It’s midday at Arnold, Kansas on the hot summer day of July 25, 1996. The only action is a westbound Southern Pacific freight blowing for the main grade crossing in town. The cinderblock (what we called really dirty SP locomotives) is a speed-lettered rebuilt SD45. Arnold is located on the former Missouri Pacific route from Herrington, Kansas to Pueblo, Colorado, This was Rio Grande’s (later SP’s) trackage rights route to Kansas City after the Union Pacific/MP/Western Pacific merger. Check out the price for gas at $1.23. for unleaded and 81 cents for diesel. The average price for unleaded gas nationwide in 1996 was, believe it or not, $1.23! Sure made road trips more palatable.
