In 1942 however the Oil Flyer ran in only one direction. The westbound counterpart was titled only as No. 47 Southern Kansas Passenger. It was truely a night train leaving Kansas City at 10:35pm and arriving in Tulsa at 5:30am. The eastbound counterpart, the real Oil Flyer No. 50 ran during the afternoon and evening hours. It arrived in Kansas City at 8:20pm after leaving Tulsa at 2:00pm.
By 1960 the westbound Oil Flyer No. 47 was a true night train leaving Kansas City at one minute before midnight and arriving in Tulsa at 7:00am. The eastbound Oil Flyer left Tulsa at 4:10pm and arrived in Kansas City at 10:00pm. For some reason its number had changed from No. 50 to No. 48.
The Oil Flyer lasted until March of 1968 after the Santa Fe had tried several different consist experiments (deleting, adding back, and once again deleting sleeping car service) in an attempt to save the train. It even lasted long enough to acquire streamlined equipment and was fully streamlined when the end came.
The Tulsan was always numbered 211 westbound and 212 eastbound. It was introduced as a streamliner and remained so until the end when Amtrak refused to keep the route after taking over Santa Fe passegner operation on May 1, 1971. Westbound 211 left Kansas City 5:20pm and arrived in Tulsa at 10:10pm. The eastbound 212 left Tulsa at 8:40am and arrived in Kansas City at 1:30pm. The timetable of this train changed little during its lifespan. this train outlasted even the Chief by several years. It was also the last passenger train to arrive and depart Tulsa, Oklahoma.
A very informative 1968 documentary film about this line has been transferred to video. Unfortuantely it is no longer available. This video named Last Train from Cherryvale documents the Tulsan just four years before its discontinuance and during the proceedings which would eventually kill off the Oil Flyer. There are scenes of the Tulsan leaving Tulsa, arriving in Cherryvale, Chanute, and finally Kansas City Union Station. The story line is interesting with Ray Francis, a passenger/ line and type editor for the Cherryvale Republican catching the train in Cherryvale and finally detraining on the Kansas City Union Station platform, and leaving the depot. There are cab ride views, interior depot views in Cherryvale and Kansas City Union Station in addition to many runbys and interior passenger car views. It is a video not to be missed and it may be possible to pick up a reprinted copy from Heart of the Heartlands in Cherrryvale.
Depots on this line were interesting. Ottawa (stone), Garnett (brown brick), Iola(red brick and of a design similar to Independence, Garden City, and Florence), Humboldt (typical county seat design without an open waiting room), and Chanute (two story red brick Harvey House and Division Headquarters) were the most substantial. Other frame depots dotted other selected cities.
The line from Ottawa to Iola measuring 52.6 miles was purchased by the KCT railroad (a front for a railroad scrapping operation) on May 3, 1990 and abandoned. Iola and all Santa Fe lines south were sold to the South Kansas and Oklahoma on December 28th. Did the Santa Fe wait to sell the profitable segment from Iola to Tulsa in order to allow the abandonment of the Ottawa to Iola segment so that the northern portion of the line could be ripped up? A connection at Ottawa would have been a boon for the South Kansas and Oklahoma. It goes to show that there might have been something shady in this series of sales/ abandonments. The Santa Fe might have done this to stifle any real competition that might have developed.
There are usually many tombstones that remain after the removal of a rail line. Here just south of Colony, Kansas this outdated bridge no longer supports rail traffic. How many trains have passed over this tired concrete bridge? What a sad sight for a once proud rail line.
Mother nature has already begun its attempt to recover what man's labor built. For a few more years however this gravel path will mark the route of the Tulsan and Oil Flyer. Evidence to the fact that this was not a branchline is the telegraph pole almost totally covered with vines. The scrappers saw no need to retrieve these outdated communicaiton structures. If you look close you can still see a relay cabinet.
End-of-Line occurs on a former passing siding in Iola. Just before you reach the west lane of the north-south highway through town you will see a park. The line ends just west of this park.
An interesting outcropping from the abandonment of this line is being developed today. The Prairie Spirit trail is being constructed from Ottawa to Iola on the right of way which once hosted rail traffic.
Humboldt is best known for the Monarch concrete plant south of town. There is evidence of this lines activity and importance in and near Humboldt. Very few trains venture north of the concrete plant today but this has obviously not always been the case. Cantilever signal stands stand supporting semaphore mechanisms which are permanently out of service and without their blades in town north of the plant. A wig wag (the kind with the counter weight below the target) sits just north of this site. The heavy rusting rail and long extra large ties show that quite a bit of heavy fast traffic operated on this line. Unfortunately the brick depot has been destroyed. What a paradox is Humboldt.
MP 56.9 OTTAWA JCT.
MP 57.8 OTTAWA
MP 58.0 Mo. Pac. Crossing
MP 61.8 BURLINGTON JCT.
MP 66.8 PRINCETON
MP 73.0 RICHMOND
MP 75.7 SCIPIO
MP 82.3 Mo. Pac Crossing
MP 82.4 GARNETT
MP 90.7 WELDA
MP 98.8 COLONY
MP 104.2 CARLYLE
MP 109.1 Mo. Pac. Crossing
MP 109.4 IOLA
MP 117.1HUMBOLDT
MP 121.2 ENA
MP 125.4 M.K.T. Crossing
MP 126.2 CHANUTE