Chris Parker and I woke up at the Best Western Ardmore Inn and once we departed we headed into town to find the Amtrak Station.
The Pointless Arrow Amtrak Sign led us to it.
Out in front was this Buffalo.
Four views of the former Santa Fe Station in Ardmore, Oklahoma. We drove north to Gene Autry and waited for the southbound Amtrak Heartland Flyer. That picture will be in my Tribute to Amtrak found on the front page of my web site once I get the film back. We got back onto Interstate 35 and stopped in Norman for gas. From there we made a wrong turn but got to see the Oklahoma State Capital Building and downtown Oklahoma. We soon made our way to the Oklahoma Railway Museum our destination for today's journey.
Oklahoma Railway Museum 6/20/2008
We pulled into the parking lot and met Jim Pasby, of the Oklahoma Railway Museum, who would give us a tour of he grounds.
Out by the parking lot a diesel engine is on display.
An old yard office is the first thing you see as you walk through the gates.
The brick walkway leads you to the former Oakwood, Texas Depot.
A statue of a Railroad Conductor and the children's play area in this view. From here we walked into the shop building.
Rock Island wooden caboose 17834 built as a box car in 1915 and rebuilt into a caboose in 1940.
Chickasaw Railroad ex Magma Copper built in 1955.
The plastic sign on the unit commemorates the Oklahoma Centennial. We then walked outside to continue our tour.
OKRX 115 Kerr McGee Explorer ex Santa Fe Coach 3199 built 1938.
The inside of the OKRX 115 Kerr McGee Explorer.
OKRX 142 OC Star 142 ex Santa Fe Diner 1492 built 1942 and later Amtrak 8037.
Four views inside the OC Star 142.
OKRX 113 ex Santa Fe Coach 3105 built 1938.
Santa Fe FP45 90.
CORX 1 Pullman Car Company Union Pacific 1520 built 1915 as an open platform cafe lounge before being rebuilt into a MOW car in the Denver wreck service.
View at the south end of the yard.
Frisco F9A 814 built 1954 for the Northern Pacific as the 7003D and later BN 814.
Oklahoma Gas & Electric 0-6-0T former US Army Corps of Engineers 5006.
The museum's excursion train.
GE 45 Ton 301 built for the US Army 1202 in 1941 later run on the Dodge City, Ford & Bucklin.
Coach 136 Klingensmith built 1929 used as a Chicago Northwestern Commuter Coach 7721.
Open Car ex Union Pacific 58259 Flat Car.
Great Northern Caboose X21 built 1958 later BN 10381.
The former Oakwood, Oklahoma Depot.
Views around the Oakwood Station.
Rock Island RS1 743 built 1943.
Rock Island Combine 6015 built 1921.
Rock Island Baggage 4119 built 1927 later converted to tool car 96155 in 1957.
Frisco Wooden Caboose.
Inside of the Frisco Wooden Caboose used for birthday parties.
Burlington Wooden Caboose 14107 built 1878 for the Well & French Railroad.
Inside of the Burlington Wooden Caboose 14107.
Pullman Tourist Sleeper 2568 purchased by the Frisco in 1950 and converted into bunk and kitchen car. The museum converted it to a display car in 2002.
Displays inside of the former Pullman Sleeper. After that fantastic tour we thanked Jim and he told us how to get to a few more of the museum's collection. Following his directions we found our prey.
More freight cars were found.
Two old wooden cars as well.
Union Pacific Caboose 25380.
Magama RS1 3.
Mistletoe 2. A special thank you to the Oklahoma Railway Museum for the great visit they gave us.
The Trip Back to Fort WorthWe left Oklahoma City and took Interstate 40 east to Shawnee.
We pulled into the Shawnee Station parking lot and found a BNSF train about to start switching some local industries.
The Santa Fe Station in Shawnee houses a museum of the town's history.
A pair of Santa Fe Cabooses on display at the Shawnee Station.
We had lunch at the Hamburger King in Shawnee. I went outside first and heard a horn from a different direction. Chris and I drove south to the tracks and found our prey.
The Arkansas Oklahoma Railroad was in town switching.
AOK B-23-7 4064.
AOK B-23-7 4059.
Pushing a cut of cars into a grain plant.
One last view of the Arkansas Oklahoma Railroad before we left Shawnee.
We drove south down US 177 before turning west onto OK 19 for the trip to Pauls Valley, our next stop.
Santa Fe 2-8-0 1951 on display in Pauls Valley.
Frisco SLSF 893 Wooden Caboose.
The views of the former Santa Fe Pauls Valley Station.
The shelter for Amtrak passengers in Pauls Valley. We headed south after stopping for more drinks and headed south crossing the Arbuckle Mountains. We came to a Scenic Viewpoint and decided to stop.
The view looking north from the Scenic Viewpoint.
The sign describing the Arbuckle Anticline.
The view looking south.
Coming down off the Arbuckle Mountains. We drove on to Gainesville and checked to see what time the Heartland Flyer would arrive. With time on our side, we went to Arby's and got some sandwiches to go.
A railroad scrap yard with trucks waiting to be picked up. Amtrak was running a few minutes late but soon we heard a horn.
Amtrak's Heartland Flyer works the station in Gainesville.
Amtrak's Heartland Flyer departs Gainesville for points north. We headed south for Fort Worth.
Downtown Fort Worth. We drove on down to the Best Western south of Interstate 20 for the night.
