TOPEKA, KANSAS

5:50 5:55am No. 28 Eastbound The Antelope
7:27 7:35am No. 26 Eastbound Doodlebug
9:18 9:25am No. 5 Westbound The Ranger
10:15am No. 57 Westbound Doodlebug from St. Joseph U.S. Atchison U.S.
10:15 10:20am No. 1 Westbound The Scout
12:20 12:33pm No. 3 Westbound California Limited
12:33pm No. 12 Eastbound The Chicagoan
2:00pm No. 58 Eastbound Doodlebug to Atchison U.S. and St. Joseph U.S.
6:24pm No. 11 Westbound The Kansas Cityan
5:50 6:00pm No. 4 Eastbound California Limited
8:30 8:40pm No. 25 Westbound Doodlebug
7:55 8:00pm No. 2 Eastbound The Scout
9:20 9:25pm No. 6 Eastbound The Ranger
11:20 11:30pm No. 27 Westbound The Antelope

This is where the Atchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe started: Topeka Kansas. On October 30 1868 the first clods of Kansas soil were moved and the Santa Fe had started a journey that would not end before it had reached Chicago, the Pacific Ocean, and the Gulf Coast. Topeka was also the only town in the corporate name to remain on the railroad when it was merged with the Burlington Northern. Topeka is the home to a large Maintenance Terminal that served the Santa Fe well during its lifespan and still serves the BNSF today.

This photo does not do justice to the many beautiful Santa Fe structures in Topeka. Topeka has seen three depots. This final version was constructed in the late 1940's or early 1950's. Joe McMillian's
Wheat Lines and Super Freights shows several views of Topeka including a shot taken from the overpass next to the depot on page 20. H Roger Grant's Kansas Depots book shows another view of this depot on page 47 during the warbonnet passegner train era. The express building in the left portion of the photo was torn down in 1996. Several other structures in the area including the Missorui Pacific depot have also been razed. The Santa Fe depot still serves Amtrak's Southwest Chief

A beautiful brick structure predated this structure and a good black and white photo exists in the book Railroad Color History by Steve Glischinski on page 12. The Original depot was a utilitarian frame structure. A photo of this depot is located in the book Kansas Depots by H. Roger Grant page 30.