The Return of the Turntable

The Katy Roundhouse - 100th anniversary of the turntable

The Katy Roundhouse in Franklin, MO, has a railroad treasure that not many people are aware of: an old train turntable by the depot. Discarded at the end of the railroad era, hidden in the overgrowth,  and closed off to the public, it still stands. A dilapidated relic from a different time...

Past:

The Katy Roundhouse on the Katy Railroad was opened in 1893. It was an 18 bay roundhouse and was one of the bigger ones on the MKT line. At that time, there were 10 sets of tracks, and around 26 trains a day came through. It was a hub for the Katy Railroad, and the hub of the hub was the turntable.

The original roundhouse held 22 engines. As the engines got bigger over the years, they needed a bigger turntable. At that point, they dynamited the old one out and rebuilt the one that exists to this day. It was opened in 1925 and was active until the end of April 1986 when the last train came through. 

Future:

To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Katy Roundhouse turntable we plan on bringing the spotlight back to the central hub of the Katy Railroad by hosting an epic concert on it!
 

Our plan is to clean off the rotten lumber from the top of the turntable and build stage platforms onto the existing structure. This stage will be featured on the 2025 Pedaler’s Jamboree Bicycle/Music Festival! The open, grassy area between the Katy Trail and the turntable stage will offer space for a thousand plus people to comfortably view the show. In addition, the pit of the turntable will be cleaned out with a stairway for fans to get a front row experience!

The Build:

The turntable is 90 feet long by about 15 feet wide. The rotten wood and railings will be removed from the solid steel structure of the turntable. The building team will be using recycled wood from original structures from the Katy Roundhouse structures for the new stage! New materials will be used only as needed to the historical integrity of the Katy Roundhouse. We will attempt to use the original safety railing and clean the area to restore as much of the history as possible. Creative artistic pieces will be attached for the performance as well.

Help Us Fund This Project:

Please help us build this stage and create a memorable 100th anniversary for the turntable! To help raise funds for the necessary materials and building costs for the project, we are offering a supporter package on the Jamboree registration page (add-on option during the check-out process). Individuals can also sign up to be a supporter on our Jamboree shop at this link. By funding this project, you are helping create history for the current and next generation by building on the past! Plus, when you sign on to be a supporter, we will also include some great perks. This is our way of saying “Thank you!” for helping with this dream we have had since the early Pedaler’s Jamboree years!

Support Packages:

Core Team Support Package - $50 (limit of 300) :

• Limited edition Katy Roundhouse Shirt

• Voucher for a vintage PedJam shirt at the Pedaler’s Jamboree (sorry Tie-Dye shirts not included)

• Katy Roundhouse Koozie

• Katy Roundhouse Patch

• Katy Roundhouse Coin Token

• Free shipping before the event

• Total package value

Above and Beyond Support Package - $250 (limit of 50) :

• Business or supporter shoutout on stage build promotions leading up to the event.

• Signage at the event promoting business and main supporters

• Embossed Katy Roundhouse embossed tin sign.

• Antique wood/Rail Spike from the Roundhouse vault

• All items from the core team support package

Legendary Supporter Package - Please contact us to discuss ideas!

Links:
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