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These four photographs an Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway miniature train. One of the parade photographs was taken in Chicago, Illinois, but the locations of the other photographs are unknown. The driver of the train was Merle Benson, who worked for the Railway and lived in Topeka, Kansas. The original miniature freight train, which was headed by an engine designed after the old steam locomotives, was built in 1926 at the Topeka shops. In 1927, a miniature passenger train was built as a companion. The power source for both trains was Model-T Ford motors and transmissions. In 1937, the steam locomotive design was replaced by a diesel-type jacket over the same power source. Use of the passenger train was discontinued in 1942 and it was finally scrapped in 1951. Before the passenger train was retired, it consisted of three Pullman cars, a buffet-library car and a dining car. The freight train consisted of the locomotive plus a coal car, refrigerator car, boxcar, stock car, tank car and caboose. During the off-season Merle Benson would provide maintenance on the miniature trains and get them ready for the next season. Benson was born in Greeley, Kansas in 1896, and he moved to Topeka in 1923. He started to work in the Santa Fe shops as a car man helper and in 1924, he became a machinist.
Date: 1949-1955
Item Number: 444426
Call Number: Kansas Memory
KSHS Identifier: DaRT ID: 444426
Business and Industry - Railroad - Companies - Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
Collections - Photograph
Community Life - Events and Celebrations - Parades
Date - 1940s - 1949
Date - 1950s
Objects and Artifacts - Communication Artifacts - Documentary Artifact - Photograph
Places - Other States - Illinois - Chicago
Transportation - Railroads - Companies - Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe
Type of Material - Photographs
http://www.kansasmemory.org/item/444426