I met John Green in the lobby at 5:45 AM and we left the Depot Inn & Suites and started off to East Sibley via Missouri Highway 5, US Highway 36 to Missouri Highway 11 to US Highway 24 where we saw a headlight and found a grade crossing.
Norfolk Southern 6761 East just east of Dewitt. From here we drove west straight to the Missouri River bridge at East Sibley and pulled up to the photo location just as a westbound BNSF started crossing the impressive bridge here.
An unknown BNSF train at East Sibley crossing the Missouri River.
Union Pacific {CSX 7642 West} crossing the Missouri River.
The track inspector truck came across the bridge and found a defect and two other trucks stopped on the west approach to the bridge. This was not a good sign, so we left and headed to Richmond to McDonald's where I had hot cakes and sausage, then proceeded east and just east of Hardin, we saw our next train approaching.
BNSF 6504 west at Hardin from the Missouri Highway 10 overpass. We continued east to a road crossing just west of NA Junction.
BNSF 7804 West.
Norfolk Southern 8862 East. I then took John to County Road 260, MP 383.17.
BNSF 7116 West.
Interesting tracks here due to their elevation.
BNSF 7958 West at the same location.
Amtrak Southwest Chief running over 2 hours and 39 minutes late due to crew issues after last night's late westbound Southwest Chief, at County Road 260 MP 383.17. We left for Rothville but stopped along one of the roads.
A field of clover. From here we drove over to Rothville Main Street crossing and found a stopped train.
BNSF 4142 West was stopped because of a red signal here and this location was chosen they would not block Main Street if they had stopped at the signal.
BNSF 6764 East at the Route E/Main Street crossing MP 354.49.
BNSF 7300 East. BNSF 4142 West finally started moving just as BNSF 5323 East came into view from the west.
BNSF 4142 West met BNSF 5323 East. We returned to La Plata via South Gifford.
The Iowa and St. Louis Railroad (a predecessor of Chicago, Burlington and Quincy) South Gifford station. The Iowa and Saint Louis Railroad was formed in 1901 with the intent to run from Centerville, Iowa to Saint Louis, Missouri. Coal was prolific in the Chariton River Valley; in some cases, it was so close to the ground surface in the valley that most farms had their own mines to extract what they needed and sell the rest. The I&StL was built for this purpose: hauling coal from the Chariton River Valley. Other commodities included timber, general freight and also passenger service.
On the way back to La Plata, we found the road closed for bridge work. No detour directions were given, something that I have encountered before in Missouri and feel is lacking. Luckily, I knew a detour route, which we took then John and I drove to Kirksville for an early dinner at Colton Steakhouse. After that we returned to La Plata, filled the car with petrol and wrote the travelogue in the comfort of Room V before calling it a night.
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