Kirkwood Alternates

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With over 800 images submitted for Rails Around Missouri, not all could be used. Relevant to “Rails” appearance at the annual Kirkwood train show this weekend (Oct 12-13, Kirkwood Community Center), below are 4 shots from Kirkwood which are Not in Rails Around Missouri, but are worth a look.

First, MP SD40s lead a westbound through Kirkwood on March 14, 1971. While an excellent shot, it’s a perspective of Kirkwood that has been seen many times, and we wanted a different angle. Photo by Paul Dalman

Next, an MKT freight detours to St Louis over the MoPac in May 1973. The Katy’s line was flood-prone, and when it did flood, the Katy detoured over the MP between Sedalia and St Louis. Photo by Paul Dalman.

Next, over on the Frisco, a pair of SW1500s lead an eastbound local out of Valley Park and into Kirkwood at Quinnete Rd in May 1977. Photo by Ed Hawkins.

Finally, an eastbound freight, led by 7 locomotives with U30B #853 up front, waits just west of Big Bend & Geyer for clearance to proceed to Lindenwood yard. This location is across the street from St Louis Community College – Meramec. Photo by the late Bill Wylde, from the collection of Camille Chappuis.

Rails Around Missouri is down to 200 total copies left, and is expected to be sold out by Christmas. Choose between the KCS or Frisco cover, which will come signed by the author. NOTE: the Frisco cover has less than 80 left.

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Also, check out the new page on MP’s Oak Hill & Carondelet branches here.

 

“Rails” to visit Springfield 9-28

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“Rails Around Missouri” will be in Springfield on Saturday, September 28 for the Ozark Model Railroad Association show, being held at the Springfield Expo Center from 9-3. In honor of that, here are a set of images from Springfield. Two of them are in the book, including the shot above, and two are not. Above is a shot of the Springfield shops, taken by Terry Norton on June 8, 1980. While this shot was shared a few months ago in a previous post, it’s shown again here as a comparison with the shot below, also taken by Terry a few days later, and is not in the book. Note the GE U25Bs and U30B. along with a pair of SD45s.

Below – “In Springfield, the Frisco established several yards, a roundhouse, turntable, car & locomotive shops. The largest yard was the Kansas Ave yard on the northwest side of town. Frisco GP38-2 #478 leads train #134 from Memphis into the yard on November 30, 1980.” Ken Albrecht

The shot above from “Rails Around Missouri” can be found spread across pages 190-191 of Chapter Eight – Southwest Missouri. For comparison, below is a shot from the same location on April 15, 1980. U30B leads train BTX from Birmingham into Kansas Av yard. Photo by Daniel Schroeder.

Your copy of Rails Around Missouri is available for $47.95 plus USPS Priority Mail shipping, and will come signed by the author. Choose between the KCS or Frisco cover. DON’T WAIT! The Frisco cover has fewer than 100 copies left. Order today or stop in at the Springfield show and pick up your copy.

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Was this really 33 years ago?

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“On a cold December morning in 1980, frost covers the roadbed as Santa Fe SD45 #5575 leads a westbound trailer train through Henrietta. The Santa Fe is in process of converting their TOFC equipment from 89′ flatcars to “Fuel Foiler” articulated spine cars, which reduced train weight and improved fuel efficiency. Note the long string of 89′ flatcars in the siding.” Below – “Seen from the Highway 13 overpass, caboose #999167 brings up the rear as the train speeds towards Kansas City. More 89′ flatcars in storage stretch almost the entire length of the siding.” Both photos – Dale Hearn

 

 The text and photos above can be found in “Rails Around Missouri”, Chapter Two – Northern Missouri. The going away shot with the caboose is also found on the rear cover of the Frisco front cover edition. “Rails Around Missouri” was released on May 10, 2013 as a 224-page, hard cover book with 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 front cover. Don’t delay! The Frisco cover has less than 100 copies remaining and is expected to sell out before Thanksgiving.

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As a comparison to the shots above, particularly the caboose shot, the photo below was shot from the same overpass by the author in Henrietta in October 2008. Notice how much has changed since 1980: the grain silos and bins are gone, along with the siding. Missouri Highway 13 has been re-routed to a point further east, in what would be the background of the shot at the top of this post. The old overpass is now a local road, but still a great spot to photograph the action on today’s BNSF.

 

Remembering the Wabash in Missouri

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“In April of 1959, Wabash E8 #1012 leads train #10, the City of St Louis out of Mexico, Missouri, after making its station stop. This train was a joint operation with the Union Pacific Railroad, using UP rails west of Kansas City to Denver, where it was split for connections to Los Angeles and Portland.” – Bill Gibson photo

“One of the busiest railroads at Union Station was the Wabash, with service to Kansas City, Omaha, Chicago & Detroit. In the 1940s the Wabash got into the streamliner market by converting seven 2-8-2s into streamlined 4-6-4s with 80” drivers and “elephant ear” smoke deflectors. Engine #701 is seen departing Union Station on October 9, 1947 with the Banner Blue for Chicago. Note the brand new PRR E7s in the background.” – Joe Collias photo

– The above selections from “Rails Around Missouri” are from chapters 1 and 5, respectively. “Rails Around Missouri” was released on May 10, 2013 as a 224-page, hard cover book with 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.  Don’t delay! – There are less than 100 copies of the Frisco cover left!

With over 800 images submitted for consideration, not all could be used. Below are a pair of Wabash shots not included, but are worth sharing here. First is a shot of a Wabash passenger train using the TRRA High Line along the St Louis riverfront. This slide was unmarked and believed to be a duplicate slide. Due to this and no accompanying information, it was not used. It s unusual to see a Wabash passenger train using this line along the riverfront, as all eastbound Wabash trains departed Union Station heading west to Delmar before turning east to cross the Mississippi Rover on the Merchants Bridge. Click the image for a larger view.

Next, we see N&W dome-observation car #1601, originally built for the Wabash Blue Bird, on track #2 at Union Station in August of 1966. Now assigned to the Banner Blue, the car still reflects its Wabash heritage inside and out. Note the GM&O observation car Abraham Lincoln on track 1. That car is currently on display at the Museum of Transport in St Louis County. Photo by Michael J Kelly. Click for a larger view.

 

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Jerome on the Frisco – late 1970s

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 “Further up the hill near Jerome, Frisco B30-7 #863 leads freight #438 as it drifts downgrade towards Newburg on October 28, 1978. In the mid-1970s, the Frisco ran four daily freights each way over the Rolla Sub between St Louis & Springfield: #’s 33, 35, 39 & 437 westbound, and #s 30, 34, 36 & 438 eastbound.” (Ken Albrecht)

This selection from “Rails Around Missouri” can be found in Chapter 7: Central Missouri. “Rails Around Missouri” was released on May 10 as a 224-page, hard-cover book with over 500 all-color photos like the one above. Your copy is available for $47.95 plus USPS padded Priority Mail shipping, and will come signed by the author. Choose between the KCS or Frisco cover. Don’t delay, as less than 100 copies remain with the Frisco cover.

With over 800 images submitted for consideration, not all could be included. Some of the ones excluded were still great shots, such as the one below from Ken Albrecht, taken April 17, 1977 at the same spot as the shot above. Also, the Frisco cover shot was taken in this same area.