> I'm looking for information concerning a railroad line from Cameron,
> Missouri to Kansas City, Missouri that was constructed in the 1860's or
> 1870's. I believe that the road was originally built by the Hannibal & St.
> Joseph Railroad. It was owned by several other railroads after that and
> was last ownded by the Burlington Northern.
> Today the railroad runs from Kansas City to Kearney, Missouri where it
> ends. It used to continue up to Holt, Lathrop, Turney, Keystone, and
> Cameron Junction. I'm interested in knowning when the line was last used
> the entire route from Cameron to Kansas City.
Dennis,
According to the CB&Q track charts, the line was abandoned from Kearney
to Cameron Jct in June 1962. The lines fall as a route for through
freight traffic began when the new Kansas City "shortcut" opened for
traffic on October 1, 1952. The shortcut was the combination of an old
branch line and new construction from just west of Brookfield, Mo, to
Maxwell, Mo, which is now on the Norfolk Southern (former Wabash)
mainline east of Kansas City. This cut the mileage of the CB&Q's route
from Chicago to more closley match the Santa Fe's route. The Santa Fe's
route was and is the shortest from Kansas City to Chicago. The
Burlington shifted it's through passenger and freight trains to the new
route. Traffic dwindled as there was not much traffic in online towns
north of Kearney.
> I've been told that at one time at least 50 to 60 trains a day used to pass
> through Kearney, MO on their way to markets in Chicago and Kansas City.
> Remnants of the line can be seen at a city park between Kearney and Holt.
> The rails and the ties are long gone but you can see where the road bed was
> and bridge footings across a creek.
The CB&Q water tower also still stands in Kearney at the end of the
current trackage.
Bill
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