Trainweb 10th Anniversary Party in La
Plata Missouri
December 8 through 10, 2006
Copyright 2006 by
Richard
Elgenson
At 2:00 PM, I heard about a potential
trip to an
Amish store. So Chris Parker, Chris Guenzler, Carl Morrison, Jon
Ortiz, and Carl Morrison set off to find this store. On our way
there, we got slightly lost and once on the proper road, we passed by a
house that had a deer strung up on a rope, being prepared for
butchering. Less than a mile to the west we found the Amish
store. There were some other non-Amish customers present who
found us later in the afternoon. They are open daily except for
Sunday and Thurdays.
After buying some chocolate we went
in search of trains. We heard
one and raced to the crossing , but sun was in our eyes and
lenses. Plus, we were on the shadowy side of the train.
We doubled back along the road to the
west and found piles of corn stalks to
photograph and snowballs to throw.
Of course, we heard another eastbound
train
and raced back to the crossing with better results.
Having heard of a brewpub in
nearby
Kirksville, I informed Chris Parker of my interest in indulging.
The others agreed to go search for any Wabash Railroad
remains while I enjoyed fresh beer. After we found Il
Spazio, Carl joined me and had a glass of wine. We agreed to
spend only 1/2 hour there and after 14 minutes, the others returned,
entered the restaurant and ordered soft drinks, sayinng that there was
little to see of railroad remains, finding empty right-of-way and one
bridge. A female restaurnat employee came up to
us and said "didn't I just see you guys at the Amish store?" Yes,
we had and chatted with her for a few minutes. Kirksville is home
of Truman University. Below left, I Chris and
Carl through the mirror. Kirksville, population 16,988, is a
college town, home of
Truman State University 6,000 students full time enrollment.
Below left, my beer! Below
right, martini glasses being readied
for other customers.
Below left is the brew kettle while
on the right are dispensing tanks.
We finally
departed Kirksville and returned to La Plata for another dinner at the
Red Rooster Restaurant. The TrainWeb guests who were going to
leave on the westbound Southwest Chief were seated together and served
first. They also left the restaurant before the rest of us.
We did go to the Amtrak Station to see them depart. I recall
seeing the conductor and then seeing him again the next morning.
He said that the westbound crew out of Chicago overnights in Kansas
City. We stayed at the station to see whatever traffic might come
by. Several more trains did pass and the last eastbound one had
two Union Pacific locomotives. We noticed a green signal for a
westbound train, but after 20 minutes, we left. I spent the rest
of the evening contemplating the days events and the prospect of
leaving the next morning.
December 10, 2006
We then returned to the Amtrak
Station to see more
TrainWeb guests off to Chicago. The station does not have an
agent, but volunteers open and close the station for passengers.
Below left, the Southwest Chief has
departed. The TrainWeb
building is on the right side of the tracks.
After the Chief departed, Ray and
Steve asked Dusty, the volunteer, if
they could see the storage room in the station building which is
still used occasionally by BNSF maintenance personnel. The store
room is a potential site for the Amtrak museum.
