# Tom's rail trips #1 - The Missouri River Runner



## siberianmo (Mar 30, 2014)

Hello,

Thought I would add some travel report-type chat to this forum. So many threads so little time . . .

Anyway, on March 28th I resumed my cross-Missouri round trips aboard Amtrak's Missouri River Runner for a full day and early night journey aboard #311 (westbound) and #316 for the return. Amtrak operates two trains daily, a morning and late afternoon train each way.

I have been traveling that route since the very early 1990's, amassing on average around 10 round trips per year - mostly all on the same day; 5 hours out/5 hours back with about an hour layover in Kansas City.

My trips are in Business Class (formerly known as Custom Class back when Dinosaurs prowled the Earth) and when the Cafe car is at the end of the consist, it simply makes my day. Just thoroughly enjoy snapping of fotos through the rear vestibule door. Seen those scenes so many times over the decades I am beginning to think there is something wrong with me!!

There are 10 stations along the route - counting St. Louis and Kansas City - and the rail distance one way is 283 miles.

My station is Kirkwood, MO the first stop just west of downtown St. Louis. Amazing how I still get a kick out of the sound of the approaching train. Down go the gates as the train rounds the bend for the Kirkwood approach . . .

My trips are sandwiched into daylight savings months for I do not enjoy returning in mostly dark conditions. While I usually sit in the café section gabbing away with crew and others, I prefer glancing out at the passing scenery.

The trip was largely uneventful in terms of OTP and the rest. Having traveled that route so often with many crew now friends and acquaintances, the time really passes quickly.

Powered by a single PA42, the consist most times is just 2 coaches and the café/business class car - coaches are always Horizon equipment, whereas the café car can be Amfleet or Horizon. Either way, no biggie for me just as long as the windows are clean - which they were; relatively speaking. On this particular day, Friday, there was an extra coach.

Business Class was nearly full with 14 passengers at one time being the highest number. The coaches were close to full as well, making it a good turnstile day for Amtrak. I should add, this train is subsidized by the state of Missouri.

The westbound trip to our state capital, Jefferson City, is perhaps the most popular with day trippers for a lot of it is along side the southern bank of "old muddy" - the Missouri River. Yup - the Missouri not the Mississippi as anecdotalists would have it.

Unfortunately, the scheduling does not permit a quick turn around for the eastbound passengers through JCity about 10 minutes before the arrival of the westbound and the next eastbound is around 7 PM. Not smart planning. There was a time when I could take a Boy Scout group to the capitol building, then tour the rotunda and catch the eastbound . . . no more. I digressed.

The train passes through 2 short tunnels, one at Gray Summit and the other at Labadie; some great shots of the passing portals can be obtained from that rear view vantage point I spoke of. Once clear of the tunnel area, the Missouri River comes up on the starboard side - that is the right for you landlubbers.

With Eagles and Hawks feasting on whatever is seen close to the running water along with some picturesque country side, it is a pleasant trip.

Stops along the route include Hermann which is known in these parts for some wine - some very fine wine I might add. Great German heritage spot along the river where all kinds of fun can be had. Digressed again.

Jefferson City is just west of the Osage River which pretty much is the spillway for the Lake of the Ozarks, down river from Bagnell Dam. The significance of that crossing is Union Pacific finally putting up another span to eliminate the bottleneck experienced over the decades as double track disappeared to single then back to double. Here is a sore point from my point of view: UP got the money from U.S. stimulus funds ostensibly to help Amtrak! You gotta be kidding? I mean UP runs a zillion freights to the two each-way daily Amtrak trains. Another digression.

Double tracking ends once west of JCity and so does the Missouri River as it takes a more northwesterly course to Kansas City whereas the train runs pretty much westward. Single track with long passing sidings makes for most times an uneventful experience. Some interesting stops, especially Lee's Summit and Independence, where the former looks like a nice place to live and the latter the historic home of the late and former President, Harry S. Truman. Also a rather impressive Church of Latter Day Saints temple clearly visible from the train at Independence.

The route, once the pride of the Missouri Pacific, has all kinds of rail history for those interested. Most stops feature a MoPAC caboose to mark the territory. Kinda nice.

On this particular day I lucked out with familiar faces to help pass the time, although for me - just taking in the sights is fine.

Should note that the River Runner is now Wi-Fi equipped, a long time coming and apparently welcomed. I always wonder about that - then again, I ride the train for the fun of it, not to engage in gadgetry (aka; computing or i-this or i-that).

That should be enough for this one as I am overdoing my bandwidth.

I am planning another trip in mid-April, just cannot get enough of a good thing!

Oh yes - I would love to provide some fotos, however with a new computer and all sorts of Gremlins to deal with, I cannot get around the problems right now for images, etc. Maybe at a later date. Can't even copy and paste! Oh well . . .


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## brentrain17 (Mar 30, 2014)

Thanks for the report, sound like you had a great trip.


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## Bob Dylan (Mar 30, 2014)

I've taken this route several times and as you said its a great trip! We took this route from STL-KCY during the 2010 AU Gathering in STL and the Highlites were that Jewel Union Station in KCY, lunch @ the Last operating Harvey House (most had Arthur Bryant's to go Bar-B-Q), the Rail Museum and the Drunks return ing on the Train from Herman to STL from Oktoberfest! LOL


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## siberianmo (Mar 30, 2014)

Back again - still fiddling with trying to post fotos and paste info . . . no luck!

Caught the two responses from Brent(?) and Jim . . .

Brent - Been out Seattle way many times - first in 1959, turned 21 there, then again 49 and also was there on my 50th when Mt. St. Helens flipped her lid in 1980. Luv Seattle, just cannot handle the relative gloom of winter . . . Last time was in 2012 when I took the Empire Builder from Chicago - then the Cascades down to Portland, one of my FAY-VOR-IYTE sea port cities.

Jim - Oh yeah, the drunks from Hermann Fests (May & October) - can get rather rowdy. However, Business Class is somewhat of a respite from the (ahem) festivities!

Sorry to report that the KCity Harvey House bit the dust, so to speak. Was nice, but overpriced for the little one got. Nevertheless, KCity has done a fine job over the years in not only restoring that building, but in keeping themes going to attract visitors. Big plus was moving Amtrak back to it - had been operating out of what always reminded me of a missile silo just a short walk away. No more.

Great place to bend the elbow just across the tracks by walkway - Jack Stacks BBQ - nice with good "scenery," not that I looked (much). We used to have an hour and a half layover for the turn around, sad to say - no more (again).

Gotta secure ops for this day - Siberian Husky beckons!


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## Shortline (Apr 25, 2014)

One of my favorite trips. First took it in the late 70's, lived in St Louis, grandparents lived in KC, lots of trips! Then moved away, (dad was military) but eventually came back to the area, lived in Knob Noster, so took it in the 80's quite a bit between Warrensburg and KC. Back the, it was a mix of Heritage and Amfleet coaches, and even a real honest to goodness dome car! Miss the domes....


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## siberianmo (May 11, 2014)

A very belated response to Shortline:

There is something special about the run between St. Louis and Kansas City - I board at Kirkwood; first westbound stop after departing downtown.

You have far more history with the route than I, although my travels have averaged perhaps 10 round trips per year since 1991. Anyway, I remember traveling in a SuperLiner during winter time when the Horizon equipment froze up. Those were really nice with the car's elevation adding to the passing scenery. In fact, one Valentine's Day way back when, my bride and I made the trip to KCity in a SightSeer Lounge car. Couldn't believe it when "she" pulled into the station. A special treat for sure.

On Transportation Day here in Missouri, a group from downtown always organized some special equipment to be coupled to the last car of the Amtrak consist. That equipment was those familiar cars used for excursions out of St. Louis' Union Station - RailCruiseAmerica I think. Anyway, I traveled in those all the way to KCity and thoroughly enjoyed the dome along with open-ended observation car. Talk about being in hog heaven! Wow.

The only Amtrak dome car I traveled in was aboard the Ann Rutledge between Alton, IL and Chicago in the mid 1980s. Very obscured glass, but still a dome.

Thanx for your comments!


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