A recent post about KCS in Houston prompts me to ask a question first raised for me in the spring of 2006:
While traveling west on I-80, shortly before the Missouri River and Omaha, we crossed over a what seemed to be a multitrack rail yard, all of which motive power and rolling stock were in KCS livery. And in uniformity, something I’d not witnessed before, the array was most impressive.
As it happened, we got off the Interstate for lunch and paralled a good part of the layout, including the fact that the southern outlet of the [putative] yard tapered very quickly into a track or two. And not a happy access situation: the track(s) were squeezed against a frontage road on one side and numerous businesses (mostly fast-food) on the other. The narrow bit of apron turning cars would traverse to cross the rail line looked really skimpy.
Anyway, those of us who have read recent KCS reports know they are not exactly comprehensive:
Is there indeed a KCS line from Council Bluffs, IA down to Kansas City, MO?
If so, does such a line extend northward from Council Bluffs or is that the northern extent of KCS?
Is what I saw extensive enough to be a major rail yard for the KCS?
What interface, if any, is available to any of the Big(ger) Six railway co’s?
KCS doesn’t have it’s own line into Council Bluffs. It does serve there via haulage rights on the UP. There may also be some arrangement with the BNSF as I have heard railfan reports of regular KCS trains on their line. I think the yard you saw is part of BNSF although other railroads have yards near there. Maybe someone from the area knows for sure.
I know the KCS gets grain trains out of an elevator on the north side of CB along the ex-CNW. The elevator’s switch engine is an ex-KCS switcher still in white with the KCS number. Just yesterday I was able to get a picture of two KCS units in the Southern Belle scheme. The covered hoppers, at least the first 10 or so that I could see, also were in that scheme.
IIRC, the rights originally were MKT who received them in a past UP merger. When the UP took the MKT, the rights went to KCS.
Okay the yard you seen in council Bluffs was the BNSF they have a small yard there to service the grain facitlities, just west of that yard is the Iowa Interstate. to answer the question is there a trackage between Council Bluffs and Kansas City? Yes there is the BN pulls the grain and brings the cars down the track (northward) from the Interstate to what we can the BN transfer diamond which leads onto the UP main line. The UP takes the train from the BN crews and takes them to KC up the Marysville sub. No KCS in C.B. that I know of just UP, BN, IAIS, CNIC.
And the two units seen in the photo are on BN track. Which after pulling the grain like I said will be handed over to the Up and then to KCS in KC.
