;void(0)) The last of the Chris Hernandez photos I have is a good one--the #390 heading south from the Parsons depot. I am not sure if it is a complete consist but this is a great shot. Ironically the 390 was involved in a derailment on 2-15-51 while heading north on an icy day at the Maple St. crossing in the Wye there in Parsons. Unfortunately the locomotive was scrapped shortly after that. Bill Gilmore: I remember that derailment I lived on Maple Street and my grandmother lived at Oak and Lincoln I would see these tracks going to her house, this accident was just a block from her house. Johnny Linden: This must be the derailment in Parsons I remember and have asked if anyone took a picture of it. 1951 would be the perfect time when I was 5 years old and remember going to see it with my mom and dad, E. J. Linden, who was an Engineer on the Katy. As I remember it, it was laying on it's side, but I'm not sure if my memory is correct. I thought it was in the snow or ice and it was. Chris Cruz: Johnny, if you enter Parsons derailment you will find a 2015 post of photos I have of this derailment. Joe Dobson posted the newspaper article about it on the Parsons FB page, too. Chris Cruz Me, too, Chris! I vaguely remember some buildings south of the stockyards, near the Exchange and that cafe. I often recall walking along the tracks from the Maple crossing to 21st street, near the Cold Storage plant. If a train came by, which was usually a switcher, they would sometimes blow the horn and we would step aside. It was no big deal, then! 888888888888888888 Gary-Cathy Woolard Yes Joe, this was the wreck. The only thing that kept the train from hitting the house was that tree. I was only about 2 years old when it happened but my sis told me that they made everyone on that block go to the corner of Lincoln and Oak because they feared it might explode. 888888888888888888 We lived at 1821 Oak but we were really not as close to the tracks, as the Brooks house because we had a orchard to the west of the house. It is neat to see the pictures though. Jim Poe when i was probably 4 there was a derailment i guess in parsons on the katy. just to far back in time too be accurate. was b/4 my sister was born in 47. Mike Christensen: During Katy President Deramus, Jim Poe the Katy could stand still and have a derailment. Train off the track in the yards in the 50's and 60's was an every day occurance Gary-Cathy Woolard: Joe there were more children in the Brooks family beside David he had an older sister Virginia, older brother Don, and younger sister Susan. Someone mentioned the homes on Oak where this happened there were 5 homes on the south side of the street and only 2 on the north side. That area does not look anything like it did back in the 50s,60s and early 70s. In fact I can hardly tell it is the same place. Mike Christensen: Went thru the Wye area last time class reunion and had to ask where the Katy golf course was. that area of town CHANGED for someone who used to run a small milk route for a couple out of Chanute. Chris Cruz: Wow! This photo shows steam still coming out so it was taken earlier than the photos I have. Still, good to see another photo of it and the date. Joe Dobson: Isn't this quite the coincidence? What are the odds that a pic your dad took of an incident 60 plus years ago would have also had a newspaper photographer take the same thing and have it distributed worldwide via the newswire... and I just happen to run across it and put two and two together! Mark Swafford: Nice grab Joe Dobson! Chris Hernandez Was that the one that happens across from my Grandparents house? Joe Dobson: So, since this was enroute to St. Louis this would be on track that ran up through the wye neighborhood, just like we figured out in the earlier photo discussion. If it would have been KC bound, it would have been on track that runs along the east side of the Katy golf course. Joe Dobson: Gary-Cathy Woolard I've seen previous comments you made about a train wreck near your home.... this must be it. Chris Cruz Because I now had the date, I went to the KS State Historical Society and looked at the Parsons Sun microfilm regarding this event. Here are the details! Chris Cruz I also noted that the infamous bomber accident occurred a few days prior to this and just a few days later, on 2-18-51, the Parsons Clinic had its grand opening and open house. Joe Dobson: Mr. and Mrs. John Brooks and son David, 8. Joe Dobson: Someone mentioned the Cloninger family name the other day... it's listed in one of the stories. Chris Cruz: Very good job coming up with this story! Just think, we'd have never, ever knew any of the details had you not went to do some investigating! Joe Dobson: Chris Cruz, you should gather all these up and put the collage on the Katy Memories page.... they'd like that! Chris Hernandez: So it jumped the tracks on the Maple crossing and nearly made it sliding off the tracks to Oak street witch there may or may not have been a crossing at Oak. I used to throw a Parsons Sun paper route in that area in the late 70s and some of the old peo…See More Chris Hernandez: That house by the locomotive was on the south side of the street east of the tracks on Oak. Waydella Hart: I bought that house at 1828 Oak from the Brooks family Sept. 1958. Moved there Jan 1, 1959 and lived there till 1973. Yes, I knew the Cloninger's too. They raised strawberries by Big Hill Creek west of Dennis. Oak dead ended on both sides of the track. Maple had a crossing, Oak did not. Waydella Hart: Cloninger's were my neighbors living just a block south on 1905 Maple when we lived at 1828 Oak. If Central had not stopped at Maple They would of been on corner of Maple and Central north side and we would of been on corner of Central and Oak south side. Joe Dobson: It was you that mentioned their name! Strawberries story! Whew... I was wracking my brain trying to remember who mentioned them! Waydella Hart: Cathy O'Hara Woolard's family lived across the street from us at 1828 Oak. We were end of block south side and they were end of block north side next to train track. Waydella Hart My oldest son had a paper route in Wye area about 1968 to 1971. Felix, Fellows, Maple, Oak, Ash, North Blvd. between the tracks and 22 nd St. and north past Crispell's. Holme"s lived across the alley on Maple next to track and had a bait shop. Chris Hernandez: Cool! My route didn't go any further west of the tracks. Farthest I went was north Boulevard east of 59 for a few house's it started I think on Lincoln and Gabriel went quite a ways through 1st ward Stockyards area was kind of a city of its own. I remember water snakes where always bad down there. They where always in the streets and in yards. LoL: Chris Cruz: I rarely explored the Maple crossing tracks going north and I can't recall ever hearing about this train wreck there. Heck, I, too, had the Wye area as a Sun carrier in the early 1960's. Walked all the Wye to those tracks on the east and hand deliver…See More Chris Hernandez: There was like a trestle just south of north boulevard on the Stl line i used to try to ride my bike down after I was done with my route to get to Fellows crossing to go to my Grandparents for some Mexican food before it got to late. I remember there …See More Chris Cruz: Me, too, Chris! I vaguely remember some buildings south of the stockyards, near the Exchange and that cafe. I often recall walking along the tracks from the Maple crossing to 21st street, near the Cold Storage plant. If a train came by, which was usually a switcher, they would sometimes blow the horn and we would step aside. It was no big deal, then! Gary-Cathy Woolard: Yes Joe, this was the wreck. The only thing that kept the train from hitting the house was that tree. I was only about 2 years old when it happened but my sis told me that they made everyone on that block go to the corner of Lincoln and Oak because they were afraid the engine would explode. Jim Poe when i was probably 4 there was a derailment i guess in parsons on the katy. just to far back in time too be accurate. was b/4 my sister was born in 47 Mike Christensen When Deramus was Katy President, Jim Poe the Katy could stand still and have a derailment. Train off the track in the yards in the 50's and 60's was an every day occurance. Gary-Cathy Woolard: Joe there were more children in the Brooks family beside David he had an older sister Virginia, older brother Donnie, and younger sister Susan. Someone mentioned the homes on Oak where this happened there were 5 homes on the south side of the street and only 2 on the north side. That area does not look anything like it did back in the 50s,60s and early 70s. In fact I can hardly tell it is the same place. Johnny Linden: When I was about 8 years old, my folks took me over to the Brooks' house to get my first dog named Candy. At that time I think the Brookses lived about somewhere on the east side of the Katy Hospital. Mike Christensen: Went thru the Wye area last time class reunion and had to ask where the Katy golf course was. that area of town CHANGED for someone who used to run a small milk route for a couple out of Chanute. GO BACK | ||