“Having reached the Oklahoma border (on the Frisco), we’ll shift to the Missouri Pacific’s Carthage Subdivision, part of MP’s storied White River Division. Beginning at Branson on the morning of September 6, 1975, MP SD40 #3038 leads train #202 over Lake Taneycomo and around the curves approaching downtown Branson. Train #202 carried traffic from the Southern Railway connection at Memphis to the Union Pacific connection at Kansas City. Train #202 would be re-symboled as train SMU a few years later.

A few minutes after the passage of train #202, the tri-weekly Cotter, Arkansas to Aurora, Missouri local, train #506, passes through the same location, led by GP9 #1684. The train is about to pass under US65 and turn north into downtown Branson. Today these rails belong to the Missouri & North Arkansas RR, and are home to the Branson Scenic Railway.

The above passage & photos from “Rails Around Missouri” can be found in Chapter Eight: Southwest Missouri. “Rails Around Missouri” was released on May 10, 2013 as a 224-page hard-cover book containing over 500 all-color photos like the ones above. Your copy is available for $47.95 plus shipping, and will come signed by the author. Choose between the KCS or Frisco cover. (Please note: less than 100 copies remain with the Frisco cover, so don’t delay.)