gbw9301
Goodbye KCS
Today the KCS no longer exists as an independent company. Now part of the CPKC.
With the exception of a few trips to Mississippi, most of my experience with the KCS has been along the former Gateway Western lines. The KCS takeover of the ATSF dependent GWWR brought stability to a line that had become redundant to the newly formed BNSF. The KCS continued the upgrade of the physical plant that GWWR started and the route is now in better shape than ever. The Bartlett Grain loading facility at Jacksonville has brought much needed traffic to an under utilized line and hopefully the new company will continue to bring in additional business.
I must admit that from a railfan point of view that after being able to photograph GWWR and ATSF powered trains, I initially wasn't really excited with the KCS takeover with their gray engines and all but when they brought back the Southern Belle scheme first to the business train and then to the rest of the fleet my opinion quickly changed.
Shown here is a westbound extra MESKC passing through the small village of Hillview IL on a Saturday afternoon in March of 2016. In a few miles they will cross the Illinois River at Pearl. The lead units look great in the belle scheme. Goodbye KCS.
Goodbye KCS
Today the KCS no longer exists as an independent company. Now part of the CPKC.
With the exception of a few trips to Mississippi, most of my experience with the KCS has been along the former Gateway Western lines. The KCS takeover of the ATSF dependent GWWR brought stability to a line that had become redundant to the newly formed BNSF. The KCS continued the upgrade of the physical plant that GWWR started and the route is now in better shape than ever. The Bartlett Grain loading facility at Jacksonville has brought much needed traffic to an under utilized line and hopefully the new company will continue to bring in additional business.
I must admit that from a railfan point of view that after being able to photograph GWWR and ATSF powered trains, I initially wasn't really excited with the KCS takeover with their gray engines and all but when they brought back the Southern Belle scheme first to the business train and then to the rest of the fleet my opinion quickly changed.
Shown here is a westbound extra MESKC passing through the small village of Hillview IL on a Saturday afternoon in March of 2016. In a few miles they will cross the Illinois River at Pearl. The lead units look great in the belle scheme. Goodbye KCS.