First off, what division is the Roodhouse-Alton branch of the Kansas City Southern on? What subdivision is Carrollton, IL on? Does KCS have trackage rights on the UP from Alton to St. Louis, or is it considered joint trackage?
If someone can anwer these questions, I may think of more but right now it’s time to get of the internet.
Thanks in advance,
Christopher
It is/was called the St. Louis Sub. The Trackage from Alton-Madison Illionis was joint trackage, and has been for a long time. The original owners from Wood River to Hartford Illionis was Illinois Terminal, Gulf, Mobile and Ohio and Chicago and Eastern Illionis. Today, We have Union Pacific, Kansas City Southern and Norfolk Southern. I have shoot video at Wood River and it is a busy Junction…17 UP, 10 KCS, 2 NS, 6 Amtrak, 4 BNSF. In all, thats 39 trains, thats one more train than goes through Kirkwood Missouri. Keep Safe!
So does BNSF have trackage rights over the KCS from Jacksonville to Madison? I would think that after the BN abandoned the ex-CB&Q Line to St. Louis in the same area, they used the KCS line for access to St. Louis in Illinois. I’ve seen a few BNSF trains thru Carrollton (IL), I’ve even seen a lenghty freight stop to do switching jobs at the grain elevators, also all BNSF trains I’ve seen were southbound.
BTW, since you’ve been train watching in Wood River, have you ever trainwatched at the oil refinery in Hartford, or the Laclede/Alton Steel mill in Alton? Both of these facilities were closed for a while, and are now being re-opened, so it will probably get pretty busy down there soon.