I arose and tried the wireless Internet here at the Best Western Acorn Inn in Cameron, Missouri with no luck. After breakfast, I checked my e-mail on the computer in their lobby before checking out then drove down Interstate 35 through Kansas City down to Gardiner, Kansas where I filled the car, after which it was an easy drive to Baldwin City, following the signs to the Midland Railroad station where I parked in front of the attractive former Santa Fe Baldwin City station.
Midland Railway InformationThe Midland Railway is a heritage railroad operating 16 miles of line in Franklin County and Douglas County in Kansas between Ottawa and Baldwin City. It was chartered in 1982 to find an abandoned railroad line to operate. Midland purchased the line from Baldwin City to Ottawa from the Santa Fe Railway in 1987 and began running excursion trains on part of the line later that year. Operating as a demonstration historic railroad, its mission is to "educate the public about the role railroading played, and continues to play, in the commercial, social and cultural life of America's Heartland."
Starting in 2004, excursion trains were run all the way from Baldwin City to Ottawa. The regular operating season ran from Memorial Day to October 31st. Special events and fairs are held at various times throughout the year. Weekend Boy Scout camps are held in the spring and autumn and the Scout program was one of the few in the country to offer the Railroading merit badge.
The grain elevator can be seen as one enters Baldwin City and the train is found below on the east side of that large structure.
Santa Fe Baldwin City station built in 1906 built by Leavenworth, Lawerence and Fort Gibson Railroad. This abandoned railway was originally built in 1867 as part of a rail route between Leavenworth and the Kansas state border to the south at Coffeyville. After a couple of bankruptcies and their consequent reorganizations, the line was finally purchased by the Santa Fe Railway in 1880, though it continued to operate the line under the name of Kansas City, Lawrence and Southern Railroad, and later under the Southern Kansas Railway umbrella along with other AT&SF properties. The AT&SF abandoned a portion of the line between Lawrence and Baldwin City, by then named the Lawrence District, in 1963.
The excursion train that will be taking me on the trip to Norwood this morning instead of the full trip due to flooding which had caused damage to the south end of the line in 2007.
Missouri-Kansas-Texas RS3m 142, nee Missouri-Kansas-Texas 1701, built by American Locomotive Company in 1951 would power the train.
Burlington Northern caboose 10322 1970, nee Great Northern X32, built by International Car Company in 1960. It was retired in 1986 and sold to Hitchcock Brothers Salvage and is currently on loan to the Midland Railway Association.
MKT transfer caboose 5 built by the railroad, year unknown.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific coach 2507 built by Standard Steel in 1923.
Midland Railway coach 803 "City of Baldwin City", nee Ontario Northerland 803, built by National Steel Company in the 1930's.
Santa Fe caboose 999060 nee Santa Fe 1933 built by American Car and Foundry in 1930. With plenty of time, I decided to look around.
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific E6A 630 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1941, one of five they purchased. It once led the Rock Island's famed Rocket streamliners and is one of two remaining Rock Island E units
Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific E8A 652 built by Electro-Motive Division in 1952, one of thirteen purchased by the railroad and is the other last remaining Rock Island E unit. In 1976, it received a red, white, and blue paint scheme by Chicago's 20th Century Railroad Club for the United States' bicentennial. In that scheme, it led Peoria and Quad Cities Rockets until the end of Rock Island passenger service in 1978.
Midland Railway 44 ton switcher 460, ex. Kansas City Municipal Board of Public Utilities 460, nee Santa Fe 460 built by General Electric in 1942.
Midland Railway RS-3 8255, ex. Amtrak 127, exx. Penn Central 5504, nee New York Central 8255 built by American Locomotive Compay in 1951.
I returned to the car and worked on part 2 of the Appanoose story while I waited for the ticket office to open. Randy Jackson arrived as he would be joining me on this excursion. I purchased my ticket and Randy bought himself a cab ride. I decided to ride in Great Northern caboose X32 both way, which I had all to myself.
Randy and the crew discuss his cab ride and other matters.
The crew tried to start the engine to no avail. After about ten minutes, it did start but hen they could not get the air up on the brake line, even though there was 50 pounds of pressure as I could see the gauge in the caboose cupola. Ten more minutes passed and it was up to 70 pounds then after another eight minutes, I watched my gauge get to 90 pounds of air brake pressure. At 11:18 AM, the conductor high-balled and we started moving south down this former Santa Fe branch line towards Norwood.
Departing Baldwin City station.
Passing the two very historic Rock Island Railroad cab units.
Leaving Baldwin City behind.
Kansas scenery.
Leaving the yard limit sign behind.
Passing a corn field.
A common misconception is that corn is only grown in Iowa. However, Kansas produces a large share of the corn grown in the United States.
Our route was a tree-lined right-of-way most of the journey to Norwood.
Crossing Spring Creek.
A few minutes later, we went through a rural grade crossing.
The view looking forward.
Randy was enjoying his cab ride on the Midland Railway.
About to round a curve.
Running by a pond.
Grading and the removal of vegetation along our route had recently occurred.
Another rural grade crossing.
About to arrive at Norwood.
We had reached the siding.
Our train arrived and the engine would now run around the train.
Midland Railway RS-3 142 made its way to the switch.
It then came back up the siding around the train, so my caboose would now be at the rear.
We started the return trip to Baldwin City.
My view from the cupola.
Forward-looking views.
I went to the rear door for a few pictures.
Have you ever been to Nowhere? I have and you can too if you take a trip on the Midland Railway. There really is a Nowhere, Kansas and the remains of a brick station platform there.
Another beautiful mid-America day.
Our train crossed Spring Creek again.
Passing the corn fields.
We stopped to drop off this person who would clear the area along the tracks and even brought his own gasoline and oil for that tractor.
Passing the Baldwin City yard limit sign post.
The historic Rock Island E units.
We arrived at Baldwin City and I thanked my crew for an excellent ride on the Midland Railway.
One more view of Midland Railway RS3m 142. I returned to my PT Cruiser and using Mapquest's directions and surviving some construction traffic, I made my way to Belton, Missouri and my next train ride of this trip.
