I arose early and obtained the golf cart key before breakfast, stored my bags behind the counter then drove out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.
The former Wabash Railroad grade one drives or walks down to access the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.
BNSF 4994 West, a stack trian, came through La Plata first this morning.
The path looking back to the Depot Inn & Suites.
BNSF 7821 East, also a stack train.
BNSF 4320 East on another stack train.
BNSF 5260 West, a general merchadise freight.
BNSF 7302 West includedbrand new BNSF 6639.
BNSF 7423 East with a stack train.
An Amish buggy crossed the Brown Street bridge.
BNSF 962 East with Canadian National 2603.
Amtrak Southwest Chief's departing La Plata this morning.
Visitors to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.
BNSF 7454 West on a stack train.
Union Pacific 7605 West on this auto train with Union Pacific 5514 as the mid-train DPU.
UP 7400 East on a piggyback train.
BNSF 7653 West with a stack train.
BNSF 5475 East on a stack train. Bob Cox and I hosted the Let's Talk Trains Internet radio show from here and had two eastbound stack trains during the two-hour show.
BNSF 5028 East with a stack train.
BNSF 4097 West with a stack train.
BNSF 4578 West with an auto train.
Union Pacific 7406 West with auto train cars.
BNSF 7542 East on a tank train with DPU 7365.
BNSF 7661 West with yet another stack train. After that, I returned the golf cart back to the Depot Inn & Suites, where Shelli gave me the key to Room P and the van. I stored my bags in the room and checked my e-mail in the business center then drove to Kirksville, first to KFC for dinner and then to Walmart for a new CD player for my trip home. I returned to the hotel where Shelli lent me an EEE notebook computer to use for my online business during the rest of my stay. I watched some television and saw the Southwest Chief arrive on channel 15, only eight minutes late tonight then relaxed a little more before calling it a night.
10/03/2010 I woke refreshed and went to the lobby to pick up some donuts. I stored my bags again and acquired the keys to the golf cart then drove out to the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point on a 32 degree clear sunny morning.
BNSF 7609 East was my first stack train of the morning.
The next BNSF train had 5303 and 4628 as its consist.
Union Pacific 5539 East on a stack train.
An unknown westbound Union Pacific freight came by my location.
BNSF 4307 East was next.
The trees were working on their autumn colors.
BNSF 7474 East on a stack train.
BNSF 4387 West on a stack train.
BNSF 998 West came next.
Union Pacific 8428 East on a stack train.
The information board and outhouses at the Chris Guenzler Million Mile Lookout Point.
BNSF 5028 West on a stack train.
Union Pacific 7856 West with Union Pacific 7808 as DPU.
BNSF 7419 East on a piggyback train.
This BNSF truck was picking up spikes from the large pile. With no trains for over an hour, I called Bob Cox who was still working on a project so I decided to go out and photograph the late-running Southwest Chief and returned the golf cart, obtained the van and drove to the station to see Daryl, who told me it would arrive at 1:45 PM PM. I drove out to Elmer coming in on Route J, then crossed the tracks and turned left on Forum Road, taking that all the way to the end where I turned the van around. Just as I got outside, here came a Union Pacific train crossing the Chariton River.
The Union Pacific train had plenty of Norfolk Southern power in its consist. I walked to the sunny side and set up for a picture, heard a horn and knew there was another westbound train coming.
Union Pacific 7622 West crossed the Chariton River and a few minutes later, I heard a horn for the eastbound train, the one that I really waiting for.
BNSF 7906 East crossed the Chariton River.
The Chariton River. Having caught the picture I wanted, I returned to the van and drove out of Elmer via Festival Avenue, turned right onto Fountain Street, which took me under the BNSF mainline. I took this to Route 3 and parked just short of the bridge over the BNSF mainline. Here I met a nice large Amish family who were out on the bridge on this beautiful afternoon and we all waited for the Southwest Chief.
The late-running Southwest Chief at Route 3. I returned to La Plata, filled the van with petrol and returned it to the Depot Inn & Suites then was given the key to the Sportsman's Suite for the rest of my stay. I enjoyed the sauna tub, went to the Red Rooster for a smoked hamburger and watched television for the rest of the evening. Tomorrow, my chase of Union Pacific 3985, but alas, that is another story.
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