Western Railroad Discussion > Missouri Central

Curious about this line. Is it active all the way to KC? What are its future prospects?

They are no longer called the Missouri Central. I think the company operating now is the Lackland & Western which only operates about 40 miles on the eastern end of the line near St. Louis. The rest of the railroad to Kansas City is in real bad shape with large trees growing up in the middle of the right of way!

Uses the old Rock Island Line. Only goes as far as Union, Mo if I remember correctly. I believe that they are using Indiana Railroad equipment.

The Missouri Central is now the Central Midland Railway (CMR). The CMR also leases the former Lackland sub from the UP. Power is leased INRD power (GP16/GP38-2). The line is in use for about 70-80 miles, the rest of it is intact to Kansas City, but it would take a lot of capital to get it operating again.

Hello,

I live about 6 or 7 miles from this operation and have followed it since I was about 15 years old, so approx 20 years. The line is no longer run by the Missouri Central and hasnt been for a couple of years, it is now run by a company called the Central Midland Railway. This outfit I believe is somehow affiliated with the Indiana railroad and has used 2 or 3 different Indiana RR GP16's on the line at various times. Other power that has been leased includes a EMD MP15 from Manufacturers Railway and a former NS ( ex conrail ) GP38-2 leased from Helm leasing. Current power on the line consists of four leased Helm SW1500's 2 are still in Apalachicola Northern colors, 1 wears a coat of NS black and the other wears a mustard yellow primer paint. The yard office is in a Olivette, Missouri although power is often kept at the Jefferson Smurfit plant in Chesterfield, Mo about 25 miles west of downtown St Louis. I hope this info helps you out.

STL Railfan

Here is an article from today's Independence Examiner concerning the old Rock Island line running east from Kansas City.
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Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Story last updated at 11:33 AM on Wednesday, March 9, 2005
Lee's Summit wants rail line gone

By Andre Riley
The Examiner

With a little federal help, Lee's Summit officials hope to write the final chapter for a portion of the Rock Island Railroad line still embedded within the city.

Lee's Summit Assistant City Administrator Brian Scott will meet with Congressman Em anuel Cleaver and Missouri Sens. Kit Bond and Jim Talent next week in Washington, D.C., to seek assistance in permanently closing the rail line, which snakes through 14 residential neighborhoods south of Interstate 470 and west of U.S. 50. The item has been identified as one of Lee's Summit's federal legislative priorities to be presented to the congressmen.

The railway, now owned by St. Louis-based Ameren Corp., has been inactive since 1979. In subsequent years, several homes have been built close to the remaining tracks and schools serving 2,200 children have been built less than one-eighth of a mile from the track. The city claims it would have to add six at-grade rail crossings, four within two-miles of each other, if the line is reactivated.

While the city acknowledges they know of nothing imminent regarding the future of the Rock Island rail line, Scott said the city has a duty to protect its residents.

"There's been quite a bit of development over the years," Scott said. "The mayor and council feel it's important to keep this in front of legislators until it gets solved."

Lee's Summit will also lobby the legislators for laws that force rail companies to perform an environmental assessment and mitigation measures if it decides to reopen a rail line. The city is also home to a Union Pacific rail line that runs through the city's downtown area and has heard concerns from residents recently about the sound of train whistles as trains pass through the city.

The future of the rail line has not been decided by Ameren, said company spokesperson Mike Cleary. Ameren has been activating portions of the line in the central part of the state and would like a western presence. However, years of little activity have left the rail line a shambles.

"The line is in such bad condition. It's been closed so long," Cleary said. "We're keeping our options open but it would depend on economic viability."

No decisions by Ameren regarding the future of the rail line are imminent, said Cleary. To breathe life back into the line, the company would have to receive substantial interest from shippers, he said. Repairs would also have to be made to numerous bridges and rail that have deteriorated over time.

Ameren has been in discussions with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to sell portions of the line to the state for use in the Katy Trail State Park.

Katy Trail stretches 225 miles, from St. Charles to Clinton, using a series of shuttered rail lines. In recent years, the state has explored expanding the trail from Windsor to Pleasant Hill, and on to the Greater Kansas City area, said Sue Holst, DNR information officer. However, the agencies have failed to reach an agreement.

"We've expressed an interest for years," Holst said. "One of the ways to do that is to partner with Ameren. We've been in discussions."

To reach Andre Riley, e-mail andre.riley@examiner.net or call (816) 350-6362.

John Darling, was at one time looking to get this line. Did he ever get any finger prints on it?