Rippey, Iowa

Photo from Paul S. Green collection

From Paul S, Green

I was stationed at Leland for 3 months and Rippey for 8 months in 1955. Due to the railroad having already lost a large portion of the LCL (less carload) business, and there no longer being daytime passenger trains, I do remember that the work load for a small town depot agent was very light. We did have the chatter of 3 telegraph wires to keep us posted concerning what was going on with our particular line. At Rippey there were occasional train orders involving meet orders for freight trains because the Rock Island sent a freight each way over the M&StL between Gowrie and West Des Moines

My main regret about those days is that I did not anticipate how much value I would later place on memorabilia which I could easily have "requisitioned" from all those depots which would be abandoned and destroyed in such a few short years.

I had an article titled "A Louie Man Reminisces" published in the Spring 1997 issue of "Northwestern Lines" issued by the C&NW historical Society based on my 14 years of work on the RR.

Paul S. Green

Return to Main Depot Page

M&StL
  Locomotives
  Freight Cars
  M.O.W.
  Passenger
  Blueprints
  Iowa Central

M&StL
  Depots
  Towns
  History
  Timetables
  Annual Reports  Employees

C&NW
  Locomotives
  C&NW Notes
  Photos
  C&NW Pioneer
  Northwestern Lines

Modeling
  M&StL Decals
  M&StL Modeling
  Clark Propst Models
  HO Layout

Other
  Photos
  Company Store
  RR Links
  Railfan pages
  Wanted Items
  Railroadiana