TrainWeb.org Facebook Page

La Plata Spring 2014 Railfan Event Day 1 4/6/2014



by Chris Guenzler



I arose in the Pullman Suite of the Depot Inn and Suites at 4:30 AM and went out to the Lookout Point to work on the last story then at 6:15 AM, returned to the hotel and went out to the lobby to have breakfast. I met the group which included myself, Winston Walker, his daughter Christy Walker and John Green. We went out to the rental car and drove south down US 63 to US 36 which we took west to the Bevier exit and saw the ruins of the Pear Tree Restaurant before I parked the car.





Bevier Southern 2-6-0 112 built by Baldwin in 1920. The Bevier & Southern Railroad started life in 1914, when the Missouri & Louisiana Railroad divided, with the Missouri portion of railroad becoming the B&S. It hauled coal on a 9.18 mile line from Binkley, Missouri, to a connection with the Chicago, Burlington & Quincy Railroad at Bevier. The line was abandoned in 1982. 112 was donated to the City of Bevier, Missouri, in 1963 having travelled 364,562 miles in service. From here we took Route C to Route F, then Missouri Highway 3 south to Clifton Hill.





The Clifton Hill Wabash station built in 1866. We then took US Highway 24 to Moberly, then Hollman Street to Quinn Street







Norfolk Southern-BNSF 5251 West at Moberly.





Norfolk Southern Union Pacific 4717 East waits to depart, after which we made our way to the Wabash Railroad Museum parking lot.





Miloma (MILW "Indiana") 16 section sleeper built by Pullman in 1917 sold to Milwaukee Road, rebuilt into a business car, as GTLX 100 "Indiana". It was put on display here in 2011.





The former baggage building houses the Wabash Railroad Museum.





Wabash caboose 2722 built by the railroad in 1942. From here we took Route A south from Moberly to Higbee but found no station there so drove Route A to Route B to Clark.





The Norfolk Southern/Kansas City Southern diamond at Clark. We returned to US 63 then went east on Missouri Highway 22, stopping at McDonalds for breakfast befeore driving east to Mexico.





Norfolk Southern GP60 7135 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1991. The Wabash station in Mexico was torn down in 2013.







The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio / Chicago, Burlington and Quincy station, named for David R. Francis, governor of Missouri from 1889 to 1893 and later prominent in national politics. It was formerly called Felton, for Samuel Morse Felton, president of the Chicago and Alton Railroad. The name was changed because it was frequently confused with Fulton, Callaway County. It is currently used by Kansas City Southern.

The four of us then took Missouri Highway 22 to Missouri Highway 124 to Route B to North Brown Station Road.







Three views of the Columbia Star Dinner train in Columbia. Next we drove downtown.





The Wabash Railroad station built in 1910.





The Missouri-Kansas-Texas station built in 1909. From here we went west on Interstate 70 to Missouri Highway 87, to West Spring Street and turned right on 1st Street.





The Missouri-Kansas-Texas station in Boonville built in 1909.





Missouri-Kansas-Texas caboose 134 built by International Car in 1969. We went back across the Missouri River on Missouri Highway 87 and went into New Franklin.





Missouri-Kansas-Texas caboose 127 built by International Car in 1968. From here we took West Broadway to Stephen Avene into Franklin.





The Missouri-Kansas-Texas station.





Two views of the Missouri-Kansas-Texas turntable built in 1893. Our travels continued on Crew Avenue then west on Missouri Highway 5 to Missouri Highway 87 north to Glasgow.







The Chicago and Alton station in Glasgow built in the 1870's.





The Chicago and Alton bridge across the Missouri River in Glasgow, built in 1899 and was the world's first steel railroad bridge. It is currently used by Kansas City Southern. From here we took Missouri Highway 240 into Slater.







The former Chicago & Alton/Gulf Mobile & Ohio/Illinois Central Gulf/Gateway Western Railroad station which was formerly division offices for this line. The depot is currently owned and used by Kansas City Southern Railway.





We were surprised to find Kansas City Southern SD40B 913, nee KCS SD40-2 683 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1978, which was re-built as an SD40B in 2011.





KCS SD70ACe 4141 built by Electro-Motive Division in 2014 at Slater. From here we took Missouri Highway 240 into Marshall.





The Chicago and Alton station, now used by Kansas City Southern, built in 1906. We then drove Missouri Highway 41 to US 24 to Missouri Highway 139 north to Bosworth.





BNSF 7243 East at Bosworth. We took Route UU out to the second bridge.











BNSF 7201 East at the second bridge west of Bosworth.













Union Pacific 7997 West. We took Route UU back to the first bridge.















Union Pacific 8028 East at the first bridge west of Bosworth. Returning to Route UU, we drove that to Route M to County Road 351.





A barn at County Road CR 351.









BNSF 6801 East here. Our route then took us back south to Route M then east to Route Z and west to Hogridge Avenue.











BNSF 7184 West at Hogridge Avenue. Returning to Route Z, we drove back to Route M to Missouri Highway 11 north to Brookfield.





BNSF 5006 West came into town. We looked for the Chicago, Burlington and Quincy station but found it had been demolished between 2012 and April 2014.





St. Louis-San Francisco caboose 1276 built by International Car in 1976, painted as Burlington Northern 11604, in Brookfield. We took US Highway 36 to Missouri Highway 139 to Sumner.





Two views of the BNSF bridge across the Grand River just west of Sumner. We went east on Missouri Highway 139 to State Highway E to Missouri Highway 11, to State Highway E east through Rothville.





BNSF 6807 East at Rothville.







BNSF track gang at Rothville. Our route took us on State Highway E to Route JJ to Kansas Street into Marceline.





Santa Fe 2-8-0 2546 built by American Locomotive Company in 1911 for Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railroad and sold to the Santa Fe in 1927. From here we took Missouri Highway 5 to US Highway 36, then Missouri Highway 139 north to Ethel, then Route F to Route J to Missouri Highway 3 to Missouri Highway 156 to Missouri Highway 3 to Missouri Highway 11 to US Highway 63 to Kirksville and Colton Steakhouse.

After dinner we returned to US Highway 63, taking it south to the Depot Inn & Suites. I went out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point to finish the story and upload it then laballed the pictures before returning to my room, where I found the Internet now working. I had a sauna bath before calling it a night.



RETURN TO THE MAIN PAGE