The upper level of my two-level layout is all narrow gauge, depicting a portion of the former Denver & Rio Grande Western’s Fourth Division line in southwestern Colorado and northern New Mexico.
Outstate Missouri
Here are some of my favorite railfanning locations in Missouri, outside the St Louis area.
Kansas City Union Station
While there are many great railfanning spots in the Kansas City area, I’ve only been to one – but it’s a good one. At Kansas City Union Station, the Haverty pedestrian bridge spans the station tracks and Kansas City Terminal tracks, which carries traffic of BNSF, UP, KCS, CP, NS, and Amtrak. So, you can see almost anything here.
Click on each image for caption with more info
Trains magazine has published some informative articles on the Kansas City area, including an article on KC Union Station and the Haverty footbridge (December 2014) and a trackage map (March 2015).
Springfield MO
Springfield, Missouri lies at the center of the “X” of the former St Louis-San Francisco (Frisco) Railway’s lines: one from St Louis to Tulsa and Texas, and another from Kansas City to Memphis and Birmingham AL. As such, Springfield was the hub of the railroad, featuring a large yard, engine facilities and shops at its Kansas Avenue Yard. The Frisco is now gone, but its successors (Burlington Northern then Burlington Northern Santa Fe) live on and the area is very active. While there are lots of viewing sites in the city, the Kansas Expressway overpass at the yard gives one a bird’s eye view of the action.
Click on each image for caption with more info
For more information about the Frisco in Springfield, there is an excellent article by Patrick Hiatte in Trains magazine, December 2003.
Marceline MO
In 2015 I took a trip to visit “three M’s” – Marceline, Moberly and Mexico in north central Missouri, with the main objective being Marceline on the former Santa Fe (now BNSF) transcontinental line. Marceline is perhaps best known as the boyhood home of Walt Disney. I had always wanted to see this double track mainline and its fast trains as they race across the state.
Click on each image for caption with more info
Moberly and Mexico, MO
Moberly, MO was a major hub on the Wabash Railroad. From Moberly, lines extended to the east to Hannibal MO, Decatur IL and Detroit; to the southeast to St Louis; and to the west to Kansas City. The Wabash was leased by the Norfolk and Western in 1964, later absorbed by the N&W, and now is part of the Norfolk Southern system. Moberly has remained active through all of these corporate changes.
Click on each image for caption with more info
Jefferson City, MO
Jefferson City, the state capital of Missouri, is on the former Missouri Pacific main line and has a small yard. To the east is double track to St. Louis, much of it following the Missouri River. To the west, the tracks to Kansas City split at nearby Cole Junction – the southern branch and more direct but hilly route passing through Sedalia and Independence MO; the longer northern branch and flatter route continues to follow the Missouri River and passes through Marshall, MO. The MoPac was merged into the Union Pacific in 1982.
As many times as I have been to Jeff City, I have very few photos of the railroad there. Hopefully that will change in the future.
Click on each image for caption with more info
I have additional images of these locations. If you are interested, please contact me.