I’m in the early stages of building layout #3 of 4. That is, this is my make-do layout until I have room and money for the “ultimate layout” of my imagination: the early T&P.
I don’t want to collect 100 year old time tables—I want the data. On the web, all I can find are the covers of the T&P timetables—obviously to appeal to collectors, suitable for framing type stuff.
My interests range from the earliest days when the railroad first came through Fort Worth (1870’s) up unto the end of World War II. My final decision on the actual date of my layout will be influenced by the appeal of the time tables for that era as well as the availability of locomotives and rolling stock for the period.
Thanks for any help.
Crews
T&P info seems difficult to find, but if I were you, I think I would contact the Missouri Pacific Historical Society and see if I couldn't arrange to gain access to their archives, which I would think should contain a T&P employee timetable or two. At the very least, they could point you in the proper direction.
Failing that, I think the next step would be to contact the various museums in Texas and see if they have any of the documents you are looking for.
I haven't seen a T&P timetable for sale on ebay or on display on the web....ever. I am sure they exist someplace, but they seem to be very scarce.
I found an image of Timetable #1 (which I had recently seen for sale on ebay) and have begun trasncribing. The first is this:
Texas & Pacific Railway Timetable
In effect June 1st, 1878
Through Time Card
via St. Louis
Leave
Chicago (via Ill. Cent.)
10:00 PM
"
" (via C & A)
9:00 PM
Cincinnati (via O & M)
6:50 PM
" (via I C & L)
7:00 PM
Louisville (via O & M)
" (via J M & L)
7:15 PM
St. Louis (via St L I M & S)
10:00 AM
Arrive
Texarkana
9:00 AM
Via Texas & Pacific (Southern Division.)
Miles
9:20 AM
5
Texarkana Junction
9:35 AM
16
Sulphur
10:10 AM
20
Alamo
10:23 AM
23
Forest
10:31 AM
28
Queen City
10:50 AM
31
Atlanta
10:58 AM
39
Hoxie's
11:23 AM
44
Kildare
11:38 AM
49
Lodi
11:55 AM
58
Jefferson
12:25 PM
66
Woodlawn
12:47 PM
74
Marshall (Dinner) Ar
1:15 PM
Marshall (Dinner) Lv
1:35 PM
79
Abney's
1:52 PM
88
Hallville
2:15 PM
93
Mason Springs
2:32 PM
98
International Junct'n
2:55 PM
99
Longview
2:58 PM
101
Willow Springs
3:08 PM
110
Gladewater
3:37 PM
117
Neal's
4:00 PM
120
Big Sandy
4:10 PM
126
Hawkins
4:28 PM
134
Lake Fork
4:53 PM
143
Minneola
5:23 PM
150
Silver Lake
5:45 PM
156
Grand Saline
6:07 PM
167
Edgewood
6:45 PM
174
Will's Point (Dinner)
7:30 PM
183
Elmo
8:07 PM
190
Terrell
8:32 PM
194
Lawrence
8:47 PM
201
Forney
9:20 PM
209
Mesquite
9:45 PM
220
Texas Cent'l Cross'g
10:23 PM
221
Dallas
10:30 PM
228
Eagle Ford
10:50 PM
234
Grand Prairie
11:12 PM
240
Arlington
11:32 PM
247
Handley
11:52 PM
253
Fort Worth
12:10 AM
Via I & Gt. N R R.
3:10 PM
Palestine
8:35 PM
Austin
8:00 AM
Houston
7:30 AM
Galveston
11:50 AM
San Antonio
8:30 PM
Part 2:
Part 3:
After this one, i will begin transcribing the 1903 time table. The completion of the 1878 time table follows...
4 (of 4):
What follows will be my transcriptions of the T&P Ausgust 1903 Timetable. It will be posted in several parts.
It is interesting to note the elevation changes in the line west of Fort Worth. I grew up in Cisco; I knew about the grades of Ranger Hill and Baird Hill; but I did not know there was as severe a grade change between Cisco and Eastland. The development of the 2-10-4 certainly makes sense.
The running times of the eastbound passenger trains was mind numbingly slow; unless these were local trains with station stops figured in. Eastbound was mostly downgrade; one would think that good time would have been made by the trains.
I have driven the "Old Abilene Highway" which parallel's the T&P between Cisco and Putnam many a time; I have never seen any hint of a town / location called Delmar; off the top of my head I can't remember a siding between the towns any more; but I haven't lived in Cisco in over 30 years.....
Thanks for posting this. Information on the T&P is hard to come by...
tin can wrote: The running times of the eastbound passenger trains was mind numbingly slow;
Modern intermodal trains are about 1-2 hours faster over a 200 mile stretch, about 7-8 mph faster overall El Paso east.
Dave H.
Dave H. Painted side goes up. My website : wnbranch.com
tin can wrote:I have driven the "Old Abilene Highway" which parallel's the T&P between Cisco and Putnam many a time; I have never seen any hint of a town / location called Delmar; off the top of my head I can't remember a siding between the towns any more; but I haven't lived in Cisco in over 30 years.....
I have been using Google Earth to find these stops, and hoping to discover some remnant of a structure at some of the more remote sites. In this case, there does seem to be a bare foundation to north side of the track on the right of way -- halfway between Putman and Cisco. But I do not know if this is the original right of way.
The current resolution for that position is not very high, and I do not see a siding in the image, yet the overlay does show one.
I have before me, Charles P. Zlatkovich's book, Texas & Pacific Railway: Operation and Traffic, and it does not mention the flag stop of Delmar, nor does it provide much information prior to 1930. I wish he would publish the second intended volume, Equipment and Facilities; and the third, Historical Perspectives and Epilogue.
As for the rarity of T & P information, this is why I am posting what I discover.