Transcription
The Feb. 10 tornado around St. Louis brought memories to Jim Bullard, retired Rock Island railroader, of the 1927 tornado that missed the train crew by about a mile.
"On Sept. 29, 1927," he re-called, "we were asleep in Caboose 18058 on upper end of the caboose track in our Carrie Ave. yard -- Brakeman C. S. Jackson, Charlie Campbell and myself. Around noon heavy wind and hard rain hit the old caboose, and we awoke to find her rolling down the caboose track in a big way. Jackson got the hand brake on the east end of the car, and tied her down." A short time later they were called for the Red Ball "Hot Shot" 93 for 2 p.m. As they pulled out of North St. Louis, they could see some of the damage done by the tornado that came within about a mile of the Rock Island yard.
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Incidentally, Bullard has a question about early day time tables that he is wondering if any of the railroaders can answer.
He has a copy of Time Table No. 10, taking effect Oct. 25, 1908, carrying the name of the St. Louis, Kansas City and Colorado Railroad Co., and covering Sub Division No. 1, Eldon to St. Louis, and Sub Division No. 2, Eldon to Armourdale, Kan., 300 miles in all.
Bullard recalled that in the summer of 1904 when the Rock Island took over complete control, it came out with Time Table No. 1 in July, 1904, carrying the Rock Island name. His question: Just what happened that four years later they would be operating under a St. Louis, Kansas City and Colorado time table?