michaelckelly.net | Rails Around Train guy – Railfan, Author, podcaster

Throwback Thursday – Santa Fe style

Posted on October 29, 2015 by admin

Thirteen miles southwest of Marceline is Mendon, in Chariton County. Being a very rural farming community, Mendon was and still is a tiny town, featuring several grain silos, two signal bridges and at once time, a depot. On April 19, 1981, Santa Fe C30-7 # 8025 rushes an eastbound manifest through the signal bridges, headed for Chicago. Today, not only is the Sante Fe gone, but the classic ATSF signal bridges are gone as well, replaced by BNSF with contemporary 3-indication “Vader” hood signals. (Photo – Dale Hearn)

The above is an excerpt from Rails Around Missouri, Chapter Two, page 46. Rails Around Missouri is currently in its second hard cover print run, and is due out by Thanksgiving 2015. You can order your copy via the link below, and your copy will come signed by the author, and in time for Christmas! Postal or dealer orders are also an option directly from the printer. Contact Don Banwart, donald@sekan.com or call 620 664-7014.

The book is packed with over 500 all-color images from between 1946 – 1986, and from every corner of the state. Our online price is $54.95 plus $8 shipping. If it is a gift, please email me after your order to make sure I have that info: atsf101@hotmail.com

Flashback Friday – MoPac style

Posted on October 23, 2015 by admin

DeSoto is located south of St Louis, and was home to a large car repair shop for the Missouri Pacific, as well as the namesake town of the DeSoto Subdivision. Though previously published in his book “Missouri Pacific Lines in Color” from the early 1990s, the late, great author and photographer Joe G Collias was kind enough to lend this image of a classic scene at DeSoto in June 1946. Missouri Pacific 4-8-4 #2109 has arrived with the northbound Texan, while a switcher works the car repair shop tracks on the left. This shop is still open and in service today for the Union Pacific. (Joe Collias)

The above is an excerpt from Rails Around Missouri, Chapter Six, pages 134-135. Rails Around Missouri is currently in its second hard cover print run, and is due out by Thanksgiving 2015. You can order your copy via the link below, and your copy will come signed by the author, and in time for Christmas! Postal or dealer orders are also an option directly from the printer. Contact Don Banwart, donald@sekan.com or call 620 664-7014.

TBT – Rock Island style

Posted on October 15, 2015 by admin

While trains 73 & 74 were the only scheduled through freights across the St Louis line, the Rock Island did operate locals in each direction our of Eldon. On the est end, these locals served customers at Union, Owensville, Belle, Meta and Freeburg. GP7 #1205 has a 21-car westbound local in tow near Owensville on October 20, 1975. (Paul Dalman photo)

This excerpt from Rails Around Missouri can be found in Chapter 7, page 178. Rails Around Missouri is a hardcover, 224-page book filled with over 500 all-color photos of the railroads of Missouri from 1946-1985, with history and maps going back to the 1800s. Sold out in early 2014, Rails Around Missouri is back in hard-cover print, due for re-release by December 1, 2015. Order your copy below, and it will come signed by the author, in time for Christmas. Postal, email and dealer orders can be placed with the publisher, Britegraphics, of Pittsburg KS. Contact Don Banwart, donald@sekan.com for more info on those options.

My price is $54.95 plus $8 shipping.

Throwback Thursday – KCS style

Posted on October 8, 2015 by admin

The northbound KCS Southern Belle, train #2 calls on Grandview in August 1969, led by E8 #27. When inaugurated in 1940, the Southern Belle operated with sleepers, a diner-lounge and chair cars, and made the KC-New Orleans trek in just over 21 hours. By 1969, its last year of operation, the Belle is down to a baggage, two coaches and an observation-diner, which brings up the rear as #2 heads north for Kansas City. (Both – Allen Maty)

The above is an excerpt from Rails Around Missouri, Chapter 4, page 88. The first hard cover production run of this book in 2013 sold out in 12 months, but a second print run is currently underway, and will be available by Thanksgiving 2015. You can order your copy today with the link below, and your copy will come signed by the author. Our price is $54.95 plus $8 shipping.

Dealer and postal mail orders are also available. Contact the publisher directly for more info: donald@sekan.com

Frisco Friday from Rails Around Missouri

Posted on September 18, 2015 by admin

As we re-launch the production of Rails Around Missouri with a reprint of the original book, below is an excerpt from Chapter 7 – Central Missouri, and a look at the Frisco’s Salem branch.

At Cuba, milepost 86, a branch was built to the lead mining areas to the south of the mainline. Known as the Salem branch, this branch split at Lead Jct., with one line going to Buick, and another to Salem. A pair of Frisco GP38s lead a Salem branch train over the Meramec River near Steelville on October 11, 1980. (Terry Norton, photo; Chris Guss collection)

Your copy of this 2nd Edition is available with the link below, and will come signed by the author. Delivery will be in time for Christmas 2015.