Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

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J T
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by J T »

Firemedic Mike wrote:It has been several months since I last drove the line, but there is a GP and I believe it is an NW2 still just outside of Paw Paw. Usually they tie up either at the cold storage plant or within a mile east of it. The switcher usually seems to have a caboose with it. Not sure the pattern to the car storage, including the cars and caboose in Lawrence, if they are even there anymore. Looks like a road trip may be in order in the next few days.
Did you mean Hartford? The line is impassible in some areas between Hartford and Paw Paw...unless they've done some extensive rehab that hasn't been reported on this site in the past year. When I followed the line a year go, the boxcars and caboose were still in Lawrence under some heavy growth. I'll post some pics later.
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by Firemedic Mike »

Sorry, you are right, Hartford. I was listening to radio traffic out of Paw Paw and had Paw Paw on the brain. Yes, it is Hartford. I may drive the line Monday or Tuesday and see what is left.
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by J T »

MQT3001 wrote:
J T wrote:Huh? People post "Where is it" threads in the off topic section. Or has that changed?
Either log out and visit the Super Long Threads Forum or enter yourself into it, but we have a thread dedicated to it.

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=24426&
How do you "enter yourself in to it"? I just logged out, tried to post a reply in the "where am I" thread, and then it asked me to log in first. After I logged back in, it took me back to the main forum index page.
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by Saturnalia »

J T wrote:
MQT3001 wrote:
J T wrote:Huh? People post "Where is it" threads in the off topic section. Or has that changed?
Either log out and visit the Super Long Threads Forum or enter yourself into it, but we have a thread dedicated to it.

viewtopic.php?f=30&t=24426&
How do you "enter yourself in to it"? I just logged out, tried to post a reply in the "where am I" thread, and then it asked me to log in first. After I logged back in, it took me back to the main forum index page.
Go to the control panel, then click on the usergroups tab. Select SuperLongThreads, then hit join.
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by TSB »

Please forgive my disrespectful statement about a Fallen Flag (especially since I are one),
but I can never get a statement out of my mind. I once heard the KLS&C refered to as
the Kiss, Lick, Suck and Choak. It stuck. :oops:
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by J T »

TSB wrote:Please forgive my disrespectful statement about a Fallen Flag (especially since I are one),
but I can never get a statement out of my mind. I once heard the KLS&C refered to as
the Kiss, Lick, Suck and Choak. It stuck. :oops:
Were their locomotives painted in a rainbow theme? NTTAWWT.
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by Super Chief »

We did have good times on the dinner train. But one Kevin Mckinney who went on to Amtrak had a hand in it's demise. Having ones hand in the till will do that to an operation. They even brought in the Chicago Railroad Club members to act as trustees for the court when the dinner train went out of business. I was fireman with Jerry Kern on those runs with 85 and Glen Monharts F unit when it was there. One night had 80 Chinese people on the train as they were being catered to by an American company who wanted to establish a plant in China. Heck the bar tab was $700.00 dollars. We really had to get the speed up between Lawrence and Tea Pot Dome due to the grade. Well have the residents of Lake Cora got there easements back down to the lake or is the line still in place?

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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by J T »

Super Chief wrote:We really had to get the speed up between Lawrence and Tea Pot Dome due to the grade. Well have the residents of Lake Cora got there easements back down to the lake or is the line still in place?
Since last December when I followed it to Paw Paw, I have not heard a word about the tracks being removed, so I believe they are still in place.

Here is the line in 2007 by Lake Cora that you mentioned:


Image

Image
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by CSX_CO »

J T wrote:
Here is the line in 2007 by Lake Cora that you mentioned:
I thought the Aubrun Spur in Auburn, IN was the closest you could get to "off road" railroading (Their track was worse than the MAW), but that shot takes the cake.

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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by J T »

Yeah, you'd never guess there were tracks there:

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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by AARR »

CSX_CO wrote:
J T wrote:
Here is the line in 2007 by Lake Cora that you mentioned:
I thought the Aubrun Spur in Auburn, IN was the closest you could get to "off road" railroading (Their track was worse than the MAW), but that shot takes the cake.

Practice Safe CSX
A couple of my alltime favorite pictures, J T. "Train Off-Roading" :lol:
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by Super Chief »

Great memories JT.
We couldn't go over 10MPH sometimes 5 at that location. On the dinner train sometimes we pushed or pulled whatever the direction up to seven cars with the caboose which was fitted with a headlight on the back porch for pushing back to Paw Paw. I wish it had survived as we were a dedicated bunch and the crowds were good. Superb scenery and the sound of a 567 tackling Lawrence Hill with seven cars is a sound not to be duplicated.

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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by Jochs »

It appears that the only place the tracks have been removed is in downtown Paw Paw where the depot used to be. All crossings that I have been to are still intact.
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by rrboomer »

That spur track just west of 43rd St at Tea Pot Dome has been there as long as I can remember, which is about 1953. My uncle had the first farm south of there on west side. Used to be a siding on the top of Lawrence hill on north side IIRC.

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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by J T »

Super Chief wrote:Great memories JT.
We couldn't go over 10MPH sometimes 5 at that location. On the dinner train sometimes we pushed or pulled whatever the direction up to seven cars with the caboose which was fitted with a headlight on the back porch for pushing back to Paw Paw. I wish it had survived as we were a dedicated bunch and the crowds were good. Superb scenery and the sound of a 567 tackling Lawrence Hill with seven cars is a sound not to be duplicated.
How about this little hill looking east from the 43rd St. crossing at Teapot Dome?

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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by Super Chief »

Yep,that's the one. Rev 'er up and go slow crest the hill and even 'er out. What a profile if I've ever seen one. Thanks to all for sharing the pics.

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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by Super Chief »

This thread brings up a question. Does the coke plant still exist west of Paw Paw? Do they use rail at all? They use to make fruit juices under the Coke name. Had a pretty lengthy siding running off this branch to the plant. As I recall the switch was out by a power substation?

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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by AARR »

Super Chief wrote:This thread brings up a question. Does the coke plant still exist west of Paw Paw? Do they use rail at all? They use to make fruit juices under the Coke name. Had a pretty lengthy siding running off this branch to the plant. As I recall the switch was out by a power substation?
Everything I've heard and read indicates its still there and has never received rail service even though provisions were made for it to do so.
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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by J T »

Super Chief wrote:Yep,that's the one. Rev 'er up and go slow crest the hill and even 'er out. What a profile if I've ever seen one. Thanks to all for sharing the pics.
You are welcome. Here are some more taken last December.

Looking up west up the hill at Lawrence from the Blackman St. crossing. There appears to be a caboose sitting on the spur along with the boxcars sitting on the main.

Image


Lake Cora in the background looking east from the Hill Dr. crossing. Yes, there are tracks in there somewhere.

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Re: Old KLS&C depot in Paw Paw gone

Unread post by J T »

These are from 2009. The tree is still there in the more recent shot.

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Image
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