Friday, June 29, 2018
Lonely places
Sort of following on this.
KSHS has been adding a batch of pix taken by Howard Killam, mainly during the '50s. All are centered on railroads. Some are familiar full-service depots. Those pix aren't unique; the big architected depots have been photographed often, and many of them have been restored. They're definitely not lost.
Killam's unique contribution is lonely box depots and shed depots, like this one at Rock Creek:
These little buildings obviously weren't meant for passengers and freight; they don't have lights or plumbing. Most are nowhere near a road, so they couldn't be flag-stops for an occasional farmer. They're solely for railroad workers to get out of the weather when waiting for the next train or service vehicle. (This type looks to be about 15x15, which is big enough to live in. I wonder if some of them were repurposed as houses?)
Because they're only accessible by rail, Killam must have been a railroad employee.... And sure enough he was. From a railfan forum:
These little buildings obviously weren't meant for passengers and freight; they don't have lights or plumbing. Most are nowhere near a road, so they couldn't be flag-stops for an occasional farmer. They're solely for railroad workers to get out of the weather when waiting for the next train or service vehicle. (This type looks to be about 15x15, which is big enough to live in. I wonder if some of them were repurposed as houses?)
Because they're only accessible by rail, Killam must have been a railroad employee.... And sure enough he was. From a railfan forum:
I remember Howard Killam. He was a member of the Topeka chapter of the NRHS. He was a Carman at the Topeka Shops in the 70's when I worked there as a Carman also. He was still living when I left for Middle Div. engine service in early '79.He lived from 1918 to 1993, and his photos were given to the KU Museum by his widow. KU's listing says the photos occupy 26 boxes and 22 feet of shelf space! That's a massive historical record of places that would otherwise disappear from all memory.
Labels: defensible spaces, defensible times
¶ 12:14 AM
