Nostalgia & History > What's up with this Amtrak light engine move?

This is a random shot that I took on Sept. 1, 1991 @ East St. Louis (?) .... wasn't even looking at the bridge but did hear the sound so turned and got this pic. Not being familiar with Amtrak operations there,  just wondering  if any of you have help about this 'light engine move'?

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This was an engine for one of the "Missouri Mules", or whatever the St. Louis/K.C. trains were called at the time.  They would
use the wye to turn the engine for the return trip to St. Louis.  I remember seeing this move but don't recall if I got a shot during
my infrequent visits to the Santa Fe Junction area. 

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA

ntharalson Wrote:
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> This was an engine for one of the "Missouri
> Mules", or whatever the St. Louis/K.C. trains were
> called at the time.  They would
> use the wye to turn the engine for the return trip
> to St. Louis.  I remember seeing this move but
> don't recall if I got a shot during
> my infrequent visits to the Santa Fe Junction
> area. 
>
> Nick Tharalson,
> Marion, IA

Thanks Nick, old mystery solved!

How can that be? It's not towing six empty baggage cars to make the signals work.

TAW

The locomotive is facing westbound on the Kansas City Terminal Ry. High Line.  That's the Santa Fe Jct. interlocking tower on the left.  There are several options for turning on wyes in the immediate area of Santa Fe Jct.  Heading up the High Line is the least used of any.  Assuming the locomotive is being turned it is likely stopped where shown and will back down an inclined west to south connecting "ramp" to the old Frisco (now BNSF) Ft Scott sub, then use a south to east connecting track to the KCT main line heading east back to KC Union Station.  Today the River Runners entire trains are wyed at Santa Fe Jct. after arival and unloading at KCUS.  At the time of the photo possibly it was the practice to turn only the locomotive.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 07/20/18 19:39 by kcpsbn.

kcpsbn Wrote:
-------------------------------------------------------
> The locomotive is facing westbound on the Kansas
> City Terminal Ry. High Line.  That's the Santa Fe
> Jct. interlocking tower on the left.  There are
> several options for turning on wyes in the
> immediate area of Santa Fe Jct.  Heading up the
> High Line is the least used of any.  Assuming the
> locomotive is being turned it is likely stopped
> where shown and will back down an inclined west to
> south connecting "ramp" to the old Frisco (now
> BNSF) Ft Scott sub, then use a south to east
> connecting track to the KCT main line heading east
> back to KC Union Station.  Today the River
> Runners entire trains are wyed at Santa Fe Jct.
> after arival and unloading at KCUS.  At the time
> of the photo possibly it was the practice to turn
> only the locomotive.

Correct.  However, the "Frisco" trackage was joint with the MKT.  Further, since this train ran on the UP, they used UP trackage,
which all of this was at the time, to turn the unit.  With all the mergers, I believe they do this at ground level these days.

Nick Tharalson,
Marion, IA