jan 1, 1875 - Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe Railroad

Description:

Santa Fe Railroad comes to Argentine Turner area. The Santa Fe Railroad has made an even greater economic impact on the Argentine community. Even as early as 1920, at least 6,000 freight cars and more than 500 passenger cars on 144 trains passed through Argentine each day. Approximately 3,100 employees received an average monthly payroll of $240,000. The 6,500,000 bushel capacity grain elevator in the Argentine yards was at one time the largest west of Chicago and the second largest in the country.

Today, on the average, 6,200 cars are handled through the Argentine yards. The total working trackage at Argentine can now accommodate nearly 15,000 cars. In Argentine, the Santa Fe makes direct connections with twelve other railroads. In an average year it has been estimated that enough oranges pass through Argentine by rail to provide each resident of the country with about six each. Enough potatoes pass through to provide 100 pounds for every citizen of the metropolitan Chicago area. Enough piggyback trailers and containers pass through the yards, that, if placed bumper to bumper, they would extend over more than 1,200 miles of highway. As mentioned earlier, the Santa Fe came to the Argentine Turner area in 1875. In 1888 through service was initiated to Chicago over its own track. All switching was done in the flat yards until the Santa Fe opened its first gravity classification yard in 1949. This yard incorporated the latest technology. Fifty-six classification tracks and restarters were operated manually from three towers at the hump yards. The need for greater speed and reliability coupled with the strategic importance of Argentine led to the decision in July, 1967, to construct a $2,000,000 eastbound freight classification yard. Major construction was completed by the fall of 1969 and by the spring of 1970 the new yard was in operation. The entire Argentine yard, including the new eastbound yard extends for over nine miles along the Kansas River. The yards vary in length from 180 feet to 6,440 feet. Physically, the new facilities include a 48 track classification yard holding 7,736 cars; a ten track departure yard holding 804 cars; and an eleven track transfer yard capable of holding 762 cars. The Argentine yard is one of only three terminal points on the Santa Fe Railroad that is equipped for the major serving of diesel locomotives. These repair yards were constructed in 1954 with improvements made in 1960 and enlargements in 1967 and 1968. Source: http://www.ksgenweb.org/wyandott/argentine/03.htm
Need to explore the role of Mexican and other immigrants in the building and development of the railroads.

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