The
Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf System
The Kansas
Oklahoma & Gulf was one of the "Muskogee Roads" which in turn
were part of the Midland-Valley family of Oklahoma lines. The
KO&G connected and interchanged at Denison with the Denison
& Pacific Suburban Railroad (a wholly owned subsidiary of the
Texas & Pacific Railroad).
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MO&G 303 - Missouri Oklahoma & Gulf is a Baldwin
2-6-6-2 in Muskogee, probably on its delivery. The contributor's
granddad is at front of engine in white shirt and overalls.
On the back of the engine picture:
"Doc Epperson in white shirt taken in Muskogee Oklahoma
1911 or 13 QO&KC railroad."
Markings on engine and tender indicate it was #303 of MO&G.
- Brice Bratcher Photo/Collection
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Originally
chartered on March 28, 1910, as the Missouri, Oklahoma and Gulf
Railway Company of Texas, the name was changed to the Kansas,
Oklahoma and Gulf Railway Company of Texas on April 2, 1921.
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Kansas Oklahoma & Gulf GP7 98
- (former 802) at Muskogee, OK. Unknown date. Post T&P merger
unit in original paint, after T&P renumbering. - photographer
unknown, Robert F. Read Collection / submitted by Gary Herron
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KO&G 1529
- at Wichita, Kansas circa 1953. This neat little caboose
with the odd end cupola arrangement rides on an old steam
tender frame, and was one of two home-built by MV. - photographer
unknown, John C. La Rue, Jr. collection
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The company
operated nearly nine miles of line from the Red River near Carpenter's
Bluff to Denison as well as terminal trackage at Denison. At the
Red River the KO> connected with the Kansas, Oklahoma and
Gulf Railway Company, thus forming a through route from Denison
to Baxter Springs, Kansas.
In 1926 the
KO> was classified as a Class II line by the Railroad Commissionqv
and owned one locomotive. That year the line received $4,054 in
passenger revenue, $192,962 in freight revenue, and $249 in other
revenue. In 1952 the KO> earned $259,392, almost all from
freight. In 1964 the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf system was
merged into the Texas and Pacific Railway Company, and the Texas
trackage abandoned. (Chris Cravens-Handbook of Texas Online)
The KO&G
was absorbed into MoPac shortly after the T&P's own absorbtion
into the system in 1976. Most of the KO&G on-line traffic
was coal and quarry products, but they were also a major bridge-line
between Kansas and the upper midwest in the MoPac scheme of things,
competing with both the MK&T and the Frisco.
At the end of it's life, the KO&G was made up of a rambling,
run-down line which served no substantial cities. After takeovers,
first by the T&P and then MoPac, the line had financial means
to be upgraded. After passing into UP's hands, the upgrading continue
until it was almost entirely a 49 mph railroad, but because of
its curves and circuitous route, it wasn't capable of becoming
a first class line.
The KO&G mainline
served the following locations: Denison, TX - Carpenter's Bluff,
TX - Achille, OK - Durant, OK - Tupelo, OK - Calvin, OK - Henryetta,
OK - Council Hill, OK - Muskogee, OK - Wagoner, OK - Miami, OK
- Baxter Springs, KS.
Today the
last fragments remaining of the line lie near Wagoner, Oklahoma,
the UP uses the former KO&G main as a siding and as a small yard
off their Coffeyville Sub. Also, the BNSF uses a short section
in Henryetta to serve the glass plant (under contract with the
UP).
Power
and Cabooses on the Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf
KO&G
Diesel Switcher |
Totals
|
Model
|
Rd.
Numbers |
1
|
NW-2
|
1001 |
|
KO&G
Diesel Road Power |
9
|
GP-7
|
801-809 |
4
|
F-7
|
751-754 |
2
|
F-7B
|
755B,
756B |
2
|
GP-28
|
700,
701 |
* The NW-2
switcher #1001 wore a black paint scheme accentuated by a wide
red band running along the length of the hood, before it curved
down to the frame on the front nose. On the opposite end the band
wrapped around the rear. There were also narrow white stripes
that lay against either side of the red band.
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KO&G F7A 751
- and F7B at Henryetta, OK, date unknown. (shows 'as delivered'
herald with Midland Valley on top) - photographer unknown,
Robert F. Read Collection / submitted by Gary Herron
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KO&G F7B 755B
- at Muskogee, OK, unknown date (original paint with revised
herald with KO&G on top, which occurred after KO&G became
the dominant revenue road. See Stagner's book for more info)
- photographer unknown, Robert F. Read Collection / submitted
by Gary Herron
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* The F-7s
were all clad in the attractive MoPac Eagle blue and grey scheme,
with the slight modification of the KO&G-MV-OCAA square herald
on the nose and flanks instead of the nose emblem seen on the
rest of MoPac's fleet. Like other MP streamliners in the mid-sixties,
these were repainted into the solid Jenks blue and renumbered,
but retained their KO&G herald. First becoming T&P #844-847, 846B
and 847B. Two of the F's, #846 and 847, were traded to EMD for
the KO&G's GP-28's, #700 and 701.
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Midland Valley GP7 106
- (former 151) at Muskogee, OK. Unknown date. Post T&P merger
unit in original paint, after T&P renumbering. - photographer
unknown, Robert F. Read Collection / submitted by Gary Herron
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* The GP-7's also wore the black paint with a wide red band identical
to the NW-2. In time, the Geeps were repainted into the system
standard of MoPac Jenks blue. The GP-7's were renumbered to T&P
#97-105, then T&P #1637-1640,#1688-1692. The few that survived
were again renumbered into the MP 600 series. Either these were
as - delivered or at some point in time - as "chop-nosed"
units.
* The GP28's
(non-turbocharged GP35s) were the last KO&G diesels aquired by
the road. The 700 and 701 were delivered in Jenks blue, later
were renumbered as T&P #850 and #851, then as MP #2000 and #2001.
These were the only two GP-28's on the MoPac roster. Today the
#700 (MP #2000) is now the Ashely Drew & Northern #1815, while
the 701 (MP #2001) is on a Kyle property.
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KO&G 1536
- in a later duo-toned red-black with white stripe scheme,
at Houston, Texas in October 1966. It went on to become
MP 13228 before its retirement in 1968. The Muskogee Road's
cabooses were also painted in the black with red stripe
scheme, minus the the white outline - photographer unknown,
John C. La Rue, Jr. collection
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By the 1960s,
most trains were mixed T&P/KO&G/MP power, usually F-units, sometimes
Geeps, with KO&G cabooses and F units. KO&G
and Midland Valley power were dispatched over each others lines
as needed. The only way to tell them apart was by road number.
The KO&G (then under T&P control) operated Black/Red cabooses
with a large white KO&G "Sooner Southwest" sunburst slogan on
the sides.
Since the
KO&G was a fairly small road with dead-end local lines, it
wasn't uncommon to see the
odd F a-unit running backwards into town and forwards leaving.
Sometimes it came into town with the caboose leading, and conductor/brakeman
on the platform using the little air whistle on the caboose for
the street crossing. (thanks to J.C.T.)
As for other
types of road power the KO&G made use of a pair of gas-powered
motorcars. As late as 1951, between Denison and Muskogee, the
road operated a mail/express/passenger service. Each motorcar
made a one way trip on weekdays and Saturday.
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KO&G 712
- an example of the KO&G paint scheme - photographer
unknown, Robert F. Read Collection / submitted by Gary Herron
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KO&G 781
- another version of KO&G paint, notice the subtle differences
between the logos - photographer unknown, Robert F. Read
Collection / submitted by Gary Herron
For those interested, Bob purchased a very
nice collection of Midland Valley/KO&G shots several years
ago and has been good enough to make copies available for
sale at very reasonable prices. Bob may be contacted at
The Friday Store at 112 W. Broadway, Cushing, OK 74023 at
phone 918-225-3936
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Equipment
on the Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf and
the Midland
Valley
The KOG/MV was always short of their own equipment and relied
on the larger roads for much of it. The largest 'on line' commodities
were coal, cattle and crude (apologies to Lloyd Stagner). The
KOG/MV's largest fleet of cars were coal gons and hoppers. The
refined products was shipped in private tanks and a lot of the
cattle moved in ATSF cars.
The 'fleet'
of coal haulers consisted of: