Railroad Depots

Updated 12-18-2023

Along with courthouses and old buildings, a number of years ago, I started taking pictures of railroad depots.  Why?  Well, they’re usually old buildings.  After traveling around five states taking pictures of courthouses, I decided that railroad depots would be a nice change of pace.

Railroad depots are a little different than courthouses.  Every now and then the railroads are still using them.  Or they get left to decay.  They catch fire.  The railroads tear them down.  Individuals tear them down for the lumber.  They are turned into museums.  Towns buy them and use them for storage.  They get sold to individuals and sometimes become homes.  How about taking two to build a home.   Sometimes they become businesses.  On a rare occasion, disaster strikes when being moved.  They are taken from town out to the farm and sometimes taken back.  At least a couple have been struck by tornadoes.  Many times the railroad tracks are long gone.  I even found one that never had any windows.

I am finding some buildings that sit where the tracks once ran that look like depots.  I have some pictures of them shown here.  That gives me opportunities to make more discoveries.  It makes me wonder, how many depots have disappeared to become something else that we do not know about.

This is an adventure that I am still on.  I do know that I will be retracing many of the routes that I have taken looking at courthouses.

Enjoy, and if you know of a railroad depot not pictured here, drop me a line at kngfsh5@yahoo.com

Other websites that may be of interest for railroad buffs are: www.denverrails.com, http://www.depotmaps.com,

I am currently, as time permits, identifying which railroad the depots belonged to.  Depots that have two town names, the first is where it is, the second is where it is from.

A word of warning.  If you find a depot and want to take pictures, please be very cautious if you stand on the tracks.  Check to see if they are active or abandoned.  I know trains make noise, but your camera is just like a cell phone.  When you’re looking at it, you can’t hear or see anything else.  Just always keep in mind that getting hit by the train is going to really suck.

Railroad Abbreviations

ATSF - Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe (Santa Fe)
ANS - Atlantic N & S
AVI - Arkansas Valley Interurban (Interurban)
B&C - Bellevue & Cascade
BME - Beaver, Meade & Englewood
BNSF - Burlington Northern Santa Fe
C&A - Chicago & Alton
CBQ - Chicago, Burlington & Quincy
CGN - Cape Girardeau Northern
CGW - Chicago Great Western
CMStP&P - Chicago, Milwaukee, St Paul & Pacific
CN - Canadian National
CNW - Chicago & North Western
COW - Clinton, Oklahoma & Western
CP - Canadian Pacific
CRIP - Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific
DCFB - Dodge City, Ford & Bucklin
DRGW - Durango & Rio Grande Western (Narrow Gauge)
DRINW - Davenport, Rock Island & Northwestern
FtDDM&S - Ft Dodge, Des Moines & Southern 
GCW - Garden City Western
GMO - Gulf, Mobile & Ohio
H&S - Humeston & Shenandoah
HSTL - Hannibal & St Louis
IC - Illinois Central
ISTL - Iowa & St Louis
K&W - Keokuk & Western
KCMO - Kansas City, Mexico & Orient
KCNW - Kansas City Northwestern
KCS - Kansas City Southern
LKW - Leavenworth, Kansas & Western
MBS - Muscatine, Burlington & Southern
MI - Missouri-Illinois
MKT - Missouri-Kansas-Texas
MNA - Missouri & Northern Arkansas
MOPac - Missouri Pacific
MSTL - Minneapolis & St Louis
MV - Midland Valley (Interurban)
NWR - Norfolk & Western Railway
OC - Oklahoma Central
OCB - Omaha, Lincoln & Beatrice
ONM&P - Oklahoma, New Mexico, & Pacific
OryCo - Oklahoma Railway
O-SW - Oklahoma-Southern
QOKC - Quincy, Omaha & Kansas City
SE - Sligo & East
SI - Southern Iowa
SLSF - St Louis & San Francisco (Frisco)
STLSW - St Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt)
UE - Union Electric (Interurban)
UNP/UP - Union Pacific
Wabash - Now NWR
WCFN - Waterloo, Cedar Falls & Northern
WENG - West End Narrow Gauge
WFNW - Wichita Falls & Northwestern

Photos updated 9 - 15 - 2023

Arkansas

I fell out of Missouri for a couple miles

Colorado

Just passing through

Iowa

To date, I have photographed 266 depots or the remains of.   I am finding a number that have been moved, been torn down or burned down.  This will be a fun wrap-up as we are getting into the season of cold weather, ice and snow.  For updates on my Iowa depot progress, please check-out my 2021 Road Trip Iowa and follow-up posts.

As of June 27th 2021, I have put a wrap on Iowa.  I may go back at a later date to check on a few depots that I have not found or verified that they are gone.

2 – 17 -22 UPDATE: The Charles City CMStP&P Depot has been saved and was recently moved next to the CCW Depot.

6 – 18 – 23 UPDATE: The Stanhope Depot is being moved back to Stanhope from a farm outside of Stanhope.

Kansas

I have wrapped up Kansas for now.  I found 290 depots or remnants there of.  I know there are around seven that I know the location but have not taken a picture.  Since all are on private property and most are not visible from areas of public access, I will visit those locations when there is relief from the pandemic. 

During my travels and depot hunting in Kansas, I had the honor and pleasure to meet and visit with some really great people.  I truly enjoyed the conversations and hospitality of all the folks I met.  Their stories and information are priceless and have made for many memories.

10 – 25 – 2021 UPDATE:  The depot at Chase KS is now just a pile of wood laying on the ground.

8 – 24 – 2022 UPDATE: Pleasanton KS MOPac Depot has been replaced by a new building.

9 – 26 – 2023 UPDATE:  Quinter KS Depot has been moved from its previous location to next to the library.

Kansas – Depots Gone 

I have put the pictures in this section for personal reference only.  They do not belong to me.  If you use these for commercial us be sure to go through the proper channels for permission.

To order images and/or obtain permission to use them commercially, please contact the KSHS Reference Desk at KSHS.reference@ks.gov or 785-272-8681, ext. 117.

For more information see the Copyright and Permission FAQ.

Missouri

In Missouri I found 178 depots.  There are several that I have identified the location of, just no pictures at this time.  I will visit those locations when there is relief from the pandemic.

7 – 21 – 2021 UPDATE:  The Pattonsburg MO depot is now a pile of wood laying inside its foundation.

1 – 30 – 2022 UPDATE:  The Eldon MO depot has been razed and another building is being constructed on site.

5 – 24 – 2022 UPDATE:  The Trenton MO Rock Island Freight Depot has been razed.

Nebraska

Two more trips and I will have Nebraska depots all photographed.  I have located and identified approximately 52 more depots.  I have already found a few that are gone.

It actually took three more trips to wrap up Nebraska.  I found several gone and several not much more than a pile of lumber.  I did not get a photo of the Gothenburg depot which is located on the grounds of the Old Depot Vineyard and Winery south of Brady NE.   For now, as of 9-2-2021, I am putting Nebraska in my rearview mirror.

Oklahoma

I have photographed 52 depots to date.  I have located and identified approximately 78 more.  I will be returning to Oklahoma in the future to visit those locations.  The Okmulgee and Shidler depots are gone.  LeFlore has been moved to Oklahoma City and is being renovated.  The Wagoner depot was moved back in town June 2020.

As of August 21, 2022, I am officially done with Oklahoma railroad depots.

UPDATE: 7 -4 – 2022 Marshall OK and Sulphur OK depots are gone

Wyoming