I am going to be in KC in July and want to catch some action. I know that the “bottoms” is a sweet spot but I also want to stop by the yards around the city. I know BNSF has Argentine and KCS has Knoche. Can anyone give me directions to the best view of these spots and any other yards. I could see the flyovers from the interstate when I drove through last year, but I would like more specific directions.
Hey there,
Lots to see in KC, but a word to the wise, there are a lot of pretty bad places that one can end up in around the greater KC area. A co-worker who was a BN conductor told me this week that they didn’t switch the bottoms after dark because of the safety risk to crews.
You can see quite a bit of KCS/IMRL Knocke from Front Street and Chouteau expressway in KC Mo. Not such a bad area during the day. The loco shops are right along Front St. The Schneider train loads up at KCS on Chouteau and Garner Ave. UP Neft yard is right across the street. Mid America Rail Car is across the street from the KCS shops at Knocke.
The NS Ramp is on Kimball in KC Mo.
BNSF’s Murray Yard is right under 29/35 in KC Mo.
If you look at a map of KC, find where 29-35 crosses the Mo River. Just North is Murray Yard, immediately South, KCS, UP and BNSF run more freight than you can shake a stick at. There are 3 lines within about 3 blocks of the river. Right under the bridge or a block or two east or west, you have 3 lines converging. Lots of manifest, grain and coal. Lots and lots of coal.
There’s a restaurant called Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ in the old freight house across from Union Station. (101 W 22nd St, Kansas City, MO) GO there to eat - great BBQ and RR theme decore. Right across the parking lot is the BNSF main line - lots of intermodal action. Its about 2 miles east of Argentine.
On the Kansas City, KS side, if you take Hwy 69 south from I-70, you cross over the top of UP Armourdale. Take the first exit to Kansas Ave West, that takes you to the south edge of BNSF Argentine. From Kansas Ave, turn left, (south) onto the 42nd St overpass. Takes you right over the ramp and the manifest yard. The Fast
One other place you might want to get to is the BNSF Missouri River Bridge at Sibley, MO. Its about 15 miles east of KC.
[quote user=“Doublestack”]
Hey there,
Lots to see in KC, but a word to the wise, there are a lot of pretty bad places that one can end up in around the greater KC area. A co-worker who was a BN conductor told me this week that they didn’t switch the bottoms after dark because of the safety risk to crews.
You can see quite a bit of KCS/IMRL Knocke from Front Street and Chouteau expressway in KC Mo. Not such a bad area during the day. The loco shops are right along Front St. The Schneider train loads up at KCS on Chouteau and Garner Ave. UP Neft yard is right across the street. Mid America Rail Car is across the street from the KCS shops at Knocke.
The NS Ramp is on Kimball in KC Mo.
BNSF’s Murray Yard is right under 29/35 in KC Mo.
If you look at a map of KC, find where 29-35 crosses the Mo River. Just North is Murray Yard, immediately South, KCS, UP and BNSF run more freight than you can shake a stick at. There are 3 lines within about 3 blocks of the river. Right under the bridge or a block or two east or west, you have 3 lines converging. Lots of manifest, grain and coal. Lots and lots of coal.
There’s a restaurant called Fiorella’s Jack Stack BBQ in the old freight house across from Union Station. (101 W 22nd St, Kansas City, MO) GO there to eat - great BBQ and RR theme decore. Right across the parking lot is the BNSF main line - lots of intermodal action. Its about 2 miles east of Argentine.
On the Kansas City, KS side, if you take Hwy 69 south from I-70, you cross over the top of UP Armourdale. Take the first exit to Kansas Ave West, that takes you to the south edge of BNSF Argentine. From Kansas Ave, turn left, (south) onto the 42nd St overpass. Takes you right over the ramp and the man
Hi Neil,
If you look at a map of KC, find where the Kansas (Kaw) River meets the Missouri River. The area to the south of there is the river “bottoms” area. More less if you follow the Kaw river south. BNSF and UP meet down there. The Kemper arena is there as well. There are 3 interstates that make sort of a triange I-70 / I-670 and I-35. The bottoms are inside of this area. I’ve been on the Missouri side. Not a great area. Maybe during the day I’d go there, but frankly, there are so many places you can go w/o the worries.
This is sort of a classic KC shot, which is from right near Union Station.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=147528
Just after the BNSF main passes Union Station, it climbs west, up the flyover at KC Jct.
There is a park that might afford you a view. I’m guessing that this photo may be from that park. I’ll see if I can find a name of it.
You might try this
Go to Google maps. Enter w. 27th street, kansas city. That will put a pointer at W. 27th ST and Southwest Ave. Look at the Satellite Image. If you follow w 27th a couple blocks west from there, it dead ends at an old roundhouse. That’s right in the bottoms area and is on the south side of the Kansas Terminal Fly Over (on the sunny side of the tracks.) That might be where some of the photos in the links above were taken. It would be the relative vicinity of where this was taken.
http://www.railpictures.net/viewphoto.php?id=163710
Interestingly, the Google satellite image shows the flyover under construction.
One other thing to check out: http://www.unionstation.org/
Great pic. I am marking this on GPS for next visit.Thanks