Forty years ago Terry Kirkland was a college student at TEXAS Weslyan University. He was a chemistry major and after graduating and doing a two-year draftee stint in the Army promptly went to work for the Cotton Belt in TEXAS. On Tuesday March 21, 1967 Terry bought a round trip ticket on the Texas & Pacific from Ft. Worth to Shreveport. This purchase was most likely to be used in conjunction with Spring Break at the University.
Terry was born in Coppell, Texas in late 1945. His family soon moved to nearby Grapevine where Terry grew up watching the trains go past his neighborhood station. This particular ticket coupon book is one of many showing his travels over local TEXAS railroads in the mid 1960s.
Terry paid $15.40 for the round trip ticket back in 1967. He bought his ticket in Arlington, but booked the round trip from Ft. Worth to Shreveport and return.
Here is the back of the back of the Ticket Coupon Book showing the primary route of the Texas and Pacific.
This station has been identified as being in Shreveport, LA by Jim Ogden of the Missouri Pacific Historical Society. This and several other photos are all that remain of this trip. Terry passed in 2002 and I am glad to have known him.
I like the way this tells us a story about this man. Why would he be concerned with Spring Break when working for the SLSW?
Terry didn't start with Cotton Belt until late '71 or early '72. He was 21 years old in 1967 and was still in college at Texas Wesleyan. I don't know when exactly he was drafted into the Army, but think it was likely 1968 or 1969. Since Terry was an only child he did not have to go to Viet Nam and served his Army time as a signalman in Tampa, Florida. I have many of his Florida SCL and early Amtrak photos dated from 1970-1971. Terry told me he worked for SCL for a time and 1971 might have been it. His friend who gave me his photos didn't think he did work for SCL, but who is to know after all these years.
