Jeff, I believe you were a little short of the mark. You can't miss it as
the depth of the ravine will identify it for you. When you find it, walk
about 500 yards north of the site and look for the wrecked cars west of the
creek. The line was built in 1904, and was not signaled. There were
distant signals at each end at Old Monroe and Francis. They were in the
upper quadrant which signified an approach to an absolute signal. By the
mid 60's they were never lit, but had a semaphore blade. Gary was correct
on the Hiway bridges, and your power sounds correct for the small locals.
We did run some long trains also as the Kansas City to East St Louis trains
were very hot. There was one each way daily, so we had two assigned crews
holding these jobs. Because we ran over some tracks from Alton to East St
Louis that was Beardstown territory, they would get one of the assigned
jobs for a couple of months to run out the miles. These larger trains would
usually have about 3 motors. The double track at St Louis was made single
around 1960. I'm sure the RR still regrets that change. As for the bridge
at Moscow, I don't know alot about types, but it had no over head
structures. I'll ask some old B&B men.
----- Original Message -----
From: "meyerjd10" <jmeyer10@h...>
To: <BRHSlist@yahoogroups.com>
Sent: Monday, November 11, 2002 9:49 PM
Subject: [BRHSlist] More Questions for Old Monroe LIne and CB&Q adventures
> Doing the math, thats where I figured it was. I went there today,
> just got back, but didn't see the sight. I'm told it was blown up in
> the early 80s and even made the local news in St.Louis on Channel 5.
> I did find the large fill on the line just east of Truxton where the
> road/creek goes under the RR through a short tunnel, for locating
> purposes for me, can you recall if the large bridge was east or west
> of this large fill??? This would really help me out a lot!. Also,
> was this a signalled line, any at Francis, Old Monroe? Also does
> anyone know when the Q went through and single tracked the stretch
> from N. Stl to Machens?? Exact dates? Also, on the Old Monroe line,
> did highway 54 go over the Q on a bridge, also same question about
> 19, I'm getting conflicting stories, my dad says they crossed at
> grade! As far as the dates of this line being built, one guy on this
> group said in the 20s and 30s, but I've read a few books that claim
> it was built in 1904, does anyone know the correct date??? Last
> question, since you worked the line, what were typical motors on this
> line, I plan on modeling the line and would like to aquire the
> correct power, already got an F7 and a chinese red gp7. Now for my
> adventures researching this line.
>
> The past week I've pretty much covered the entire line, going to
> almost every grade crossing, some towns have even turned the roadbed
> into driveways and roads, Hawk Point. I also discovered an all
> concrete bridge with about 3 spans a few miles east of Wellsville.
> The strange thing is that in the middle span there is a red covered
> bridge, only about 30 feet long. Is this right, was this really
> there during RR days? Or did some local foamers build this? I
> really would like to know the truth, can you recall it from your RR
> days? Also, do you remember what type of bridge there was over the
> Quivre River? Plate Girder, Steel truss with all the overhead stuff,
> etc? Also I'm told that the red depot in Wellsville near the NS is
> actually the Q depot.
>
> Now for the bad part.
> Twice I've ventured to Moscow Mills, both times proving to be big
> mistakes. First off, one evening recently I decided to follow the
> KCS to Louisiana out of Mexico on hwy 54, then went down to Old
> Monroe to follow the Q home. I checked out the Q in Moscow Mills,
> and found that you could drive on the right of way west out of town.
> I checked it out and drove all the way to Hwy 61 where there was no
> longer a bridge, just a fill. So I decided to turn around, but when
> I did, I could not see with it being dark and high grass. I drove
> right into a 1 foot drop off of mud and water. Even though I had an
> explorer and 4 wheel drive, it was useless, I tried for 30 minutes,
> even tried the old trick where you put your floor mats under the
> tires for some dry level ground, needless to say, my floor mats are
> still caked in mud on the old right of way in Moscow Mills. Giving
> up and only wearing $2 flip flops from Wal-Mart, since I was only
> planing on driving, I made a 1 mile walk through pitch black woods to
> the nearest house. Of course it was some old lady convinced I was
> trespassing on her property and wondering why a 21 year old kid would
> want to look at old RR tracks. We couldn't find a tow service that
> took credit cards, so I had to walk another mile to a bar, and of
> course right when I get to the bar, she drives up and says "I would
> have given you a ride." So I finnaly found a company that would take
> credit cards, he came and picked me up, but when we got to the site,
> he was afraid to drive his truck down there because it was only 2
> wheel drive. Back where I started! A couple hours later I finally
> found two guys who would pull me out with a truck and chain for my
> last $10. At least the barmaid gave me a free beer for all my
> troubles. So at last I was free.
>
> Round 2 in Moscow Mills.
> I came back a few days later in search of the river bridge, and
> convinced that Moscow Mills had not gotten the best of me. I found
> an old road(Calling it a road is a stretch) that didn't take me to
> the bridge though. On the way out, I hit a large pot hole, and my
> car started making a funny noise. I got back on the highway into
> Moscow Mills and gunned it trying to see if the noise would go away.
> Of course the speed limit drops from 55 to 30 and right as I come
> around the corner, theres a Moscow Mills cop waiting. 48 in a 30, I
> begged him to give me a warning, but it was no use, at least I tried
> I guess. That funny noise come to find out was that the pipe to my
> muffler had cracked off and my muffler was hanging by a thread. Got
> a new one today. Now for a little math lesson.
> One tow $10 + $50 speeding ticket + $155 Muffler - $2 free beer =
> $213 worth of headaches and plenty of four letter words and punching
> my steering wheel. You guys probably think I'm all the biggest idiot
> in the world now, but at least it was for a good cause, researching
> the CB&Q. The way my lucks been going, I figure the next time I go
> to Moscow Mills I'll either be in a serious car crash, struck by
> lightning or crushed by a meteor. About the only good thing that
> came about was one of the drunks in the bar told me they use to get
> hoppers of fertilizers at South Troy. So I got that going for
> me......which is nice. Anyways, thanks in advance for any answers,
> and thanks for listening to my fun filled stories. Thanks a lot -
> Jeff Meyer
>
> --- In BRHSlist@y..., "Haydens" <kliner@s...> wrote:
> > Jeff, Mp 77.66 was about a mile east of New Truxton. As I recall
> it was a
> > steel trestle. Years after the fire I mentioned you could still
> see a
> > couple of the old steel box cars laying over on the side of the
> ravine
> > where they had dropped off the bridge into the creek and were later
> > bulldozed aside. One had been full of florescent lights I was
> told. The
> > High Line as we called it had mile posts that continued on from MP
> 51.6 at
> > Old Monroe to Francis MP 114.
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "meyerjd10" <jmeyer10@h...>
> > To: <BRHSlist@y...>
> > Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 6:42 PM
> > Subject: [BRHSlist] Re: CB&Q Line from Old Monroe to Mexico Missouri
> >
> >
> > > Where exactly is MP 77.66 on the line? Near any city? Is it
> > > accessible, and what creek/river etc. does it cross, what type of
> > > bridge was it? Girder, timber, trestle, etc.? Any more info on
> this
> > > line would be really helpful, thanks to all who have responded,
> it is
> > > much more than I've expected. I'm a brand new member, and you've
> > > really helped me out. I'm the owner of the yahoo group
> > > StLouisRailroadInfo, and anyone from this group is encouraged to
> > > join, we have a large photo section of past and present rail
> shots.
> > > Please feel free to join. Thanks - Jeff Meyer
> > >
> > > --- In BRHSlist@y..., "Haydens" <kliner@s...> wrote:
> > > > List, Although the bridge east of Moscow was a long one, the
> most
> > > > impressive was the high trestle at MP 77.66. Sometime around
> 1965
> > > a train
> > > > went in the bighole(emergency) while crossing this trestle. The
> > > head
> > > > brakeman went back to check things out and found a car that was
> > > burning from
> > > > an over heated journal in the middle of the bridge. He pulled
> the
> > > pin on
> > > > the burning car and turned to signal the engineer to go ahead
> and
> > > pull the
> > > > car off of the bridge. Lo and behold, the engineer was standing
> > > right
> > > > beside him. Needless to say before he could get back into the
> > > engine the
> > > > bridge had caught fire and it burned down. The High line was
> out
> > > of service
> > > > for a long time. Another story was told of the engineer who had
> > > purchased a
> > > > very expensive pair of leather gloves. Sometime during the
> trip he
> > > noticed
> > > > that he had lost one of his gloves. He was so mad, he threw his
> > > remaining
> > > > glove off the top of the same trestle into the creek below.
> Later
> > > that
> > > > morning while the crew was waiting in the Old Monroe depot for
> > > orders or to
> > > > meet a train, the track rider came in with a brand new glove he
> > > had found
> > > > at Francis and asked if anyone had lost it. I remember Moscow
> had
> > > the
> > > > longest siding, but I remember clearing up at Wellsville, Haig,
> and
> > > Hawk
> > > > Point when we were short. In the mid 60's Moscow, Hawk Point,
> and
> > > > Wellsville all had open stations. Any other questions you might
> > > have, I'll
> > > > try to answer or ask some old heads that are on the pension.
> > > > ----- Original Message -----
> > > > From: "Bill Hirt" <whirt@a...>
> > > > To: <BRHSlist@y...>
> > > > Sent: Sunday, November 10, 2002 9:31 AM
> > > > Subject: Re: [BRHSlist] CB&Q Line from Old Monroe to Mexico
> Missouri
> > > >
> > > >
> > > > > meyerjd10 wrote:
> > > > >
> > > > > >>Does anyone out there have any info on this line? What was
> its
> > > > > >>official name? Where were passing sidings? I heard there
> was a
> > > > > >>
> > > > > > huge
> > > > > >
> > > > > >>steel trestle near Wellsville, anyone know where it was
> exactly?
> > > > > >>
> > > > > > If
> > > > > >
> > > > > >>anyone has photos or a timetable from this line, please let
> me
> > > > > >>
> > > > > > know. Any other history of the line, trains ran, stories,
> etc.
> > > will
> > > > > > help. I'm thinking of modeling it in the fall of 1969.
> > > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Mike Spoor's CB&Q in color volume 3 has pictures of freight
> trains
> > > > > moving through Mexico in the 1960's. Robert Brown's books on
> > > Missouri
> > > > > depots have pictures of most of the depots on the line. By
> 1969,
> > > they
> > > > > would have been boarded up and abandoned. Brown's book has a
> > > picture of
> > > > > the Francis depot in this state in 1963.
> > > > >
> > > > > In regards to the trestle, the track charts I have from the
> mid
> > > 60's
> > > > > show no such bridge near Wellsville. The only substantial
> bridge
> > > shown
> > > > > is east of Moscow crossing the Cuivre River (about a 600 foot
> > > span).
> > > > >
> > > > > By 1969, this line was a shadow of it's former self. This
> portion
> > > of the
> > > > > Q was called the Twenty-Third Subdivision - Branch Line. The
> only
> > > siding
> > > > > was a 23 car siding at Wellsville. One train was scheduled
> each
> > > way per
> > > > > day. The only open office/station was Old Monroe during the
> day.
> > > > >
> > > > > In the late 1950's, the name was Old Monroe and Francis -
> > > Subdivision.
> > > > > Three trains a day were scheduled each way including a
> doodlebug
> > > turn
> > > > > Old Monroe to Mexico (123/124). A 50 car siding was at
> Moscow, a
> > > 29 car
> > > > > siding at Wellsville, 26 car siding at Haig, and a 13 car
> siding
> > > at
> > > > > Francis. Open offices/stations were Old Monroe (continuous),
> > > Moscow (M-F
> > > > > days), Hawk Point (M-F days), Liege (M-F days), Wellsville (M-
> F
> > > days),
> > > > > and Francis (16 hours a day).
> > > > >
> > > > > According the 1964 track charts I have, the line was laid with
> > > mainly 90
> > > > > lb rail on cinder ballast between 1927 and 1938. 110 lb rail
> was
> > > laid
> > > > > between Francis and approximately MP 94.6 in 1951. The last
> major
> > > > > roadbed work on portions of the line was done in 1956.
> > > > >
> > > > > Bill
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> > > http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > > > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > >
> > > Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to
> http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
> > >
> > >
> > >
>
>
>
>
> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
>
>
>
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