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Old pictures Tower 55 were published in CROSSROADS in the last two issues, courtesy of Mr. Frank Landis. The T&NO engine in the left of the picture is an MK-5 (Mikado). These engines were too long to use the turntable at Broadway Yard. The Broadway Turntable was very short and would not handle any large engines. Large freight engines had to be turned on the wye at Purina Junction.
It was one of those tables that originally used air from the locomotive to turn it. It was equipped with its own air supply in later years.
The T&NO & Rock Island lines had inter-company agreements that allowed them to use each others track at Fort Worth. The locomotive in this picture probably had been down to Purina Junction to turn around for its trip back to Ennis.
Ennis yard continues to run at capacity. Loaded and empty auto racks are everywhere. Storage is short for all cars. Removal of storage tracks in Downtown Ennis (Midland Yard) has really hurt, reports Footboard Yardmaster Clint Morales.
Elk Roofing Corp is running at capacity and local industry business continues to boom.
Conductor Billy Percival found a rail with a two foot piece broken out of the ball while switching out Loaded Auto Racks. This saved an extremely expensive derailment.
Ennis has another injury free month to report.
Retired Conductor Robert L. Gullick, age 68, and Retired Engineer Bill W. Splawn, age 85, have passed away since our December issue.
Miller Yard is overflowing reports JD Mitchell, General Yardmaster. However, It continues to run accident free. Car handling is between 550 and 700 cars per day including the Ramp.
The new hauling job, LBG80, is making two trips per day bring in between 90 and 120 each trip. A new train MPSDA is arriving daily from Kansas to be switched at Miller to relieve some pressure at Centennial Yard. IDALB is running daily back thru San Antonio. New Schedules for the MDASRX, MDAEW, MDASA , MDAPB include running these connection when power is available, usually three days per week for each.
Miller Ramp is running at or near capicity.
Retired Conductor Gene Whitten. 69, passed away in late December. He started as an SSW Miller Yard Switchman. He later became Yardmaster, then Trainmaster. He retired at Carrolton as a Conductor.
Dan is an engineer working out of Broadway Yard.
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