I awoke to a rainy Kansas City as I arose and made the corrections to my story. After preparing myself, I checked out of the Westin Crown Plaza Hotel and took the Air Walk back over to Kansas City Union Station then walked through the station to the freight house bridge. Union Pacific 844 was steamed up and ready to go to Jefferson City via the Union Pacific River Line this morning.
I walked back into the station then out of the north door to the train and checked in then took a north side seat in the "Katy Flyer", relaxing until departure time. The Southwest Chief had already arrived at 6:29 AM. My seat allowed for watching freight trains and a westbound Union Pacific went through the yard as the steam engine whistled off every few minutes, which was great to hear from on board the train again. The next train was BNSF 5774 West as we waited to depart Kansas City.
Passengers in the "Katy Flyer".
Passengers in the lower seats of "Challenger".
Passengers in the dome of "Challenger".
View of the train from car's dome. The train reversed out of the station at 8:11 AM to reach the mainline before heading east to start the trip to Jefferson City.
The former Milwaukee Road freight house is now a barbecue restaurant. We made our way east down the Kansas City Terminal tracks and had a yellow signal followed by a red signal and stopped, but only briefly. A few miles later the train went up and over the flyover across the Union Pacific and Kansas City Southern. We would be running at a slower speed than normal to let the new bearings break in.
Switchers at a car repair facility. The train came off the flyover and at Rock Creek, went over the Union Pacific Sediala Subdivision then entered the BNSF Marceline Subdivision and stopped.
This deer was railfanning the steam train. BNSF wanted our train information and soon we were on our way again, passing through Congo where many BNSF freight trains were on the rails today. We had our first chaser of the trip after Rock Creek then passed through Cement City and continued east where we stopped agian.
The train came to another red signal and I went to the vestibule for a picture.
The Missouri River.
We arrived at Eton Jct and entered the Union Pacific's River Subdivision wher I started my new mileage of the day.
View of an open field after Eton Jct and latre we crossed the Little Blue River.
The railfans were out in force this morning. We then approached Lake City siding.
Lake City, Missouri.
Taking a curve after Lake City.
A lone tree with a lone smoke stack.
The train came to the first stop of the trip at Buckner, where the engine was serviced and the bearing checked then continued east.
The Buckner Missouri Pacific station built in 1873.
Leaving Buckner and heading to our next stop at Lexington.
Scenes on the way to Lexington. The train ran by the siding at Renick.
The Missouri River before Lexington.
Another wet field.
The Missouri River before we stopped at Lexington, after which we were off to Grand Pass.
The Missouri River.
The Missouri River at Waverly.
Views of fields on the way to Grand Pass. I went back to the "Feather River" to take pictures of the Contest Winners aboard the train to St Louis.
Nick Benson.
Nick Benson and his guest Dan Kwarciany.
Shad Pulley, Grand Prize winner.
Shad Pulley and his wife Melony.
Kevin Mucha.
Kevin Mucha and his son Colin.
The track behind the train.
View along the train.
Leaving Grand Pass, Missouri.
Union Pacific 844 at Malta Bend, where our forty passengers detrained and would be bussed back to Kansas City.
