On Sat, November 12, 2005 10:24 pm, Jared Harper wrote:

I still haven't figured out why passenger service
from the branch to points in the outside world got so messed up during
WWII. During most of its years of operation passengers off the AB
could make good connections at Burlingame with scheduled passenger
trains. When the AB trains started tieing up at Topeka passengers had
the choice of Burlingame or Topeka connections. During WWII there were
NO close connections for passengers off the branch.

Jared,

Again, I think you are not taking into account the level of disruption
caused by WWII. Since I am not familair with the Alma Branch, I do not
know what sort of national defense related sites were on the branch, but
my guess is not many <G>. In January of 1943, passenger cars were in
critically short supply. No new cars were being built, huge numbers of
service men and women were moving by troop trains and regular trains, and
citizens were being urged not to use their private automobiles (or to
travel at all for non-essentail travel). Passenger trains were severely
affected with such issues as reduced or eliminated additional sections, no
added sections, etc... If there was no critical war related reason for an
easy connection from the Alma Branch, that would have been the last thing
on a LONG list for the AT&SF to deal with.

Hey, quite a night in Athens last night, eh? <war eagle!>

Regards
Bruce

Bruce Smith
Auburn, AL