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Mopick - Posted - 05/12/2011: 13:11:42
The Union Pacific Great Excursion Adventure is set to come through the heartland of Missouri. The route was set by a contest of support by social networking such as Facebook and Twitter. The route that won is the Little Rock Express. Old number 844 will leave Cheyenne Wyoming on May 27 for a 2,500 mile trek. It will end up back in Cheyenne on July 3. Man, I grew up along side the main line of the Missouri Pacific (Union Pacific). This train will pass in front of the house that used to be my grandparent's about 10 miles south of Poplar Bluff on June 6 at about 2:30.
capegirardeau.kfvs12.com/news/...eau/45763
Randy
pandjlocke - Posted - 05/12/2011: 13:26:30
I grew up in a Union Pacific hub town. I still miss the sounds of the trains going by at night. I like to take the trip from Seattle to Portland, Oregon, by rail. Leave Seattle in the morning, mess around in Portland for a few hours, take the train ride home in the evening. Great way to blow a day.
Mopick - Posted - 05/12/2011: 13:58:34
Grandpa worked for Missouri Pacific on a section gang. He had a pass for all points served that was good for his family members including me. I was born in Poplar Bluff, but we lived in Alton, Illinois. My aunt Uncle Jim and Aunt Arvella used to come to Illinois by train and spend a couple of days with us, then we would go by train back to Poplar Bluff. Jim and Arvella were just young teenagers or pre-teens. But Grandpa would put them on the train in Poplar Bluff. My mom, who was just 16 when I was born, would meet them at Union Station in St. Louis. Then a couple of days later she would take us back across the river to St. Louis and put us on the Missouri Pacific Texas Eagle and send us back to Poplar Bluff. I would spend a week or two with Grandpa and Grandma who would usually drive back up to Alton. I liked riding the trains. I remember on trips up to St. Louis, when you came into St. Louis Union Station you would come along right beside the Mississippi River. There would be a big turn and the rails were banked, it looked like we were going off into the river. Used to scare me.
This is a picture of the Texas Eagle sitting at the depot in Poplar Bluff around 1967. It's north bound to Saint Louis.
Randy
Edited by - Mopick on 05/12/2011 14:10:01
Mopick - Posted - 05/12/2011: 14:45:32
That was GREAT Ronnie. Thanks for posting. I never knew there was song about the Texas Eagle. The Eagle ran until 1971 when AMTRAK took over. The AMTRAK train that goes from St. Louis to Dallas is still called the Texas Eagle
BigJohn67 - Posted - 05/12/2011: 17:20:34
Sounds great, Randy. Wish I could be on a part of that excursion.
I've ridden trains a number of times in my life, including one trip from Columbus, Ohio to El Paso.
But the one I remember most fondly was a ride on the C, B & Q (Chicago, Burlington and Quincy) in 1957. I junked a car in Texhoma, so I rode the train from there to Topeka. I was in a Vista Dome car, with an observation (upper) deck. Much of the 400 mile ride was night time, and I had the dome all to myself. It was wonderful. I'd love to do that one more time.
Micki - Posted - 05/12/2011: 17:31:32
Sounds like a lot of fun. Lots of good memories of bygone days and your grand pa will also come to mind. Micki
OM45GE - Posted - 05/13/2011: 04:04:41
Boy, I would LOVE to see that steam engine come through Randy.
Great clip Ronnie.
It's sort of sad how we let passenger rail service decline. I commute by train most days and it sure beats driving in rush hour traffic and it's much better environmentally.
Ronnie - Posted - 05/13/2011: 06:12:58
I grew up in a railroad town during the age of steam. I miss those old engines!! The IC, NC&St,L, Norfork Western,GM&O and L&N all came through town. Most of the trackage is gone now. We still have CSX and an independent short line. As many of you know, Casey Jones was living here at the time of his famous wreck. There is a movement to preserve our railroad history caseyjonesvillage.com the old L&N / NC&St, L depot has been restored and is now a railroad museum. I rode the IC City of Miami to my Navy boot camp at Great Lakes, IL in the early 1960's
Micki - Posted - 05/13/2011: 06:56:03
My mom and her sisters got on one in Boone or Smokies ,somewhere and rode it into Maggie Valley. It went thru the mts. I would like to ride it someday, maybe. I can't remember the exact route, but a friend and some others rode it on seniors trip and brought me the pictures to see. was beautiful scenery. Micki
mike gregory - Posted - 05/13/2011: 07:22:54
I recall a quote about the glory days of the steam locomotive:
"There was, for a while, a great number of objects both beautiful and useful."
For a bit of heartbreak over their disappearance, here's Utah Phillips singing "Daddy, What's A Train?".
youtube.com/watch?v=L5YoLjYD8QE
Ronnie - Posted - 05/13/2011: 07:58:31
We befriended a family who had moved here from Guam. Em and I took their small daughter for ice cream. We had to stop at a railroad crossing to wait for a passing train. The little girl was terrified! She had never seen a train!!
TrainmanCSZ4UP - Posted - 05/13/2011: 10:57:15
Second steam excursion to come through Waverly, MO in 6 months. I will be filming it in Waverly than at a whistle stop at Grand Pass which 5 miles down the line. 5 miles from the Grand Pass it will be serviced at Malta Bend. I will be uploading them up on you tube after it comes through. It will be going through Waverly on May 31. You can see a detailed schedule at: up.com/aboutup/special_trains/...ils.shtml
Mopick - Posted - 05/13/2011: 12:04:44
quote:
Originally posted by TrainmanCSZ4UP
Second steam excursion to come through Waverly, MO in 6 months. I will be filming it in Waverly than at a whistle stop at Grand Pass which 5 miles down the line. 5 miles from the Grand Pass it will be serviced at Malta Bend. I will be uploading them up on you tube after it comes through. It will be going through Waverly on May 31. You can see a detailed schedule at: up.com/aboutup/special_trains/...ils.shtml
I was hoping you were going to get some video. Man would I love to be in Poplar Bluff or Cape Girardeau on June 5 and 6. It's going to be on display in Cape for a day. Whistle stop in Poplar Bluff on the 6th. Then when it pulls out of Poplar Bluff heading south it will pass through the little town of Harviell Missouri where my grandparent's lived and I grew up (mostly). I never saw a steam engine come through there. My mom used to ride the Sunshine Special, which was MOPAC's steam passenger train before the diesel streamliners, the Missouri Pacific Eagles. Missouri Pacific was bought by Union Pacific in the 80's.
Missouri Pacific's Sunshine Special backing in to Union Station in St. Louis August 16, 1940.
Edited by - Mopick on 05/13/2011 12:17:36
banjotom2 - Posted - 05/13/2011: 12:11:04
I hear that train a comin'...
A comin' round the bend...
J.C.
Bayou Talker - Posted - 05/13/2011: 13:09:18
When I was about 7-8 years old my mom and I went on a vacation with friends to Minnesota. Since we had relatives in Wisconsin my mom and I took the Great Northern over to visit them. I think their mascot was a goat named Rocky and from the ride they picked a good mascot.
Many years later during a trip to Japan I rode the bullet train and man what a difference that was! If I could choose which one I would ride again Ole' Rocky would get the nod though.
Ronnie - Posted - 05/13/2011: 19:57:00
I should mention that I attended a bluegrass concert in Memphis @1965. A young man was playing a Vega banjo which was the sweetest thing I ever heard. I approached the banjo player and asked about the banjo. A deal was made and I brought the Vega home with me. The banjo player was Paul Craft who wrote Midnight Flyer and Drop Kick Me Jesus years later. Paul probably made a few dollars. I haven't made much money with his Vega, but it has paid for itself and I still play it.
TrainmanCSZ4UP - Posted - 06/13/2011: 12:04:43
Not the best video do some tripod glitches and the excitement from its presence.
Mopick - Posted - 06/13/2011: 13:33:32
Very nice. That must have been the day before the train came through Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff. That was Monday June 6. I posted some video the local newspaper put on youtube. I wish I could have been there to see it.
Randy
racer - Posted - 06/13/2011: 13:48:23
That sure is a pretty site, i can remember sitting on the back porch and a steam engine would come by every day at three o clock the engineer would blow his whistle for us use to scare the hell out of our mom, we all loved it .Ron
TrainmanCSZ4UP - Posted - 06/13/2011: 14:56:59
quote:
Originally posted by Mopick
Very nice. That must have been the day before the train came through Cape Girardeau and Poplar Bluff. That was Monday June 6. I posted some video the local newspaper put on youtube. I wish I could have been there to see it.
Randy
Thank you. It was running 30 minutes late when it went through. The train went through May 31 than stopped at Jefferson City for the day and stayed overnight. Then spent a couple days at St. Louis on display.
