Where in Elk County Am I?

[W. Gray]

There was no Wildcat connection.

So even though Moline, in Wildcat Township, had a roundhouse, that is not the answer.

[frawin]

Waldo, I know you said no Wildcat Connection, I am thinking maybe the old roundhouse was to the East of town and in Elk Falls TWP.

[W. Gray]

From some of the old discussions on the forum, the old Moline roundhouse was supposed to be in the vicinity of the Curly Q.

[sixdogsmom]

The old Moline roundhouse was just to the NE of the tracks where Rairdon Rd. and 160 highway join as 160 curves to the north on the west end of town. There is a big trashpile there now, I also was told that the strip of property along there once held 'houses' for the workers who built the railroad.

[Ole Granny]

Correct -There were living areas for the workers just south of what use to be the Skeet Ames house.  Shorty Galvan lived there.  Remember going there as a child.

[W. Gray]

I had a round house but I had no Wildcat connection. Where in Elk County am I?

The answer I was looking for is Howard.

The Santa Fe RR name of Howard Branch comes from the fact that Howard originally was end-of-track, not because it was a county seat or an important destination.

When Howard became end-of-track in 1879, a roundhouse was built with a turntable to turn locomotives to face towards Emporia. Otherwise the locomotive would have to have driven in reverse the entire way pulling cars on the return trip.

The Howard facility was only a two stall roundhouse similar to the one in Moline. A tornado hit in 1884 and destroyed the roundhouse. It was never rebuilt. The turntable was moved to Moline when Moline became end-of-track for the Howard Branch in 1886.

The Howard roundhouse was located in the general area of the stockyards—just north of the cemetery and the road going west to Bellar's hog operation.

Another possible answer is Grenola. Grenola had a turntable to turn locomotives. However, I have never seen anything mentioned about a roundhouse. The turntable was located at about the intersection of Locust and Railroad streets.

After the Moline round house and turntable was dispensed with, Santa Fe used a large wye east of Moline, which, if need be, could turn entire trains to face in the proper direction to head for Emporia.

A wye is explained at

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wye_%28rail%29

[flintauqua]

Next Target:

You won't find me on a list,
but Wilsons and Sallees insist.
No topo says I exist,
Brother Dan's help I will enlist.

[ddurbin]

We'll start you off with two clues in one day.  Here's the next.

Of all the places I could be
Let me narrow the selection.
From one to thirty-six
I'm in a #12 section.

[frawin]

Dan, I think that is the location of Star School?? I am guessing that the Wilson's and Salllee's went to school there.

[ddurbin]

Frank,
Unless they moved it recently, Star School is not in a section #12.