New memeber here at the frisco.org website. I am a on air radio personality at News/Talk 1150-97.5 KRMS and 93.5 ROCKS at the lake of the ozarks and have been a train collector and lover since i was 3 years old. My father owns many different model trains (post war) that he would show me as a kid...once i got hooked we would go watch trains pass us on the MOPAC (Union Pacific) line near Kirkwood, MO. Growing up i would follow train and train tracks everywhere to learn more about them. I was always upset to find tracks becoming abandon or actually already abandoned. I first got interested in really helping railroads get their gears back as a kid while traveling to our vacation farm located in High Gate, MO just outside of Belle, MO where the Rock Island railroad passes through. The rock line became my favorite (and still is to this day) line ever and i still have hopes of finding some way to get folks involved and Ameren to ok the re-opening of that line from STL to KC with the ability to travel via train for passenger to get to the lake of the ozarks. Since then i've found many abandoned tracks including the branch off MOPAC to the lake via Bagnell, the line (still sorta active) in South Dakota that runs from Sioux Falls to Rapid City along the interstate, the line that was UP's from Kirkwood to South St. Louis, County, The two Illinois central railroad lines (one through Belleville, IL and another through Red Bud to Baldwin, IL) and now the High Line/Leaky Roof lines from KC to Springfield. It saddens me that lines are ever abandoned, specially when they could still provide to the area. However it does make for interesting learning when trying to determine what it is, where it was and what happened to it. I only wish to learn as much as i can and hope to see some old tracks revived...otherwise i love play with those classic model toy trains and hope to now be able to give them to my new son who's 3 months now. Sadly mom doesn't really like trains but that's ok, it was my dad and I's thing too...my mother never liked them either! So that's me!
Welcome John! We look forward to "sharing" our Frisco with you. This is a very good group - nice people, excellent knowledge base, and a great railroad to talk about. Like you, I am also a fan of the former Rock Island St Louis-Kansas City line. I lived two blocks from it as a kid, and it ran down the middle of my grandfather's farm east of Owensville/west of Gerald, along US 50. I recall seeing many trains when we were out there fishing and hiking. Later, we had a condo on Horseshoe Bend at the lake for about ten years. I did some reading on the construction of Bagnell dam and, like you, traced what I could of the old MP branch running up from Bagnell that was used heavily during the construction project. Ken
Welcome John. I did a stint in radio too as a DJ on Christian Radio. I know the addiction. Welcome to Frisco.org. Good bunch of guys here. You'll really like it.
Welcome John, You'll find a great bunch of guys and a lot of information about the Frisco here. I'm modeling the High Line in N scale. I'm also a fan of the Rock's KC-St Louis line. I grew up with it in my backyard in Chilhowee, MO over on the west end of the line. Dale Rush Carthage, MO
Hey John, I live in Union and am also a big fan of the Rock's St. Louis to Kansas City line. I've explored the line quite a bit in the last couple of years, and have found some pretty interesting stuff, including old freight cars in the Osage River (the Rock's ill conceived idea of erosion control), and a wrecked hopper car west of Meta. I've also been fortunate of enough to befriend the Central Midland crew that operates to Union, and took a cab ride with them to St. Louis a couple of months ago. I would gladly forward you any photos that you might be interested in. Pat Moreland, Union Mo.
Wow thanks for the nice welcomes! It's cool to see how many people out there not only know what you know but like what you like! Ken: that is awesome! you were lucky to see the trains on that track...all i ever got to see what UP with their pickup truck when they came to remove the crossing gates on Highway 50. Horseshoe bend is an awesome place to be, love that area and the bagnell line...man talk about something hard to find when you go through eldon! Charlie: what station did you work for? Brad: Hey that's great! Though i do miss it as Mike FM i'm ok with the rock format. You'll hear me next weekend actually on Saturday, i'll be doing some live broadcasts out and about SABRR: Radio can be quite addicting, just like railroads! Which station where you at? Dale: That sounds like fun. I never did a model of any particular track layout but i pretty much create my own idea of track layouts. My favorite is O27 scale and super O. I bet like ken you got to see some trains on the rock...if only! Pat: I would love that. I have always wanted to see what they did back in the day and present. Still to this day i have not seen a pic of any train on that track nor ran into a train on that track. I still trace the track all the time when i'm free though, from Page av to KC....quite an interesting line. Thank you! Guys, i'm thrilled to be a member here!
I worked 16 years in Wichita, Kansas as an announcer then became the program director for the eastern-most radio stations in the U.S. - a job I held for almost 10 years. I still record commercials and do voiceover work.