Kansas Wigwags

Kansas Wigwags

Independence
Fredonia
Humboldt
Winfiled
Cherryvale

There are no active wigwags left in Kansas, but here are some recent survivors...

Independence

There were still a few wigwags left (until 2009) on the former ATSF
line that ran from Ottawa, KS (now only from Iola, KS) to Tulsa, OK. (They did not get the 20 mile
or so section between Ottawa and Iola and that section is now gone and abandoned)
It is now operated by the South Kansas & Oklahoma RR.

This rather sawed-off wigwag was located on North 8th street in Independence.
This seems to be a typical design used by ATSF in the midwest. Mark adds that
the banner was recently repainted from it's original black and white to solid black.

Photo by Mark Springer (8/00)

Fredonia

Note:
According to Gordon Garrett:
South Kansas & OK built a new connector and bypassed this trackage in town . Track is GONE .
These signals are in the collection of Heart of the Heartlands @ Carona,KS Donated by the RR management to our Club's Museum display.

Jefferson Street

Mark Springer provides the info:
"This wigwag (was) located in Fredonia, KS again on an old ATSF line that ran
from Chanute, KS to Winfield, KS. This line is also owned by the South
Kansas & Oklahoma RR. The line between Chanute to Fredonia is now
abandoned. At one time there were at least 3 wigwags (I think there were
4) but now only 2 remain. This one is located on Jefferson Street. At one
time tracks belonging to the MoPac RR, ATSF and some industrial tracks for
the Frisco passed within a few hundred feet of this wigwag. All the
remaining trackage is operated by the SKOL. At least 2 trains pass this
wigwag daily."

Harrison Street

Mark adds more info:
"Here is the other remaining wigwag at Fredonia, KS. It (was) located on the
same ex-ATSF trackage and is on Harrison street. At one time the next
crossing south, Jackson, also had a wigwag. These will probably not last
long as the SKOL has been slowly removing wigwags from service."

As of 2009, they are all gone.

Humboldt
Note:
According to Robert Lambrecht, this wigwag has been taken out of service
as of March 2005.

Another MSCo upper quadrant wigwag was at Humboldt, KS. This protected
the Signor Street crossing on this former ATSF branch line, now owned by
South Kansas & Oklahoma RR. Plans are to eventually abandon the tracks north of
this crossing. There doesn't seem to be any predictable traffic on this line at this time.

Mark also points out that there was another wigwag on this line, as well as some
older highway flashers and a few semaphore remains. Those photos will be added
when they become available.

Above 4 photos by Mark Springer. (8/00)

Cherryvale
This wigwag was removed in March 2007.

Robert Lambrecht found this wigwag in February 2005 and writes:

"There (was) a wig wag on this line (branch north out of Cherryvale) that is in service and is not specifically mentioned in the master list.
It is located at County road 5600 north along highway 59, about 3 miles north of Cherryvale. The actual turn off is County road
5700 north and the wag can be seen from the highway. I saw this wag working on 2/28/05.
A maintenance contractor was replacing the old relay control system with a solid state micro controller
built by Harmon Industries of Blue Springs, Missouri. Hopefully this means this wig wag will be in service for a while.
The contractor indicated that they may take the Independence wag out of service in the next six months or so."

Photos by Robert Lambrecht (2/05)

Express Menu