Me being a baseball fan and a train fan, I had a plan. I would take Amtrak from Kansas City to St. Louis, watch a Cardinals baseball game, and return home the same day.

Well, the timing couldn’t have been better. Union Pacific, on which Amtrak travels in Missouri, was doing track work for a few weeks, causing an early start and a late return. With the Cardinals game starting at 12:40, my schedule was perfect.

The eastbound train from Kansas City left at 6:30 am from the restored 1914 Union Station, passing under the huge Western Auto sign. We stopped in Independence, home of former president Harry Truman, then Lee’s Summit. Both brick stations are well kept. Then leaving Kansas City’s suburbs we came to Warrensburg, home to Central Missouri State University. A nice rock train station greeted us. Sedalia was the next stop, with another fine brick station built by Missouri Pacific, who originally used this line. The Bothwell Hotel is a famous hotel here in town, with antique shops nearby. Leaving Sedalia, we saw the restored Katy train depot through the trees.

The train, still on time, passed mile marker 130 and the river subtrack joined us from the north just before the wide Missouri River came along side. A few minutes later was the Missouri State Capitol building, with its huge grey dome. The stop here was at an old brick building, the original MOPAC depot is ½ mile east and used by train crews.

Our train stayed close to the Missouri River for over 50 miles, so I sat on the river side to catch the views. We crossed the Osage and Gasconade rivers on the way to the wine-tasting town of Herman; a lot of antique buildings here. Next stop (still on time) was Washington, another river town. A few miles later, at Pacific, we ran along the famous Route 66 highway, in which the old Beacon motel sign is doing duty at the car wash. We crossed the Meramec River a couple of times, then entered the St. Louis suburb of Kirkwood. They have a beautiful station with a round turret.

Now in St. Louis proper, the Gateway Arch came into view, meaning our Amtrak ride was almost over. Passing old Union Station (now a shopping mall and hotel), we came to the new train terminal, with Greyhound and city busses and light rail. We got in 5 minutes early. I hopped the light rail for the 10 minute ride to Busch stadium, bought my baseball ticket, and sat down in my seat in time for the 1st pitch – perfect! St. Louis won the game over Florida 4-2 in the Cardinals’ 4 year old stadium with the Arch in the background.

After the game I hopped on the light rail for a ride to Union Station. I had a snack and looked around the 1894-built and now restored station. The head house is beautiful, and now serves as the hotel lobby. I decided to walk to the Amtrak terminal half a mile away, and met my friend Frank. The train left on time and had 4 coaches, one of which was a café car. It sped through the evening getting to Kansas City only 15 minutes late.

A great trip and a great time, with beautiful views out the windows!

Train Festival 2011 organizers, California Zephyr Railcar Charters and the San Bernardino Railroad Historical Society regret to announce the operation on Santa Fe steam locomotive #3751 to Rock Island, IL in July of 2011 has been suspended.

When planning of Train Festival 2011 began several months ago, we shared our proposal of steam locomotives and their proposed movements with high-ranking officials at BNSF Railway. Provided that they were to be Amtrak trains, we were told that BNSF would ‘likely’ approve our requests, including that of the ATSF 3751, from Los Angeles to Rock Island and return.

In the intervening time, circumstances have changed, and BNSF is now projecting greatly increased traffic volumes this summer on their Transcon corridor. This is great news for the railroad as traffic on the BNSF Railway continues to increase as the economy picks ups. Our trips would use the Transcon between Albuquerque and Los Angeles.

Steam specials are highly consumptive of management time, and of course attract hundreds, sometimes thousands, of railfans, which in turn requires significant efforts on the part of the railroad’s police. The 3751 trip would have had us on the property for 18 days, during the time when traffic volumes would be at or near their peak.

For this reason, BNSF has reconsidered their position, and respectfully declined our proposed move of ATSF 3751 via the Transcon corridor to Train Festival 2011.

Other options are being explored to bring the #3751 east. In the meantime several excursions are being worked on and proposed for Train Festival 2011. They will be announced on the website www.trainfestival2011.com when they have received final approval.

We are sorry for any inconvenience this may have caused, no one is more disappointed than the organizers and the several months that have been invested in planning. We would like to thank the BNSF Railway and Amtrak for the hundreds of hours working on this routing.

Anyone that had purchased a ticket with the intention to ride behind the #3751 may get a FULL refund, hassle free. Just send your request to tickets@trainfestival2011.com and a refund will be given. Please provide the name the order was under in your request.

This a sign of the times and is why you need to consider every opportunity as the last. Railroading is a bit different today than 20 years ago. Most freight is time sensitive and delays result in substantial financial penalties.

While the special train may not have any issues, it puts another train into the traffic mix with special handling requirements. Also, as mentioned above there is the traveling rubber tire circus that follows any steam movement that doesn’t reflect well on the perception of our hobby. I would also assume that managers responsible for signing off on the move look at it as a career gamble. How do you explain to the executives that allowing the move to take place benefited the company when a train is delayed? Years back the railroads were smaller, and the company cultures were more inviting than they are today.

We were very fortunate with Train Festival 2009 to have two big visiting steam locomotives. Traffic was a lot lighter then with the recession. Take advantage of the opportunity to ride behind whatever locomotive attends this year’s festival as you never know when you might be able to do it again.

Durango, CO –American Heritage Railways, parent company of the Texas State Railroad, the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad and Great Smoky Mountains Railroad has named Dave Schranck as the new General Manager at the Texas State Railroad. The Texas State Railroad, located in Rusk & Palestine, Texas, has been part of the American Heritage Railways family of railroads since September 2007.

Schranck has been employed by the Durango & Silverton Narrow Gauge Railroad since 1982. His positions throughout his career have included Brakeman; Conductor; Car Shop, Tender and Locomotive Mechanic Helper; Assistant Trainmaster; Fireman; Engineer; Trainmaster; Safety Officer and currently, Assistant Superintendent of Operations.

“We are very fortunate to have the benefit of Dave’s railroading experience. He will do a great job leading the TSRR team,” said Jeff Jackson, American Heritage Railways (AHR) Senior Vice President and Chief Operating Officer.

AHR has a successful track record in running scenic tourist railroads as well as special rail-related events. The company is committed to excellent customer service, retains a record of safe operations, excellent track and equipment maintenance, historic preservation, community partnering and the incorporation of special events in addition to year-round scenic excursions.

Find more information about the Texas State Railroad at www.TexasStateRR.com or by calling 888-987-2461.

Before the Abilene & Smoky Valley train departed Abilene, Kansas, we could climb up into the cab of the 1945 diesel engine, a model S-1 built by American Locomotive Works. Then we boarded the passenger car for the trip. We rode in the 1903 coach to Enterprise in the cool morning air. On returning in the warm afternoon, we rode in the open cars; gondolas with canvas awnings. The ride on the former Rock Island tracks is 10.6 miles, round trip. The extra event was our tour group had chartered the Rail Bus (high railer) for the trip to Woodbine from Enterprise, but that was interrupted at Pearl (an elevator) where a 36-inch pipeline project was being installed underground. The rail bus took to the roads for about 6 miles.

The meals were first at Woodbine where the German restaurant is. It will close at the end of October for the owner’s retirement and because nobody wanted to buy her out. That was a very good Schnitzel dinner for lunch. Then, we stopped in the evening at Smolan, near Salina, for the Hickory Tree Restaurant which is in the 1926 Smolan High School. The school closed in 1987 and consolidated with Lindsborg schools. There we had a very good buffet dinner.

I took a photograph in the locomotive cab at Abilene. There was a tour of Dickinson County’s historic Limestone Ranch and Farm Houses north out of Woodbine to Rock Springs Ranch and back over to Enterprise.

We saw several TVs (Turkey Vultures) but they were not eating TV dinners. We saw several Red-tailed Hawks too, and one Barn Swallow.