Paying It Forward: Memories and Dreams, Rail Rides, Tomorrow’s Service

I loved train rides, moving about for best views, food and stretching. Our city grew as train service provided economic, reliable trasportation. Learn and share our train history, then volunteer.

Remember your last train ride? My parents, depression babies, grew up as trains dominated and defined transportation.  In the 1880’s railroads connected Wichita Falls to markets near and far, enabling economic growth beyond agriculture and oil.

September 11, 1967 marked the last departure of a passenger train from Wichita Falls, the Texas Zephyr.  Passenger service wasn’t profitable after that year’s loss of the mail service contract between Fort Worth & Denver.

I enjoyed a half dozen or so day rides on trains during my early years visiting grandparents. One routing Sante Fe, the other Rock Island; I preferred Santa Fe!  Eating our picnic lunch, we still enjoyed an ice cream float in the dining car.

Mother’s parents lived in Wichita, Kansas; just like being home in the city.  But Dad’s parents lived on a farm 20 minutes outside Kirksville, Missouri. Tractors, calves, hogs, cornfields, barns, ponds -- and snow for Christmas visits!

Dad would follow with the car a week or so later, joining the family visit before driving us all home.

The train was enjoyable; we could walk around seeing the scenery. 

A horrible thought was being the one in the middle of the backseat during the 12+ hour ride home in the car. 

Nonprofit causes are a labor of love. Wichita Falls wouldn’t exist without railroads, but few today have fond memories like mine. 

Monday, the Wichita Falls Railroad Museum’s Program Director, Jan Saville updated Southwest Rotary Club, about “three goals before reopening, get clean, get safe and get organized.”

Seven cars including Engine 304 and both cabooses are tentatively included in a possible and albeit optimistic September public opening.

Wichita Falls RR stock includes Engine 304. Delivered as coal burning by Brooks Locomotive Works in 1906 to the Fort Worth & Denver City Railway Co.  Converted to burn oil in 1929, #304 weighs 200,854lbs with 180,795 lbs on its 57" drive wheels.  #304 was donated to the Wichita Falls Rotary Club in 1955. Currently inventoried in Wichita Falls RR Museum. Photo Jack Browne

Join a community meeting for the update Thursday July 25^th at 6pm at the Salad Express at 3411 Kemp Blvd.  Your work could prepare a dinner theatre set for a future reenactment of the February 25th, 1896 robbery of City National Bank.

Volunteer outside Saturday morning July 27th 8am to noon for the monthly mow and cleanup at Eastlawn Memorial Cemetery, corner of Farm to Market Road 369 and Bacon Switch Road.

Want to volunteer or need volunteers for your nonprofit? Sign up for the Serve Wichita Falls Group, facebook.com/groups/servewichitafalls/

Volunteering, always a great “together time” activity.

After submission, Ron Kitchens of Wichita Falls Chamber of Commerce noted Amtrak is in due diligence for future passenger service to Wichita Fall. Perhaps our dreams can come true!

Jack Browne is a community volunteer and former technology sales and marketing executive who worked 40 years at Motorola, MIPS Technologies and other companies.  How are the children doing?

Published Wichita Falls Times Record News, Trends Section, Sunday July 21, 2024.