OTTAWA, KANSAS

4:27am / 4:37am Eastbound Doodlebug from Kansas City, MO to Chanute
10:26am / 10:31am No. 49 Westbound Doodlebug Kansas City to Chanute
12:24pm No. 212 Eastbound The Tulsan Kansas City, MO to Tulsa
6:20pm No. 211 Westbound The Tulsan Kansas City MO to Tulsa
7:07pm No. 50 Eastbound Oil Flyer Kansas City, MO to Tulsa
11:56pm No. 47 Westbound Southern Kansas Passenger Kansas City Mo. to Tulsa

Ottawa is an interesting railroad town. There are two parts to the Santa Fe in Ottawa. The mainline passes just to the north of town through what was once Ottawa Junction. The former Southern Kansas mainline used to run through town. The Santa Fe shared the town with the Missouri Pacific. The Santa Fe and Missouri Pacific crossed in the middle of an intersection downtown. The Santa Fe has been paved over and it is probable that the Missouri Pacific has also been paved over as well. There are signs of both railroad all over town however. Some are shown below.

This is the former Santa Fe passenger depot that was built by the Southern Kansas railroad. The Santa Fe turned this depot over to the city after building a new depot at the junction just north of town in the 1950's.

This plaque sits outside of the above depot in Ottawa.

Just before you reach the bridge past the depot in town the tracks end. North of this location is the depot and then the junction.

This is the bridge that for decades carried Santa Fe freight and passenger trains over the river. Today the tracks are gone. At one time there was a transfer track which started on the bridge and connected with the Missouri Pacific tracks. The reason for this unusual bridge switch was that the crossing was just over the bridge. The gate that you see closed on the other side is a floodgate. This photo was taken from an open gate on the "depot" side of the river.

Santa Fe trackage once ran down the middle of this street in Ottawa. That is my Mustang to the left. It has seen every corner of Kansas.