Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Collection
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Brownsville downtown aerial
Black and white photograph. Aerial view of downtown Brownsville, Texas and Matamoros, Mexico.
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Brownsville downtown aerial - M683
Black and white photograph. Aerial view of downtown Brownsville, Texas.
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Brownsville downtown aerial - S45862
Walcott & Mothershed Inc.
Color postcard. Aerial view of downtown Brownsville, Texas facing Texas Southmost College.
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El Jardin Hotel
E. C. Kropp Co.
Hand-colored postcard. "Visit Brownsville the land of manana" "The finest hotel in the Rio Grande Valley" A man can be seen taking a siesta under the shade of a palm tree.
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El Jardin Hotel - K-27-D-8
Wittenbach Drug Co.
Hand-colored postcard. "Kodachrome by Charles Edguist". Cars can be seen parked on Levee St. A Trailways bus can be seen loading into the Missouri Pacific station.
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Frisco builds Pensacola station - The Frisco Employes' Magazine
St. Louis and San Francisco Railroad
Articles present in document: "Traffic departments merge October 15", "Frisco builds Pensacola station", and "Employees request bus regulation".
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Kelwood Company - History and buildings designed
Stephen Fox
Typed document. History of the Kelwood Company, buildings they designed in the following cities: San Antonio, Brownsville, Corpus Christi, Kerrville, and Stamford, and newspaper citations.
Kelwood Company (c. 1923-1930) was a firm that both designed and built residential and commercial buildings. Partners in the firm were attorney and financier Arthur A. Seeligson, architect Robert B. Kelly, and builder H. C. Wood. Robert Bertram Kelly (1893-1932) began his architectural career in 1912 as a draftsman for [San Antonio architect] H. A. Reuter. He moved to the A. A. Herff Company [architect] in 1914, returning briefly to Reuter’s firm in 1917. After serving as Henry T. Phelps’s draftsman in 1918, Kelly entered in partnership with Harvey P. Smith in 1919, an association that lasted until c. 1922. The Kelwood Company was first listed in the 1926 San Antonio City Directory (there are no directories for 1923-25), advertising their work in architecture, construction, and financing. Seeligson served as president, Kelly as vice president, and Wood as secretary/treasurer. The firm appears to have functioned until 1930, perhaps impacted by the Depression. Kelly practiced alone in 1931, and in 1932, he committed suicide.
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Many thanks
David N. Currey
I would especially like to thank the following people for their help in my research into the Brownsville Missouri Pacific passenger station. Without their help, I would have had something, but probably not much of something. These people provided me with many things, such as photos, information, contacts, ideas, opinions, enthusiasm, and encouragement. I am indebted to them for their assistance. My hat is off to you guys.
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Missouri Pacific and Southern Pacific Brownsville track diagrams
Missouri Pacific and Southern Pacific Brownsville track diagrams.
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Missouri Pacific and Southern Pacific Brownsville track diagrams
Missouri Pacific and Southern Pacific Brownsville track diagrams.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Measurement files - 6-0-408
Black and white postcard. Facing station from the east. Cars parked in front of the station.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Measurement files - 6363N
E. C. Kropp Co.
Hand-colored postcard. Missouri Pacific Depot, Brownsville, Texas. Facing station from the west. Dense foliage can be seen in the background. Several cars parked in the front parking lot.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Measurement files - Db-164
Dexter Press
Colored postcard. Facing the Missouri Pacific Depot and El Jardin from the east. Cars can be seen parked along Levee Rd.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Measurement files - glossy
Black and white photograph. Facing station from the east. Five men appear to be standing near the entrance. A Trailways bus can also be seen parked near the front entrance.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Measurement files - M683
Black and white photograph. Cropped photograph showing aerial view of platform.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Measurement files - Measurement notice
David N. Currey
There were many more photographs, post cards, etc., that I used to determine measurements from, however, some of those, including many of the most important ones, were still copyrighted, and so could not be included in this collection. That is unfortunate, but the included files do give an indication of the method I used.
On the file include here, the measurements notated on the photo are not necessarily the final measurements I settled on in all cases. Some of the photos I was not able to include have the more accurate determined measurements notated on them.
Please see my Tips on Internet Research and Photo Extrapolation document in the Writings folder.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Bench detail
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. The scale is 48 pixels to the foot, whereas most of the other drawings are 24 pixels to the foot. When measuring on a printout, measure from the center of one 3-pixel width line to the center of another such line. When using the selection tool in Microsoft Paint to measure with, start on the center of a line, and drag the sliding rectangle until it is on the pixel one short of, not on, the center of the second line.
© 2015 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Dome detail
David N. Currey
Computer Drawing. Note: The dome is exactly half a perfectly round ball 81 in diameter , with the center of the ball on the red dot. The walls below the dome are sloped inward toward the center of the dome.
Note: The curves at the top and bottom of each arch have two different radii with two different centers of the half circles.
© 2015 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Floor plan, Platform shed beams, and Rafters detail
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. The scale is 24 pixels to the foot . When measuring on a printout, measure from the center of one 3-pixel width line to the center of another such line. If the line is 1 pixel in width , that is the center of the line. When using the selection tool in Microsoft Paint to measure with, start on the center of a line, and drag the sliding rectangle until it is on the pixel one short of, not on, the center of the second line.
Pastel color indicates roof area with slope designated by arrow. "A" Beams: These are set 2" lower than standard green beams due to valley in roof. "B" Beam: This beam is set 4" lower than standard green beams due to being the lowest beam in the valley in roof. Note that the front wall of the main waiting room is narrower than the front pavilion wall. Note that the front wall of the auxiliary waiting room area is narrower than the front wall of the waiting room , but wider than the right wall of the auxiliary waiting room area.
© 2017 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Front elevation
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. The scale is 24 pixels to the foot. When measuring on a printout, measure from the center of one 3-pixel width line to the center of another such line. If the line is 1 pixel in width , that is the center of the line. When using the selection tool in Microsoft Paint to measure with, start on the center of a line, and drag the sliding rectangle until it is on the pixel one short of, not on , the center of the second line.
Note: All vertical measurements are from the floor and platform level, which are considered to be at the same level, as are the front and side walks.
Note: The dome is exactly half a ball with a diameter of 8'.
Note: The Missouri Pacific buzzsaw herald is slightly off center relative to the tower, just as in the real building. The hanging neon sign is not shown, but was centered on the tower. See the sign detail drawing.
© 2015 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Front entry detail
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. Closeup of front entrance facade.
© 2017 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Left side elevation
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. The scale is 24 pixels to the foot. When measuring on a printout, measure from the center of one 3-pixel width line to the center of another such line. If the line is 1 pixel in width, measure to/from the line. When using the measuring tool in Microsoft Paint, start on the center of a 3-pixel width line, and drag the sliding rectangle until it is next to, but not on, the center of the second 3-pixel width line.
© 2017 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Overhead roof representation
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. Note: This overhead roof view is meant only for general information purposes , and no measurements should be taken from this drawing. Due to tile overhang and other considerations, using it to determine lengths , proportions, etc. . could result in slight errors, and is not recommended. Any of the other drawings should be used, with the measurement always going to or from the center of a usually 3-pixel width line. Note also that the end wall on the roof above the women's waiting room does not have tiles on top of it like the end wall on the other side of the depot does.
© 2015 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Passenger car profile
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. Note: The passenger car height relative to the top of the platform was difficult to determine . The best guess is that the rail head height is somewhere between 6" and 9" below the top of the platform. In this diagram, the streamlined passenger car on the left is positioned with a rail head height 6" below the top o f the platform, making the top of the car (less the center line bump) 13 ' above the top of the platform. The car on the right is positioned with a rail head height 9" below the top of the platform, making the top of the car 12' 9" above the top of the platform. Due to the nature of these plans , with a 3-pixel width line, it may appear that there is slight overhang by the shed roof over the passenger car. In actuality, and this is also a best guess, the edge of the roof is even with the edge of the car.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Pavilion front door detail
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. Note: The Pavilion front door was difficult to draw, with the several photos seeming to differ on the details. This is a generalized representation. Use the photos for perhaps a "better" interpretation. Though black in this photo, the color in the 1920s matched the depot walls or was perhaps the color of brass.
© 2015 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Platform shed support detail
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. Note : This plan shows the shed and supports. It may be used in certain respects for the back platform and pavilion, but the rear and left side elevations will be more useful in that regard . The center two beams on top of the concrete support form a "U" for the electrical conduit. The exception is the last section of platform shed where there is on light and only a single center beam supports the roof . The lights are every section in the pavilion area (including the first section in the rest of the platform. The center beams are 4 " x 11", the outer beams 4" x 9", and the rafters 4" x 5 " . The roof is presumably wood overlaid with tin and tar.
The scale is 24 pixels to the foot. When measuring on a printout , measure from the center of one 3-pixel width line to the center of another such line. If the line is 1 pixel in width, that is the center of the line. When using the selection tool in Microsoft Paint to measure with, start on the center of a line, and drag the sliding rectangle until it is on the pixel one short of, not on , the center of the second line .
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Rear elevation
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. Note: The women's waiting room, women's restroom, ticket office double windows, and the leftmost baggage room window are accurate, but the remaining baggage door, people door, and windows are pure conjecture.
The scale is 24 pixels to the foot. When measuring on a printout, measure from the center of one 3-pixel width line to the center of another such line. If the line is 1 pixel in width, that is the center of the line. When using the selection tool in Microsoft Paint to measure with , start on the center of a line , and drag the sliding rectangle until it is on the pixel one short of, not on, the center of the second line.
Note: The upper vertically straight edge at the end of the arches wall is in perfect alignment with the sides of passenger cars that are parked in the rightmost south platform track.
Note: The end wall on the roof above the women's waiting room does not have tiles on top of it like the end wall on the other side of the depot does.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Right side elevation
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. The scale is 24 pixels to the foot. When measuring on a printout, measure from the center of one 3-pixel width line t o the center of another such line. If the line is 1 pixel in width, that is the center o f the line. When using the selection tool in Microsoft Paint to measure with, start on the center of a line, and drag the sliding rectangle until it is o n the pixel one short of, not on, the center of the second line.
Note: The circular vent on the roof by the chimney is drawn 1 " off center on the chimney towards the rear of the depot, i.e. , centered over the restrooms, but it could have easily been centered on the chimney. Take your pick.
No the: The bumper along the wall below the side baggage door is depicted as being decorative , but was more likely just a plain rubber-surfaced bar attached to the wall. The walkway along the side of the building only went part way back, as beyond that, the drive way was next to the building to allow vans and trucks to maneuver up to the door. Turning room was limited, but the median in the circular drive did not extend back to the area of the rubber bar. The long length of the bar suggests that side doors on vehicles were accommodated, as normally such doors on buildings have a bumpers only a foot or so each side of the doors. See the site plot for placement of the median.
© 2015 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Site plot
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. Note: Originally, a double slip switch existed at this end of the wye. At some point, the associated legs of the wye were adjusted so that two normal switches could be installed in place of the "puzzle switch" . It may have been at that time when spring switches were installed. Logically, arriving and departing passenger trains always headed right, or counterclockwise, around the wye tracks, and never had to line a switch. The double slip was probably installed to save space, as the architect was most likely told that the wye could not be altered. Therefore, in order to fit a seven-car train in the depot, it required the slightly unusual feature, for a stub terminal anyway, of one track extending all the way to the front of the depot. This also meant not much landscaping or parking could be situated between the depot and Levee Street.
Note: All tracks have a name. Most wye tracks have something like a "North Leg" and a " South Leg", with the other going by the name of "Mainline", or if in a yard , whatever the number or name of that track is. This may have been one of the few wyes in the country that had three "leg" names. The line coming into the depot from the yard was south by timetable. Therefore, heading right would be the "West Leg". Heading left would be the "East Leg". The other leg would certainly not have been called "Mainline". Perhaps it was called the "South Leg", or maybe the "River Leg", or the "Depot Leg". If the "East Leg" was in fact called the "Mainline", then the "West Leg" would actually be the "North Leg", and the "Depot Leg" would be the " South Leg". It will probably never be known , but it is certainly food for thought.
Note: No definitive information has been forthcoming on the Valley Sanitary Milk Company, but its proximity to the head end of passenger trains parked in the station or to cars parked on the REA express track certainly hints that milk, at least in the early years, was transported on StLB&M passenger trains. Valley Sanitary Milk may have been part of, or purchased by, the Hygeia Dairy Company, which was established in 1927 (coincidentally, the same year the Brownsville Mission Revival depot was built) with the purchase of a small dairy operation in McAllen. According to the website corporation wiki, Valley Sanitary Milk was founded in 1928, but is no longer active.
The scale is 6 pixels to the foot (not the same as most of the other plans). When measuring on a printout, measure from the center of one 3-pixel width line to the center of another such line. If the line is 1 pixel in width, that is the center of the line. When using the selecting tool in Microsoft Paint to measure with, start on the center of the line, and drag the sliding rectangle until it is on the pixel next to, not on, the center of the second line.
Note: The baggage wing is correctly drawn as being slightly off center longitudinally from the main part of the building. This was confirmed by measurements taken from an almost identical station still existing in Kingsville. Bay City and Alice (on the Texas-Mexican Railway , now KCS) also have similar depots remaining, whose design can be thought of as the "Standard StLB&M Station". This design was also built at Sarita, Mercedes, and probably other towns along the StLB&M.
Note: The original station actually survived the demolition of the second station. While the second station was in use, the original station probably served as the building that housed equipment and materials used in cleaning and servicing the passenger cars as the several tracks surrounding the platform tracks were used as a coach yard. It may have also housed various railroad offices.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Trailways sign detail
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. Note: The two signs are 12" thick. The bottom sign is rounded on both ends. Both signs appear to have neon lettering. Four colorations are shown, with the first (white background) and second ones probably being the most likely. Examples can be found of somewhat similar signs (used by other members of the Trailways organization) with a yellow background and white banner, and a yellow background and yellow banner. To depict the sign after Missouri Pacific exited the Trailways organization, paint out the "TRAILWAYS" lettering on the banner with red paint. The bottom sign with a dark blue continental United States background is the most fanciful and most probably the least likely to have been correct.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Plans - Waiting room floor detail
David N. Currey
Computer drawing. Note: This detail is based off of the Railway Age Magazine article of 10-15-27, a Brownsville Herald article of unknown date, and an SLSF publication description of the Pensacola sister station. The colors are mostly conjecture, and could have ranged from tans to browns, grays, and even greens. Any reasonable colors would be appropriate. The colors on the wall were "warm" near the floor and gradually turned "cooler " near the ceiling, which was sky blue to match the exterior of the dome. In particular, the center tile design, while accurately drawn, could certainly been done in different colors than depicted.
© 2017 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Public domain pictures - 1949
Black and white postcard. Facing the Missouri Pacific Depot and El Jardin from the east. Cars can be seen parked along the entrance. A Trailways heading to Port Isabel can be seen taking off.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Public domain pictures - 2571-29
C. T. American Art and Curt Teich & Co.
Hand-colored postcard. Missouri Pacific Depot, Brownsville, Texas. Facing station from the east. A car can be seen parked near the entrance.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Public domain pictures - 6-0-408
Black and white postcard. Facing the Missouri Pacific Depot and El Jardin from the east. Cars can be seen parked along Levee Rd. International bridge sign can also be seen.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Public domain pictures - 6363N
E. C. Kropp Co.
Hand-colored postcard. Missouri Pacific Depot, Brownsville, Texas. Facing station from the west. Dense foliage can be seen in the background. Several cars parked in the front parking lot.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Public domain pictures - Db-164
Dexter Press
Colored postcard. Facing the Missouri Pacific Depot and El Jardin from the east. Cars can be seen parked along Levee Rd.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Recollections - John Wagner
John Wagner
Handwritten sketch. Personal recollections of the depot.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Recollections - John Wagner
John Wagner
Handwritten sketch. Personal recollections of the depot.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Writings - History revision 2
David N. Currey
Typed document. The railroad passenger station in Brownsville, Texas that saw service through the Depression, World War II, and the twilight years of rail travel in the United States was a unique structure in many ways. For many of Brownsville’s residents, this building was the prime example of the beautiful architecture which abounds throughout the city. What brought about the need for this station and its construction is an interesting story, and begins with the history of the railroads in south Texas.
© 2017 David N. Currey
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Writings - John Wagner recollections
David N. Currey and John Wagner
Typed document. John Wagner recollection's of specific architectural and exterior details pertaining to the depot.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Writings - Roof tile usage
David N. Currey
Typed document. This document contains information gleaned from observing several other buildings (the Mena, AR KCS depot, and a subdivision entryway building near The Woodlands, TX) with Spanish tile roofs.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville Depot Writings - Various notes
Typed document. Notes from Texas Online, Ambrosio Villarreal, and A. T. Kott.
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Missouri Pacific Brownsville track diagrams
Computer drawing. Missouri Pacific Depot track diagrams from the early years until the final years.
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Pensacola Frisco station
Black and white postcard. "Frisco's Spanish Mission-style passenger station, Pensacola, Florida".
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San Antonio architects from the 1920's and 1930's
David N. Currey
Typed document. List of San Antonio architects from the 1920's and 1930's.
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St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway Brownsville Depot
Cunningham & Co.
Black and white postcard. "Depot and park, Brownsville, Texas". A gazebo can be seen in the middle of the park.
