Western Railroad Discussion > Status RI St Louis-KCY Missouri Central

How intact is the roadbed? What segments are being operated! Thanks!

From personal first hand observations in Lees Summit to Pleasant Hill to Leeton to Windsor and to Versailles, etc, the old Rock Island has been 100% reclaimed by Mother Nature. Any effort to reopen this line would require building a new railroad from the roadbed to track. Bridges are missing, a new 4 highway (US 65) removed nearly 1/2 mile stretch of track and many if not all road crossings are paved over, not to mention the 20 years or so of encroachment by property owners on to the right-of-way. Do not know what is happening on the east end of the state.

Marty Harrison
Knob Noster, MO

And there have been rumblings about making it another Rails-to-Trails corridor across the state!

Bruce
Columbia, MO

It's about 85% completely intact, pretty interesting in spots. It's been so long
since a through train ran that there are people in Freeburg who don't even know there's
a tunnel under their town. When I say intact, let's just say it's intact like the East
Broad To, the trees are there to keep the rail lined up.

Out



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/14 15:47 by callum_out.

And on another note there is a Missouri Book out, with some really good photos and commentary by the Nelson brothers on that line.

Sorry, don't remember name, just saw it from someone else.

Bob

callum_out Wrote:
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> It's about 85% completely intact, pretty
> interesting in spots. It's been so long
> since a through train ran that there are people in
> Freeburg who don't even know there's
> a tunnel under their town. When I say intact,
> let's just it's intact like the East Broad
> To, the trees are there to keep the rail lined
> up.
>
> Out

Agree for the east end. You can see the ROW and track in quite a few places, especially when close to US 50. The track structure of course is very poor, even if clear of brush. Probably a fair amount of property encroachment if you looked with some care. The brush can be heavy in spots, sometimes fully forested. The east portal of the tunnel at Freeburg is completely forested and almost invisible even if you know it's there -- and that's in winter, with the leaves off the trees. In summer, it just looks like a continuation the surrounding woods. A tunnel portal? Really? You're kidding me!

Bottom line: it would be a whole lot of work for a rails-to-trails conversion, and exponentially more to put it back into railroad service. I can't imagine it happening.

I've wondered about the big trestle at Gascondy (Gasconade River crossing). Anyone know it's state? Haven't been there in many years.

MC
Columbia, Missouri

Why didn't KCS ever try to acquire this line to St Louis instead of their current line?

ep75 Wrote:
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> Why didn't KCS ever try to acquire this line to St
> Louis instead of their current line?

Perhaps because the ex-GM&O was in better shape (not great, but better), had better connections at each end, and had at least some possibilities, albeit limited, for traffic generation. And the price was probably right.

That said, KCS also inherited the maintenance cost of three major, aging river crossings: Missouri River at Glasgow, Mo., Mississippi River at Louisiana, Mo., and Illinois River at Pearl, Ill., with the last two having expensive-to-maintain movable spans.

They must continue to see potential in the route. Every year, condition improves another increment, project by project. This summer saw a major tie replacement program here in mid-Missouri. But the bridges concern me. They aren't getting any younger, the Corps of Engineers is pushing for removal of swing draw spans like the one at Louisiana in favor of lift draw spans, and the cost for serious renewal or replacement will be huge. Just ask NS, BNSF, UP or TRRA, all of whom have put major capital investment into their Missouri and Mississippi River bridges in recent years. Those of us who live in this region, interspersed as it is with major rivers and many significant bridge crossings, tend to be very alert about and highly attuned to these structures and the cost and service factors associated with them, no matter the mode they serve.

MC
Columbia, Missouri



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 08/29/14 18:12 by ironmtn.

June 2013 Missouri Central filed to abandon between Wingate and Windsor, approximately 42 miles. STB docket AB1068 1x.

robj Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> And on another note there is a Missouri Book out,
> with some really good photos and commentary by the
> Nelson brothers on that line.
>
> Sorry, don't remember name, just saw it from
> someone else.
>
> Bob

I am the author of said book, "Rails Around Missouri". The original, single volume hard cover edition is sold out, however, the book is available in 2 soft-cover volumes on Amazon.com. Just do a search for Rails Around Missouri. The coverage of this Rock Island line is in volume 2.
thanks,
Mike Kelly