Under the Overpasses

[Jab-Giltone]

Anyone know where Bud's is in Springfield?
It's like, kinda close to the square, its either on Grand or Grant street, i cant recall which, (i always get the two confused).
But anyway, its the road that goes north and south parallel, and near Campbell.
Just after Buds, there is an Overpass that extends for some time. Just before the overpass is a road called Olive, i believe. Theres some sort of big yellow building with some old looking train tracks behind it.
If you continue going north under the overpass, on foot now, might i add, you will come across some tunnels and a drain system, i have no idea what it is or anyhting, but i found it one day while skateboarding around town with some friends.
Anyone wanna tell me if this is anything important?

[Underdog]

Hmm, Jordan Creek area maybe?

[BROUSER]

I know the area you are talking about, I've taken my truck out there under that overpass and driven around in that concrete wasteland out to the west of there. Didn't notice any drains or tunnels, but will look next time I'm down that way. Jordan Creek comes out one block to the east, but I guess there could be other tunnels and drains that come into the Jordan around there. Used to be able to drive out that way and hit Fort, one of my "shortcuts" that didn't really save any time or distance, but not your usual scenery. Was a nice couch sitting out there on the concrete wasteland and a couple of chairs around a fire pit, surrounded with beer cans.

[dawgchain]

yeah, that is behind Willowbrook Foods, same lot that is across from the hotel of terror.

[Sertile]

There's ALWAYS a couch there. That couch is a fixture. It has been known to roam, however.

Watch out for robot trains!

[gimpface]

I never understood the whole "remotely operated locomotives" thing. I mean seriously, I've never seen any damn robot trains. And why would I care if they were out there? A bigass train is a bigass train, and as long as you're not on the tracks you're in no danger, so who cares? Robots are less likely to rat on us anyway.

[Chris]

Remote control locomotives are used for switching manuevers in yards and industrial areas. They don't look any different from regular locomotives except they have 3 different colored lights on the roof of the cab and some antenneas. The easiest way to tell if a locomotive is remote control is to see if there is a guys standing a hundred feet away with a big ass radio control box strapped to his stomach. The locomotives still have a 2 or 3 man crew, they're just not in the cab.

[mjames]

I know the area, that happens to be where i grounded out the caddie on those train tracks. Some of those areas can be real interesting. There should be a few expeditions to some of the non-working buildings to see how abandoned they are.

[Willard]

Said area you are talking about are the abandoned railroad yards of the Burlington Northern/Santa Fe Railroad. I say abandonded because there are very few tracks in that area now. To the south of Jordan Creek where you are talking about skateboarding used to belong to the Missouri Pacific before it sold that land in the 1980's to Burlington Northern. There used to be a turntable closer to Fort. (dirt road going north from College). To the north of Jordan Creek used to be the facilities where the Gulf Railroad (Kansas City, Springfield, and Memphis RR-later Kansas City, Fort Scott, and Memphis RR) had locomotivs and railroad cars built. There used to be a turn table and roundhouse there too. They were bought out by the Frisco in the 1910's and all structures were torn down by 1963 but the facilities were not in use by 1948 because Frisco still had their original shops at Washington and Commercial (Jans Lumber) and the West Frisco Shops to the west of Kansas Expry Bridge. The overpass bridge you are talking about Downtown is the Grant Avenue Viaduct. As far as the tunnels are concerned they are drain tunnels from the northern areas of Springfield.

[Jab-Giltone]

you are so wise, sir!!

[BROUSER]

So after taking the kids to gymnastics and dropping my daughter off at a birthday party, my son and I head downtown (first to grab a pound of Dark Roast Sumatrha Mandheling from the Mudhouse) I cruise around under the Grant overpass. I must have missed seeing any tunnels, but I didn't look real close at the northside. I did enjoy cruising Phelps St. though. The Hound Dawg mill has for lease signs all over it, and what's the deal on the Harlin (sp?) Fruit Company building? Also, in the Lipscomb Office building, the lowest level I guess, there is that sign that says "The Underground." What's that. I went by there some time back and there were all kinds of abandoned looking cars, and the door was open, and it almost looked like some people were living there?

[Sertile]

Okay, I can field this one. The Houn' Dawg mill and Lipscomb building are both owned by a man named Clay Frisbee (real name), a local businessman who also owns Petra, the rock climbing gym, as well as a company called Holiday Decor and some other business.

His offices are located inside the Houn' Dawg building, the warehouse is leased by some local distributor who keeps Jones Soda there, and the rest of the building is pretty much vacant. However, there is space for lease as you noted, which is sometimes let out to local artists for studio space, as places for bands to practice, and for things of that nature. They also manufacture holds there for Petra, and there's a long-term plan in effect to turn the silos into a downtown climbing gym.

"The Underground" is some kind of motorcycle chop shop, from what I understand. As for Harlin Fruit, is that the gutted building out front? If so, it was purchased by someone who started to renovate it, but ran out of money/gave up halfway through, and pretty much left it as a shell, or so I've been told.

[SandMan]

Okay, I can field this one. The Houn' Dawg mill and Lipscomb building are both owned by a man named Clay Frisbee (real name), a local businessman who also owns Petra, the rock climbing gym, as well as a company called Holiday Decor and some other business.

His offices are located inside the Houn' Dawg building, the warehouse is leased by some local distributor who keeps Jones Soda there, and the rest of the building is pretty much vacant. However, there is space for lease as you noted, which is sometimes let out to local artists for studio space, as places for bands to practice, and for things of that nature. They also manufacture holds there for Petra, and there's a long-term plan in effect to turn the silos into a downtown climbing gym.

"The Underground" is some kind of motorcycle chop shop, from what I understand. As for Harlin Fruit, is that the gutted building out front? If so, it was purchased by someone who started to renovate it, but ran out of money/gave up halfway through, and pretty much left it as a shell, or so I've been told.

For those that don't know and care Clay wrote a guild book on Sams Thrown.

[SandMan]

What side of the street is the Harlin Fruit building on? If it is the one on the north side and the to the east of Grant I know what it is.

[BROUSER]

It's on the north side of phelps beside lipscomb. i'm sure it has been other things since being harlin fruit, but there is still a sign.