I'm just starting to sort through my slides and negatives. These are the first ones I've had a chance to scan. Lighting was not great. These were taken on Oct. 8, 1971. I was just out of the army and back attending Southwest Missouri State College and spent weekends roaming with my friend Steve McVey.
My notes show the location approx. 2 miles west of Minden Mines, MO just across the state line into KA. The right of way crossed a county road and was being used for trucks. The track had been just pushed off into the drainage dish. Two coal cars were setting on blocks just off the RofW and a number of trucks were in the grass. Following the grade led to the 5 engines sitting in the weeds and trees were growing between the rails, some over 25' tall. Engines were numbered 11, 22,55, 77 and 88. No 11 was a Davenport product built April 4, 1928 with serial number 2124 and carried a boiler pressure of 170 lbs. I couldn't find and information on the others. My notes show 55s boiler and cab were resting on the ground with the frame next to it and the cyclinders resting aobut 30 yards away. Engine house and water tank had all collapsed by this time.
The hopper cars were built by Sanford Day, a manufacturer of mining equipment and each had a single long hopper door on the bottom that ran lengthways and appeared to just drop down to unload. From what I was told there was a transfer trestle that allowed the hoppers to be pulled or pushed over a standard gauge (KCS?) track for unloading. I'd love to find more information of these hoppers.
More pictures to come.....
Bill Hoss, Webster Groves, MO