3100, Soo steel box, box, flat, 2 boxes, and others.

3102, 5 gons, combine.

3105, ATSF reefer, OB Box, 3 dome tank, GN Box, 2 gons of scrap metal, combine 2650. December, 1949.

3105, stock, gon, 2 tanks, 5 gons, combine 2650. 1948.
3162, OB box, 3 stock, 2 tank, 1 reefer (LCL), Combine 2650. 1949

3165, BX-11 or 12, GATX 8K gal. Type 30 insulated ICC-103 or 104, UTLX 6.5 gal. Type X, 8K gal. insulated ICC-103, B&O M-26 box, 7 empty Caswell gons, Combine 2301. August 31, 1949.

In addition to these, there were run through loads of cattle in ATSF stock cars and run through loads of limestone in gondolas. During the 40s, and possibly later, a weekly LCL reefer was placed in front of the combine to deliver meat along the line, traveling south one day and returning the next. Photos clearly show steel box cars from the Southern, Frisco, UP, GN, MP, and Milw. Single sheathed boxes are also numerous, including Wabash and GN. A Milw 48' composite gondola also shows up in photos.

James Burke has provided information on trains through Climax during one week in 1945. His notes should be useful for those interested in operations or what cars would have been seen on the Howard Branch. 96 originated in Emporia; 95 in Moline.

Wednesday (6-27-45):
(96) "Set out PRR box 50833 and IC box 16407 on the house track." There was already one box there.

Thursday:
(96) "Set out CB&Q box 133113 at elevator."
(95) "Pick up IC box 16407 on house track."

Friday:
(96) "Pick up PRR box 50833 on house track and CB&Q 133113 at elevator."

Saturday:
(96) "Set out box C&O 85975 and ATSF 118184 (Bx-3) at elevator."

Monday:
(96) "Pick up ATSF 118184 (Bx-3) at elevator."

Tuesday:
(96) "Set out box ATSF 67175 (Fe-16) and B&O 81810 on house track."

Wednesday:
(96) "Set out ATSF boxes 118527 (Bx-3) and 119003 (Bx-3) and pick up C&O box 85975 at elevator."
(95) "Pick up ATSF box 67175 (Fe-16) and B&O 81810 on house track.

For those interested in operations, this documents 5 box cars on the house track and 5 at the elevator in an 8 day period. Most stayed 1-2 days. Those on the house track may have included LCL (less than car load) traffic. Only 4 of the ten box cars were from the ATSF. 96 did all of the work at the elevator because it is a trailing move for him.

John McCall has provided a Trainsheet for Sunday, July 6, 1947. Click here to examine the details of that day's operations.

Rod Riley has provided two consist sheets from 1960, which I will include here.

The first consist, for #98 from Moline to Emporia, dated August 29, 1960, included only GP-7 2657 and combine 2302. The conductor was L. E. "Roy" Olson.

The second, dated Sept. 24, 1960, is for #97 from Emporia to Moline. Conductor Olson was again in charge as GP-7 2657 led 4 cars and combine 2302. Other cars in the consist were ballast cars 180572 (GA-62) and 79898 (GA-109) going to Moline (station 2126), UP 188408 loaded with bulk feed for Elco Seed in Howard (station 2876), and waycar 1623 (WCEX), going to Eureka (station 2847) for machine operator Knight. Riley's guess is that the caboose would serve as a bunk car for "Shorty" Knight who was doing MOW work on the branch with Eureka as his headquarters.

An interesting car shown in photos from the spring of 1974 was scale test car 199917 traveling to Crusher to check the scale. This car was one of three purchased in 1972. It was a 35' Thrall car and was retired in 1979. A photo of sister 199918 appears in Work Equipment Cars, p. 109, published by the Society.