Tom:
Here are your answers....
1. The line from Hannibal to St. Joe was the original line..It was the
primary line until the Kansas City cutoff was built in 1952. The Q had no
direct
route from Chicago to KC until then. There were no KC direct passenger
trains...The American Royal No. 55 and 56 were night trains that operated
between
St. Joe and Chicago.. There was a motor car connection from Kansas City to
Cameron Jct. with these trains...The Q operated between Cameron Jct and
Kansas City over partially its own line and via trackage rights over the
Wabash..
There was just a local..Maybe even just tri weekly between Cameron and KC
until 1952 when the cutofff opened. After 1952 there was expedited freight
service between KC and Chicago over the cutoff..The primary freight train was
No. 77 and was called the Gray Ghost..after Red Grange the football
player...All of this from memory....others who are more detail minded can fill
in the
details.
2. The line running NE out of St. Joe was known as the Chariton Branch. It
left a small yard which was (still is) just south of Monterey St., just
south of the old Union Station near what was a Dannen Mills elevator and
angled
northeast. You can still follow it pretty well out to where it would have
crossed I 29 just north of Missouri Western (or whatever it's called now)
college. It went north through Helena Cosby, King City, Darlington Albany,
Bethany
Davis City, Humeston Derby..that's not all the towns, but just the ones that
come to mind as I "wing" this answer. There was a line that left the main
Chariton Branch at Albany Jct., (just south of Albany) and went north through
Gentry, Worth, Grant City, Delphos, Redding, Irena, Mt Ayr, Kellerton (home
of Harry Bedwell) Lamoni where it joined the Chariton Branch and what was
originally called Bethan Junction, then TOGO until WWII and then in the latter
days was called Giles..After W. F. Giles, long time Q official..This line was
called "THE DIRTY SIDE" of the Chariton Branch..The main line of the branch
was called THE STRAIGHT SIDE.
3. The Creston Branch left the St. Joe P. Jct Sub at Amazonia and went
north through Savanna, Bolckow, Barnard, Rosendale, Maryville, Hopkins,
Bedford,
Merle Jct. Conway, Lenox (Nicely restored depot there) Kent and joined the
mainline at Creston.
As to the Rock Port Langdon and Northern...I have no idea what kind of power
would be used today..However I can accurately state that no internal
combustion engine motive power ever touched the RPL&N rails.
I get to St. Joe occasionally. If you're interested I can give you a guided
tour of St. Joe and environs.
You're dealing with my home territory, so fire away with whatever questions
you might have and you might get more information than you really want.
Pete
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