After that great trip on the Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railroad, I departed Marion stopping at an Arby's for a roast beef sandwich to go then drove Interstate 57 south to Illinois Highway 146 and turned right then south to the bridge across the Mississippi River and back into Missouri at Cape Girardeau. From there, I took Interstate 55 north to Missouri Highway 72 West, which took me to my next stop, a quick visit to the St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad at Jackson, Missouri.
The Iron Mountain was initially established to deliver iron ore from Iron Mountain to St. Louis. In 1883 the railway was acquired by Jay Gould, becoming part of a 9,547-mile system. On May 12, 1917, the company was officially merged into the Missouri Pacific Railroad, which in turn was merged into the Union Pacific Railroad in 1982. It was robbed twice, once by the James-Younger Gang, on January 31, 1874, at Gad's Hill and once by the "One-Time Train Robbery Gang" on November 3, 1893 at Olyphant, Arkansas.
A heritage railroad by the same name, based in Jackson, Missouri operates about six miles of shortline in Cape Girardeau County.
The St. Louis, Iron Mountain & Southern Railroad.
Pennsylvania Railroad E8A 5898, built by Electro-Motive Division in 1951.
Missouri Pacific caboose 12102 built by the railroad in 1929.
Burlington Northern caboose 10110 is really Chicago, Burlington and Quincy 13642 built by International Car Company in 1967.
Illinois Central trailer coach 1345 "Scott MacDonald" built by Pullman in 1924.
Southern Railway caboose X404 built by Gantt Manufacturing in 1969.
Baltimore and Ohio caboose C3706 built by International Car in 1971 and currently numbered 903706.
Former Crab Orchard & Egyptian 2-4-2 5 built by H.K. Porter in 1946, is dismantled.
St. Louis and Iron Mountain Southern 35 ton switcher, number unknown, formerly Carbon Corporation.
St. Louis and Iron Mountain Southern 80 ton switcher 911, nee Pittsburgh Plate and Glass 911, built by Whitcomb in 1961.
The caboose would bring up the rear of their passenger train.
Illinois Central trailer coach 1365 "John E. Hall" built by Pullman in 1926. One day I will have to come back and ride this railway. I left Jackson and made my way north back to Interstate 55, taking that north into St. Louis where I drove Interstate 270 around the west side of the city to Interstate 70, which took me to Missouri Highway 18, which I took north. I called Bob Cox and he received the slides at 10:30 this morning, so all was good.
I passed through Wellsville and photographed its Chicago, Burlington and Quincy station built in 1907, and Missouri Pacific caboose 13566 built by International Car in 1972. Continuing on Missouri Highway 18, at the junction of US Highway 54, I turned left to go to Mexico, Missouri.
The sunset on the way.
The Wabash Station in Mexico, Missouri.
Chicago & Alton/Chicago, Burlington and Quincy Mexico station, now used by the Kansas City Southern Railroad.
CSX motive power on a Kansas City Southern freight train here. I drove Missouri Highway 22 west to US Highway 63, which returned me back to La Plata then filled the van with $2.42 petrol and returned to the Depot Inn & Suites, checking in and receiving Room R for my one-night stay. I started to work on the Crab Orchard & Egyptian story then at 7:40 PM, walked out to the front desk, picked up the keys to the fifteen passenger van in which I would be picking up the members of the 20th Century Railroad Club of Chicago when they arrived and drove down to the Amtrak station.
A few minutes later, Amy Cox arrived with the other van and we waited for the Southwest Chief, which arrived a a few minutes early this evening and soon the members were boarding the two vans. We drove them to the hotel, unloaded and I parked the van and returned the keys before completing the Crab Orchard & Egyptian story and calling Winston to proof it. With that all done, it had been a great day in my life and I called it a night.
12/05/2009 Waking up refreshed, I had some breakfast then back in my room, corrected the story then borrowed the golf cart and drove out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point on a 17 degree early morning.
Just after I arrived, this colourful consist of BNSF, Norfolk Southern, Kansas City Southern and Canadian National motive power came through pulling this mixed freight.
The work that BNSF was undertaking at the base of the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point to stabilize the bank of the fill.
The bad news of this trip is that someone had defaced the excellent sketch of a steam engine that Jeff Hartmann had drawn in 2008, which was liked by everyone who saw it, except for one stupid person.
Next an eastbound BNSF piggyback train came through La Plata. I drove the golf cart back to the hotel before opening the Exhibition of Amtrak History and the Model Railroad Exhibit so that the 20th Century Railroad Club of Chicago members could see it whenever they wanted. I did give one a tour and he really enjoyed his visit. Now it was time to join the members on the Railfan Tour of La Plata given by Bob and Amy Cox. Once everyone was in the van, we drove out through the Amish Countryside to Cardy, the ghost town along the BNSF mainline, and parked at a grade crossing there.
The 20th Century Railroad Club offers unique volunteer activities for rail enthusiasts, as well as unique travel opportunities for families, singles and groups. Each year, the Club schedules ten to twenty trips "for members only," including one day excursions on commuter and Amtrak trains, two or three day weekend adventures via Amtrak, and elaborate five-to-ten day Vacations with the Century.
BNSF 4255 West with a DPU on the rear.
The 20th Century Railroad Club of Chicago members watching the BNSF train pass.
Union Pacific 4697 West with a stack train.
BNSF 4784 West, a grain train.
Have you ever wondered what that big pole is on the back of an Amish wagon?
BNSF 746 West leading a stack train.
It is used for carrying rolled hay.
Amtrak's Southwest Chief running about twenty minutes late this morning as it passed through Cardy. After that we drove over to the La Plata station for a washroom break.
Union Pacific 7463 West did not pass the station, but stopped, trapping me on the wrong side. The signals had gone out and this train was not moving. A few minutes later, Amy and her van arrived and we took the long way around via the hotel to get back to the Amtrak station where I was reunited with Bob and his van.
BNSF 7317 East, after which we all went to the Red Rooster for lunch where I had a hamburger.
The 20th Century Railroad Club of Chicago members eating at the Red Rooster Restaurant. I walked out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point where I called Let's Talk Trains, the Internet Radio Program that I host every so often and the members soon joined me.
An eastbound BNSF stack train passed through La Plata.
A westbound mixed BNSF freight was next.
The 20th Century Railroad Club of Chicago members posed for this picture at the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point, after which we drove out to Santa Fe Lake and caught a pair of trains there.
With the sun coming straight down the tracks, I went for a going-away shot of this eastbound BNSF train.
A westbound BNSF freight passed then we decided to move to another location further east, but had no luck so relocated to the old bridge near Gibbs and as we did that, a westbound flew by out of picture-taking range.
From the bridge at Gibbs, a future photo location that I will be using. With no trains here, we returned to the Depot Inn & Suites and I checked the Internet before joining most of the group for dinner at the Santa Fe Restaurant in Ethel.
Sunset along US Highway 63 before we turned off onto the road to Elmer and then on to Ethel, where we found the restaurant.
The sign for the Santa Fe Restaurant.
There are displays cases housing railroad memorabilia, including a Wabash Moberly Division employee timetable.
The wall behind the cash register.
The Restaurant Name and people are asked to sign the wall here. I used a ladder and Bob Cox used my camera without me knowing it and photographed me signing the wall.
I signed the wall at the Santa Fe Restaurant in Ethel, Missouri.
Bob Cox signing the wall.
The 20th Century Railroad Club of Chicago members eating at the Santa Fe Restaurant. I had chicken strips and fries. All the portions are large and all meals cost you nine dollars at this excellent restaurant. After dinner, we drove back to the Depot Inn & Suites where I checked my westbound train status and went online to check a few things before packing. Bob, Amy and and their daughter Kerry drove me to the station and I said my goodbyes before the westbound Southwest Chief arrived.
Southwest Chief 3 12/05/2009The train had P42DCs 112, 42 and 204, baggage 1162, transition 39033, sleepers 32054 and 32098 "New Jersey", diner 38057, lounge 32026 with coaches 34061 and 31043. I boarded the 32054 sleeper having Room 7 for this trip with Cynthia as my Sleeping Car Attendant.
A nice touch to my room. We made our way west across the Missouri countryside as I worked on today's pictures so they would be ready to be worked on in the morning then made up my room and called it a night.
12/06/2009 Dark and gloomy was the morning as I arose after Garden City and went to the dining car for breakfast, seated with a lady and a gentleman who had ridden all the Amtrak routes except the Michigan Services and Oklahoma trains. I had French Toast and sausage patties before returning to my room working on this story and it was snowing lightly when we arrived early in La Junta.
The Southwest Chief at rest. We departed on time and continued west out into the storm as I wrote the story. My room's windows were horrible so few if any pictures would be taken from the room. The train stopped in Trinidad with about two inches of snow on the ground before it climbed Raton Pass and I started to watch Asia's "Fantasia".
Climbing Raton Pass.
After reaching the crest and crossing into Raton Tunnel.
Descending the south side of Raton Pass to our next stop at Raton, where it was sunny but cold. We departed on time and the Asia DVD lasted right until lunch was called and I had the Angus beef burger and key lime pie. We encountered signal problems and lost over twenty minutes during and after lunch. Back in my room, my next DVD selection was Queen + Paul Rodgers "Return of the Champions". We departed Las Vegas at 1:03 PM {12:38 PM}.
Later the former Santa Fe Glorieta station, which is now a United States Post Office. We met the eastbound Southwest Chief then our train continued to Lamy and the Queen+ DVD lasted until New Mexico Rail Runner territory as we made our way towards Albuquerque, our next servicing stop of the trip. It was forty one degrees there so I did not hang around outside long but was able to access the Internet before our on-time departure where into the twilight of a very cool day. At 5:30 PM, I went into the dining car and enjoyed another steak and vanilla ice cream then visited the lounge car to get a cinnamon roll and the Lead Service Attendant remembered me from the Coast Starlight about four years ago, so I gave her a new business card. Back in my room, over the PA came "Welcome back Chris G. Million Mile Man". I then watched Rainbow's "Live in Munich 1977" which I really enjoyed, before making up my room and called it a night.
12/07/2009 I awoke to rain and a very busy Cajon Pass as we made our way down to San Bernardino and then Riverside, where we were delayed five minutes by a Metrolink Inland Empire train, which we followed through Santa Ana Canyon and on to Fullerton. From there, the Southwest Chief made its final sprint to Los Angeles Union Station, arriving there at 8:05 AM, five minutes early, ending another wonderful trip aboard the Southwest Chief.
I waited for Pacific Surfliner 566, which was late coming from the yard but the crew got the train out of Los Angeles on time and returned me to Santa Ana, where my mother was waiting with her van. It had been as great to meet the members of the 20th Century Railroad Club of Chicago and ride the Crab Orchard & Egyptian Railroad on this most wonderful trip.
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