacilities.jpg[/url] and... [url]http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/oldftw/tandpcalhoun.jpg[/url] Pretty neat aerial photo and street view of the T&P depot! How about this T&P depot makeover for TR's presidential visit? [url]http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/oldftw/tandplangeverbunting.jpg[/url] There's a large selection of historical photos (many with RR subjects) at: [url]http://www.fortwortharchitecture.com/oldftw/oldftw.htm[/url] Included on this page of photos is an image collection by [b]Steve Brown[/b], the co-author of a book by Boston Mills Press on the Texas & Pacific. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=EDD847BC-1422-11F2-0A15DAB914D43745&r=5 2008-10-11T21:38:06-06:00 T&P historical photographs of Fort Here's an article about a shortline few even know about: the Midland & Northwestern: [url]http://www.sibleynaturecenter.org/essays/moseying/history/040505_midlandrailroad.html[/url] Though I was born in Midland in 1953, I didn't know it even existed until I bought a reprinted U.S. railroad map at the Rand McNally store in San Francisco in the early 1980's. There the M&NW was on the map! My father remembered seeing remnants of the right of way once I jogged his memory about it. The T&P eventually bought it but I doubt it operated it before it was abandoned. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=EDD25983-1422-11F2-0A5812AD85A1F19A&r=6 2008-10-11T21:31:37-06:00 Midland & Northwestern This image seems timely! Check out this web site for an interesting photo of a T&P advertisement balloon at the 1906 State Fair: [url]www.DallasPioneer.org [/url] Once on the home page, click on Photo Gallery (left side) and then [b]Thevenet Family[/b]. The [b]second image [/b]in the Thevenet series of five or six images is the one! I like the T&P moniker "The Dining Car Route." http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=EDC7C480-1422-11F2-0A5AEB5BCD02C15C&r=7 2008-10-11T21:20:04-06:00 T&P ballooon at the 1906 State Fair As of March 15, 1921 (Beware the Ides of March!), these were the water locations along the Denton Division (Bonham and Whitesboro Sub-Divisions): Texarkana MP 24 (New Boston MP 22.06) MP 52 (Annona) MP 65 (Wilson Spur) Paris MP 94 Bonham Sherman Whitesboro Collinsville Pilot Point Mingo Denton Gravel Point (Fort Worth) http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=EDBDCDBF-1422-11F2-0AFD741835AD1758&r=8 2008-10-11T21:09:11-06:00 Water stops: Trans-Con (1921) The TP&W website mentions "a group dining hall (constructed in 1903 first used as a railroad section house" as part of the facilities at the park. T&P, no doubt. The visitors center has a railroad display which includes T&P items such as a locomotive bell. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=EDB6E683-1422-11F2-0A73AE324B10B488&r=9 2008-10-11T21:01:38-06:00 Monahans Sandhills State Park I know of two thumbnail sketches of towns and places along the T&P mainline published for passengers: [u]Mainline Minia-Tours [/u]and [u]Along the Way: Texas Eagle[/u]. I believe there was also a West Texas industrial site guide published as well. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=ED93CBAA-1422-11F2-0A863E147E21B0AA&r=10 2008-10-11T20:23:18-06:00 T&P route guides Jerry, I have T&P Eastern Division ETTs Number 1; Effective September 8, 1940; Number 4, Effective August 31, 1941; and Number 47 Effective April 4, 1954. If these are some you need I'd be happy to make PDFs for you. I'm looking for info on the Eastern Division from 48 to 52. Let me know. Michael http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=ED87E6CC-1422-11F2-0A936AE9049ABDFC&r=11 2008-10-11T20:10:18-06:00 T&P Employee and Public Timetables Most T&P fans know of the famous Ginocchio Hotel in Marshall, TX. There was another in Fort Worth. The original late 1800s Union Depot was in the northeast quadrant of the T&P crossing with the GC&SF/MKT. Adjacent the depot was a Ginocchio Hotel. Any others operated by the Ginocchio family? http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=CD460E03-1422-11F2-0A1BBDEDDE07C967&r=12 2008-10-05T13:50:32-06:00 Ginocchio hotels There is structure in El Paso that is a former T&P freight depot. Maps seem to indicate it was the site of the T&P passenger depot before Union Depot was built and placed into service. My question: Was the passenger depot simply modified to become the existing freight depot or did T&P tear down the old passenger depot and build the existing structure as a freight depot on the same site? http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=CD3CFB16-1422-11F2-0A4C1384499E2BB9&r=13 2008-10-05T13:40:37-06:00 El Paso T&P depot Most railroads published detour maps---T&P included. The map shows all the T&P branches and mainlines plus connecting "foreign" railroad lines (with basic info about them). In case of a detour situation, the best re-route could be selected. Right off hand, I can't cite a specific case of a T&P detour on a "foreign" road. However, I do know SP detoured trains (including the SUNSET LIMITED) west of Fort Worth on the T&P. I even read of a situation in which MO&G (or KO&G) detoured from Denison to Paris on the T&P once to connect with the Frisco to reach Durant, OK. I believe the bridge over the Red River north of Denison was damaged. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=CD377337-1422-11F2-0A9FCD0D1D07F090&r=14 2008-10-05T13:34:35-06:00 Detour maps Had it been successful this T&P train set would have trumped the Burlington's [i]Pioneer Zephyr [/i]for the honors of the first streamlined Budd train. Lots of stories of what went wrong! It quickly lost any publicity and was forgotten. Most of the photos you see of the [i]Silver Slipper [/i]were taken around Philadelphia or Chicago on test runs. There must have been stories (with photos) about it in the papers for Fort Worth, Dallas, Sherman, Bonham, Paris, and Texarkana. I have a nice Budd publication which describes the train. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=A92835BC-1422-11F2-0A0CE914CCD52C03&r=15 2008-09-28T13:31:36-06:00 Silver Slipper There is someone with an extensive collection of T&P timetables back to the 1870s. He was a T&P-UP employee. I only know of him second-hand and unfortunately cannot recall his name. Dick Smith had access to his collection and got a copy of an 1870s decade timetable for me. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=A91F2EB2-1422-11F2-0AB0DC108D6DBDEE&r=16 2008-09-28T13:21:45-06:00 T&P Employee and Public Timetables I have a large, old framed color picture (lithograph?) of El Capitan Peak in West Texas that was issued by the T&P. It looks like the type of picture that might have hung in a ticket office. Other than a few postcards, I have not seen any promotions of "scenic" West Texas. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=A919A412-1422-11F2-0A741D462EE618FC&r=17 2008-09-28T13:15:41-06:00 El Capitan Peak The T&P ran right passed Vought (LTV) in Grand Prairie... did they ever carry jets that came off the assembly line in the 50's? Rob http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=9094EF2A-1422-11F2-0AFC9F67E2DBE130&r=18 2008-09-23T18:59:51-06:00 Did the T&P ever carry fighter jets This former T&P ten-wheeler is supposed to be in regular service at Texas State Railroad this fall when TSR 300 goes out of service for shop work. I heard this back in June from employees there. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=865AF276-1422-11F2-0A330AD2815DC15A&r=19 2008-09-21T19:20:19-06:00 TSR 201 (ex-T&P) update On a day trip to Paris a few weeks ago, I dropped by the Paris T&P depot. It had recently reopened as a bar at one end and yet another restaurant (called Jaxx at Traxx) at the other end. Burgers were good at the restaurant! There's a city/county museum in the old Texas Midland freight house adjacent the nicely restored Paris Union Depot. There you can find photos and track layouts of yesteryear's railroads in Paris. http://www.texaspacificrailway.org/eagles/messages.cfm?messageid=8657FD98-1422-11F2-0AD7A24EE20227D2&r=20 2008-09-21T19:17:05-06:00 Paris TX depot