[RITSlist] RI depot for sale

[David Koziol]

  This is a subject that I think that I can shed a little light on as I grew 
up in Centerville and spent many hours at this depot. Had the Rock island 
lasted one more year I would have been working on the section crew out of 
Centerville.

  I'm not familiar with the Iowa Falls depot so I can't comment on whether 
or not it is of the same design. Depots that I know to be of the same design 
include Dalhart, Texas and Duncan, Oklahoma, there is at least one more but 
I can't think of it at this time. The Dalhart depot is almost an exact 
duplicate other than it has a second story on the center section and is also 
a mirror image. The Centerville depot is on the north side of the track with 
the waiting room on the west end and the baggage room on the east. From what 
I was told by ,I believe, roadmaster Max McClarren, that originally the 
Centerville depot was to have a second story as Centerville was to become a 
crew change point, thus eliminating Trenton, MO and Eldon, IA as crew change 
points between Kansas City and Silvis. I don't know how serious this plan 
was I am  trying to recall 30+ year memories of second hand information.

  At the east end of the platform the original mainline headed north - 
northeast into town and was used up until the end to service customers in 
town. The new alignment headed east - southeast at this point. The tracks 
were removed in 1982 if memory serves me right. One section of the new 
alignment between the Burlington Northern (CB&Q) crossing southeast of town 
and the N&W (Wabash) crossing north of Moulton was left in place. This is 
now part of the Appanoose County Community Railroad which keeps Centerville 
connected to the rest of the railroad world.

  At one time, 1984 or so, a friend of mine had a girlfriend whose father 
owned the depot at that time. This was a time when I wasn't interested in 
the railroad as my interest at that time was in girls, cars and adult 
beverages. If anybody wants to line up to kick me in the rear for what I am 
about to tell you, you will have to get in line behind me! My friend had a 
couple of cars that he kept in the baggage room and we spent much time out 
there doing what young men of their late teens, early 20's do. well, some 
nights when it would get cold we would build bonfires on the platforms with 
paperwork from the office. I'm not sure what we burnt, but I am sure that I 
would like to go back in time and save it.

 If anyone wants to know anymore about Centerville, feel free to ask and I 
will help out any way that I can.

David Koziol 



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