Topeka, KS: Santa Fe boxcar repair facility

(Satellite)

Carl Venzke posted
What's going on in this photo? Caption reads "General view of the yard, Topeka Kansas" This is an ATSF yard. no date.
Rick F Looks like they are re-roofing box cars. Notice there is no walkway on the car but the supports are there for the walkway. This could be an outside RIP track as the stairs look permanent. Just a thought as I dont think this is an icing platform.
Dennis DeBruler Car repair makes sense. The platforms are too low for icing. Icing platforms are on one side and higher than the cars so that gravity works for you instead of against you. Car repairing would also explain why I can't see any handbrake wheels above the roof.

A RIP (Repair In Place) track. Probably taken during WWII because of the OWI (Office of War Information) written in the margin. I believe Jack Delano did ride Santa Fe trains from Chicago to the west to take some of his pictures.

Chris Cruz posted
Sharing from a local site is this news photo of the Santa Fe yards here in Topeka, KS during the historic 1951 flood. To the upper left, one can see the portion of the washed out rail bridge that collapsed with several locomotives on it that were intended to avoid that catastrophe.
Charles Smith I remember that very well I lived in Topeka an my dad was in the Mech department of the Santa Fe..what a mess. Great photo. If I remember one of the engines that fell with the bridge to St. Joe..is still there, they couldn't find it.... 
Tim Starr posted
Another flooded shop site, this one the Santa Fe (ATFS) in Topeka KS. The Kansas River overflowed its banks after heavy rains in the summer of 1951.

Chris commented on his post

Dennis DeBruler commented on Chris' post
Some of the buildings on the west side, and the smokestack, still exist.
https://www.google.com/.../@39.0534959.../data=!3m1!1e3...

Dennis DeBruler commented on Chris' post
I see this area was called the Shops and the Yard was to the east.
1950 Topeka Quadrangle @ 1:24,000

Barry Sell posted
Working with a small steam drop hammer at the blacksmith shop in the Santa Fe R.R. shops, Topeka, Kansas. [forging]

Tim Starr posted
Some early diesel units making their debut at the ATSF Santa Fe machine and boiler shop at Topeka in 1941. The heritage steam loco Cyrus K. Holliday is on the right. (Kansas Memory)