Nostalgia & History > Old MoPac/U.P. line gradually disappeared in '98

It's hard to believe but it's been almost 10 years since various segments of the old Missouri Pacific/Union Pacific Hoisington Subdivision were ripped up in Central Kansas.

The line was once the proud route of the famed Missouri Pacific Eagle passenger trains, crossing Kansas on high-speed runs between Pueblo, Colo., and Kansas City, Mo., not to mention extensions of Eagle runs on both ends, reaching to Denver and St. Louis.

Picture 1 shows the rail removal crew following the eastbound salvage sled at a township road crossing between the rural Dickinson County communities of Carlton and Elmo, Kan., on May 6, 1998.

Picture 2 shows the locomotive consist that was used on one of the last hauls of welded rail that was being picked up in Dickinson County. The scene shows Rio Grande engine 5503 on the point, with Union Pacific 4127 being the trailing unit. The picture was snapped as the engines pulled across a small bridge spanning a township road, 2 miles east of Elmo, KS, on May 8, 1998. The rail removal crew averaged taking up about 1-1/2 to 2 miles of track per day. The two-man U.P. train crews can always tell their grandchildren and great-grandchildren about their historic rides.

Picture 3 is considered a rare shot. The scene is just west of a UP/BNSF interlocker at the northwest edge of Hope, KS. Interestingly, a signal light for westbound trains still showed red a day after the rails were gone. Active signals remained in place while the rail was being removed. The previously well-maintained track was never dark territory until after all trains disappeared, along with the rails.

It should be noted that a 7-mile segment of MoPac/UP track remains in place east of the Hope interlocker, extending to Herington, KS, a U.P. terminal town.

It has long been rumored that a connection may someday be built between the old MoPac track and the BNSF at Hope. As of today, no action has ever been taken to build such a connection. (The U.P. already as a connection with the BNSF just a few miles south of Herington) Track has not been disturbed just east of the old interlocker at Hope, but the diamond was removed within days of the rail removal west of the train intersection.

The U.P. has designated the 7-mile segment between Hope and Herington as an industrial spur. A Hope grain elevator received a couple of fertilizer cars within the first couple of years of the through-line shutdown. Since then, the U.P. has often stored surplus cars between mile crossings on the line. With a high number of cars in storage on the 7-mile remaining segment most days of the year, it appears the U.P. no longer considers the Hope grain elevator a shipper or receiver of commodities shipped by rail. No other industries or businesses are located along the 7-mile section of railroad.

---

---

---

Truly sad...I've always had an interest in the old MoPac line east of Pueblo and it just seems like such a waste - but I guess that's progress! Just like the old Milwaukee Road Western Extension, you kind of wish both lines were still around and humming with train traffic in 2008. This leaves me wondering where UP would connect with eastward points if Tennessee Pass is ever reopened? Guess they'd have to hand it off to the BNSF for forwarding unless they wanted to use the BNSF trackage rights down to Dalhart and then east. Thanks for the posting...

they left the signals up, it even says red. one would only guess.

The signal at the crossing of the WF&NW and the Santa Fe in Woodward, Okla. stayed up and maintained ( showing red ) for 30 years after the Katy pulled out.

>>but I guess that's progress! <<

Or not!!!

Trains ran an article on this at the time entitled, "Where Eagles Dared".

Anybody here have a MOP Profile Track Chart? Contact me please. Thank you. Enjoy the pics. and they are looking good Larry. upkpfan

Always sad to see rails being pulled up, especially from mainline that might have been used again sometime in the future.

jofegan

What trackage of the Hoisington Subdivision actually survives today, excluding the part from Hope to Herington?

Other than the Hope-Herington segment, all track is gone from Geneseo east to Osawatomie. Someone else will have to describe the situation west of Geneseo to the Colorado line.) There have been some recent posts on TO but I didn't write them down.)

thtinc41ed Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> Other than the Hope-Herington segment, all track
> is gone from Geneseo east to Osawatomie. Someone
> else will have to describe the situation west of
> Geneseo to the Colorado line.) There have been
> some recent posts on TO but I didn't write them
> down.)

The K&O website map ( http://www.watcocompanies.com/Archive/ko_map2.htm ) shows Geneseo to McCraken and Healey to Towner, Co. still in place.

Mexrail

I've been meaning to share this for a while since there have been a couple of threads about this line in recent months. I real quick caught this power move, WB, somewhere not too far west of Towner. IIRC, date was July 21, 2007.

---