General Motors Painting
It was Sept. in 1886. The railroad is being changed from narrow to standard guage on the Cotton Belt. General Motors used this painting in an advertisement of the Electro-Motive Division, La Grange, Ill. One line in the ad reads "ONE MORE WAR TO WIN, BUY MORE BONDS".

The painting depicts many facets of the RailRoad era before 1900. Steam engines such as this ran up and down the rails thru Odessa in the 1880's. Laying the tracks; the crews consisted of workers from Ireland, and China. The hours were long and the work was rough; but you got paid every month in cash. And there was always a place to spend your money for "wine, women & song" in the traveling "Hell On Wheels", box car towns that accompanied the work crews.


2-6-0 woodburner engine Photo
Photo of a "2-6-0" Woodburning steam engine. See above painting of similiar steam engine. Photograph taken in a train museum. Another model of a later year steam engine sits along side.

Work Items of train crew
Photo of Necessary items to keep the train running.

Courtesy: General Motors Advertisement Photograph
& www.rrhistorical.com site.


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updated 8/2/98