Frisco Archive

SD45 901, Caboose 1271 and Caboose 1268 at Rosedale Yard in Kansas City, KS (date unknown).

Train is near the south end of Rosedale Yard, mile post 3.9 (MP 3.9). In the Kansas City Terminal, the Frisco’s Rosedale Yard was its primary out-bound yard. The railroad’s primary in-bound yard was located to the northeast at 19th Street Yard, MP 0.0, in Kansas City, Missouri. The photograph appears to have been taken from the north side entrance of the Rosedale Yard Office. The yard office was adjacent to and bordered on the south and northwest by a right hand bend in Turkey Creek.

A number of interesting details appear in this image. On the far left on an adjacent track is the nose of a yellow track inspection motorcar. Moving to the right is a horizontal yellow target, switch lamp equipped, low level hand thrown switch stand. Below SLSF 1268 is a silver motorized power thrown turnout point control. Adjacent to the right hand unidentified number SD45 is a seven step stair case leading to a lighted train order hoop stand, a black two head low level signal pot and a white whistle post sign.

The roadway overpass bride above the train is Mission Road. It connects to Interstate 35 (I-35) at mile post 233 to the north (left). After crossing over Turkey Creek, the yard and Southwest Boulevard the road proceeds south as it climbs up a steep grade out of the creek valley and into adjacent communities in Johnson County. Above the cabooses on the bluff near the horizon line is Rosedale Middle School. It is located at 3600 Springfield Street, Kansas City, Kansas 66103.

Standing high above the school is the triangular shaped 1,042-foot tall broadcasting transmission tower of local CBS-affiliate KCMO-TV (KCTV 5 after 1983). The tower is located at 125 East 31st Street, Kansas City, Missouri 64108. This is in the Union Hill neighborhood south of the downtown business district. For a time, starting in the 1970’s until the fall of 2001, lights on the tower were flashed in different combinations to alert area residents of inclement weather in the metropolitan area. Today, newer white LED bulb lights no longer flash but do outline the three sides of the tower.

Below the bridge and above the cars in the yard can be seen the large sign painted on the side of its building for Strasser Hardware. This long time local retail hardware store dates from 1917. They moved to this location in the Rosedale neighborhood in 1926. The business is located at 910 Southwest Boulevard, Kansas City, Kansas 66103. Since 1964 the company has been associated with the True Value brand retailer-owned cooperative.

View is looking northeast.

Special thanks to Mark Davidson for description.