She caught the K T...

[caravanman]

She caught the KT...left me a mule to ride,..when the train pulled out...I rode on behind. The topic title is part of a blues song, I am wondering if anyone knows what train the "kt" is or was?

Ed B)

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

"KT" was one of the old freight railroads. Its full name was Missouri Kansas Texas. It was at first called "MKT"(pronouncing the initials) for short. Finally, it spread in to extremely wide spread use of, phoenetically dropping the "M" and just saying "KT", or......here goes.....Katy.

So, it was widely known as the "Katy Railroad." Not too many years you could see freight cars with "Katy" on them. Possibly you still can, I don't know.

If you were to see the song you have in mind in print, it would probably say "Katy". As for hearing the record, of course that sounds like they are saying "KT".

My feeble now-61 brain is a little cloudy as to exactly where its trains went but I sort of think they went from Kansas City to Oklahoma and perhaps from KC to Texas points.

I assume it no longer exists as a separate railraod, guess it has long since been merged into somebody else.

Another example of a railroad which wound up going almost exclusively by its nickname is the "Frisco". Correct name: St. Louis, San Francisco. It very much went to St. Lous but did not go to San Francisco at all---it went to Southwestern points from St. Louis and Southeastern points from Kansas City. Whether it was originally meant to go to SF, I am not sure. What is more ironic, most residents of San Francisco do not like their city being called "Frisco" (that per my sister, who lived there 30 years) . So, here is this railroad with that nickname painted all over its equipment and it did not even go near SF.

 

[caravanman]

Thanks for that info, Bill, it answers my question in full! One railroad name that I also like is the Aitchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe, I know that figures in song too!

Ed B)

 

[Bill Haithcoat]

Thanks for that info, Bill, it answers my question in full! One railroad name that I also like is the Aitchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe, I know that figures in song too!Ed  B)

Well guess what---AT&SF is actually my all-time favorite railroad song. If you ever go to a Johnny Rocketts lunch counter restaurant, sometimes you can find that number on the nickel jukebox at your seat. I have been known to play it about three times in a row, hoping nobody will figure out who the looney-tunes is who is doing that.........

I am told that I played it incessantly as a child, on old fashioned records, one song only on a side.

Glad I could help with the Katy and the Frisco , thrown in for good measure.

 

[Midland Valley]

The Katy Flyer was a long time passenger train from St. Louis - Texas and ran trains in conjunction with the Frisco.

Rarely now you will see a faded red (now light pink) with the KATY herald on it. By the way, I have a couple of original sheet music with Judy's picture on it for the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe.

 

[Guest_Amtrak OBS Employee]

One railroad name that I also like is the Aitchison, Topeka, and Santa Fe, I know that figures in song too!Ed B)

That is one I love to hear when Judy Garland sung it! She sung it so well just about like everything else I have heard of her music! OBS...