The line was built under the Cameron & Kansas City RR title from 1867, and
completed to North Kansas City in Nov 1867. C&KC was associated with the
Hannibal & St Joseph, and it was built specifically to connect the parent
road (and the CB&Q) to KC. The completion of the Hannibal Bridge in July
1869 allowed access into KC and the entire line was merged into the parent H&
StJ 2/1870. Rock Island used the route through trackage rights from 1880 to
1930, when its own line through Polo opened. The 28 Sep 1947 Hannibal Div
ETT lists two passenger and four scheduled freights a day each way. Opening
of the Kansas City cutoff following WWII lowered its status to a branch line.
The portion from Kearney north to Cameron (27 mi) was abandoned in Jun 1962.
Glabb's "Kansas City and the Railroads" covers the background and importance
of the route. Overton's "Burlington Route" deals with the line on pages
88-91. Curiously, both of these books call the company the "Kansas CIty &
Cameron" while it's the C&KC in Missouri state documents and in Edson's
"Railroad Names".
Any comments, corrections welcome-
Rick Morgan
>>>>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.
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.
Any information on this line would be appreciated. You were suggested to
be by The NRHS National Railway Historical Society.
Thank you.
DENNIS R. PARKER
KANSAS CITY, MO
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