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KCS Railfan Guide
Regional Railfanning
text and photos by Brad Joseph, MMR
originally published in the Winter 1997 Caboose
Kibitzer
If any of you are like me, the recent cold weather
has you daydreaming about springtime railfanning trips.
Nice warm sunshine, beautiful scenery, and a good
railroad adventure will certainly stir the soul. Let's
see now, what subjects sound good? Perhaps some mountain
railroading? Maybe SD45Ts, some wide cab units. How
about pushers. Now those ingredients would make up a
great excursion wouldn't they?
Well, the Southern Pacific comes to mind. The
Cascades would certainly fit the bill, but with a trip
to the National Convention in Madison who has the money
or time? Let's look a little bit closer. How about the
Rio Grande mainline over Tennessee Pass. Sure it's SP
too (all too soon to be Union Pacific), but once again
it has all the ingredients. Colorado is still pretty far
away for a lot of us MCoR members, though. Have I got a
suggestion for you!
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Ex-Canadian National FP9s
at Union Station in use by St. Louis Car Co.
on Corporate Holiday Christmas Party
excursions. Rebuilt by Mid-America Car in
Kansas City.
Click any of these photos to see the
larger, high-resolution version. |
What about the Kansas City Southern! That's right,
the KCS is a great choice, close to home, easily
accessible and lots of variety. Besides, it is one the
way to the MCoR Convention in Little Rock. In this day
and age, there are precious few class 1 railroads left,
so you should visit this one while you have the
opportunity.
| 97 crossing a creek south
of the Illinois River just north of Baron,
Oklahoma.
Click any of these photos to see the
larger, high-resolution version. |
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There has been a lot of big news involving the KCS
lately, and not all of it has been good. The motive
power situation has been a bright spot though. The
variety of "new" units is exciting with some
recent new acquisitions. First came SD45T-2's rebuilt by
Morrision Knudson to "-3" standards. They
sport they gray paint scheme hat superseded the popular
white. The units also feature the resurrected
"Kansas City Southern Lines" logo. I spotted
these units at the Pittsburgh Kansas shops still in
ESPEE paint last January and figured something was up.
Next onto the property were some unique GP40-2LW's.
These units are ex-Canadian National and feature the
wide nose styled comfort cabs so common on bigger units
here in the states. The KCS trademark yellow safety
striping can't be overlooked on these. Don't think that
F-unit fans have been left out. 1995 brought four VIA
RAIL FP9A's resplendent in Southern Belle black, red and
yellow to the railroad for business train service. The
units are named for cities with KCS shop facilities:
Vicksburg, Meridian, Shreveport, and Pittsburg.
The Kansas City Southern aquired the former Illinois
Central spinoff Mid South in 1983 to supplement its
Kansas City to New Orleans mainline. At Shreveport,
Louisianna, lines radiate to Port Arthur and Dallas,
Texas. Mid South added Birmingham, Alabama and
Mississippi service to make a 2,900+ mile system.
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Northbound piggyback #10
just north of Anderson, MO crossing highway
71.
Click any of these photos to see the
larger, high-resolution version. |
The latest KCS news isn't really very good at all.
Mike Haverty who runs the KCS after his very successful
days at the Santa Fe, has failed in his every bid to
make the railroad a major player in the ever bigger
"big leagues". First, he opposed the UP/SP and
BN/SF mergers in hopes of winning trackage rights
concessions to little avail. Next, he proposed and bid
upon the purchase of the SOO Lines ex-Milwaukee Road
trackage from Chicago to Kansas City in hopes of a
strategic alliance with another welterweight - the
Wisconsin Central. No luck again, the winner was the
Montana Rail Link which will make another story for
another time. So what will become of the KCS? Will it
remain independent, only time will tell. While we wait
for the outcome, let's do some shootin'.
| Southbound Coal Train #97
passing retired F-unit in Decatur, Arkansas.
Click any of these photos to see the
larger, high-resolution version. |
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Tune the scanner in to 160.260 and 160.350 and head
for southeastern Kansas and US Route 69. Pittsburg is
home to an open train order office at the north end of
the yard where you can often get lineups and crews have
given me good information before. Trains stop just north
of the crossing to change crews. The shops are at the
south end of the yard and are easy to view from public
roads. The South Eastern Kansas shortline runs a daily
job with an MP15AC to their small yard west of the KCS
and often interchanges. Before the photography begins,
stock up with a good breakfast at Harry's, right
downtown. Then head southeast towards Joplin, Missouri,
on Highway 171, but don't miss the shot at the Spring
Creek Bridge. The abandoned depot in Joplin is a great
location to shoot passing trains, but don't delay if you
are chasing or you will fall too far behind to get to
Neosho on Route 71 where the helpers are cut on. At
Neosho, it is very easy to get confused with the BN
mainline nearby, so stick with your train and listen to
the radio.
Anderson, Missouri has a very nice depot to shoot and
I suggest you get far enough ahead to definitely get a
photo there. After Anderson, take 59 south to some
unique spots such as the caboose at Gravette, Arkansas
and the F-Unit in Decatur. By the way, in case your wife
is mad about your being gone too much chasing trains, I
saw some handpainted signs in the Arkansas Ozarks
offering divorces for only $40! The countryside is
beautiful, but the culture is "unique". I
would not suggest straying from the beated path any more
than necessary - although leaving the beaten path is my
specialty! The first set of southbound helpers generally
comes off at Siloam Springs.
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Southbound Coal Train #97
at Anderson, Missouri in January 1996.
Click any of these photos to see the
larger, higher-resolution version. |
The winding roads in eastern Oklahoma and western
Arkansas around Siloam Springs make it difficult to get
ahead, but there are easy shots at Baron, Stillwell and
Sallisaw. Another set of helpers will often go on coal
trains at Heavener for the climb over Oklahoma's Rich
Mountain grade. The practical end of a chase from
Pittsburg is Gans, Oklahoma, because the roads and
railroad separate for too great a distance to stay with
a train. If you want to shoot farther south, you must
have some intelligence on another southbound an hour or
so away.
You will generally encounter eight to ten road
freights along with several coal trains and
"Dodgers" or locals, especially around
Pittsburg, in the average day. With the ease of chasing
these numbers, it is easy to have great day on one of
America's last midsize class ones! By the way, head east
from Gans to get to Little Rock!
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