February 2012 Around Kansas City

The SOO Bandit is still in town and is paired with an ICE Geep on a yard job at Knoche-Joint Agency Yard.

A pair of Ex-Katy 2-Bays at KCS Knoche Yard. If you look closely, you will see a 3rd one in between these two in the background. Score.

Crossng the intersectin of Hickory and Union on the UP KC Metro Sub. is UP Train QNLNP 03 with a GE heading a pair of SD90s.

The last Gateway Western Locomotive on the KCS Roster sits at the diesel shop at KCS Knoche Yard. I never really figured the last surviving GWWR unit would be this one with predecessor CMNW reporting marks bleeding through and still wearing mostly original paint from its P&LE days.

An Ex-SOO, now CEFX SD60 leads UP Train MTUKC 09 down the UP Kansas Sub. at 166th Street, just east of Linwood.

Lots of color congregates in this spot on most days, and today was not an exception, as evidenced here.

I finally got a shot of the bandit in daylight. Now to get her moving. Maybe tomorrow's the day.

The BNSF's KCS Flyer heads back from KCS Knoche Yard through Santa Fe Jct. near the east end of BNSF Argentine Yard.

The RoadRailer drops down off the KCT Argentine Connection Flyover onto BNSF Trackage for the rest of its trip to Saginaw, TX.

KCT Transfer is almost back home, passing Adams Street Tower in their Mill Street Yard after running a transfer over to BNSF Argentine Yard, on the other side of the Kaw River from the KCT Yard.

UP Train CNAIM9 10 casts a shadow on buildings in KCK.

Sitting on the KCT Bluff Line is a pair of Belle GEVOs out of the most recent order on their way to Council Bluffs, IA via the BNSF.

UP Neff Yard to BNSF Murray Yard Transfer UP Train YKC75 12 comes through Ustick Tower in NKC with a pair of SD60s.

Switching in KCS Knoche-Joint Agency Yard is the SOO Bandit GP40 still wearing its MILW paint, paired with an ICE GP40-2.

Power from the CP and KCS sitting at the roundhouse in Knoche Yard.

What's left of the once sprawling KCS Roundhouse at Knoche Yard. The turntable was only recently removed.

Former Milwaukee Railway Post Office. It was moved to KC temporarily numbered as KCS 106.

Pair of BNSF units at KCS Knoche Yard. The 8022 is one of the few remaining SD40-2s still numbered in the 8000 series.

A GP38-2 with a Leslie RS-5T horn switches at the west end of KCS Knoche Yard.

Really interestingly painted Farmers Elevator Inc. hopper. This was in the consist of a northbound KCS manifest.

An EMD duo leads UP Train MCPFW 11 through Air Line and Southwest Jct.

On the night of the 12th Kansas City got its first measurable snow of the winter. After two snows that each added up to less than an inch, we received our 4th latest first snow, ever, and by the time the power off UP Train QNPINP 14 gets interchanged to the CSX in East St. Louis in the morning, it will all be melted. For now the train heads east at Bonner Springs past the melting powder.

The Lenexa Switcher is tied down in its spot here along the BNSF Ft. Scott Sub., with the power blocked in by its assigned cabooses, or shoving platforms by today's vernacular.

UP Business Cars "Cheyenne" and "Council Bluffs sit just outside Mid-America Car & Locomotive after having some work done on them.

A single KCS SW1500 works hard while switching out Cargill.

An EMD Trio takes UP Train KLBG4 16 over the KCT High Line at sunset.

A pair of Rock Island E-Units rest at KCS Knoche Yard after running up here as a light engine move BNSF O OTTKCM1 21A, behind a Dash-9 out of Ottawa, KS, and their former home on the Midland Railway, an operating museum based in Baldwin City, KS. They're finally on their way to new beginnings in Iowa on the IANR. The Es are CRIP 652 and CRIP 630, the GE was BNSF 4847.

A Rock Island E-Unit shares the diesel shop at KCS Knoche Yard with newer power from the same builder. This old girl is finally on its way to new beginnings in Iowa on the IANR.

A single switcher comes towards the west end of KCS Knoche Yard before throwing a switch and disappearing back down the lead.

A coal load climbs the hill out of Kansas City as it heads south on the BNSF Ft. Scott Sub. at CP Bravo.

A coal load climbs the hill out of Kansas City as it heads south on the BNSF Ft. Scott Sub. and is about to knock down the clear at CP Bravo.

A loaded unit ethanol move UP Train UEUMDP 22 gets moving at CP 215 on the BNSF Ft. Scott Sub.

A GEVO out of the most recent order leads UP Train ZSEMN 22 through ASB Jct. on Main Track 3 of the KC Metro Sub.

A newer GEVO brings UP Train ZSEMN 22 through KCT Troost and Lydia Avenue.

Continuing down Main Track 3 is UP Train ZSEMN 22 at Shemley Avenue.

Ex-CN Geep sits at Knoche. I always thought these looked cool with the nose stripes, but I wish they stijl had the osculating headlights on the nose. I only got to see one that way.

Headed over the KCT High Line is UP Train CCDWB9 23 about to swing down onto the BNSF Ft. Scott Sub.

A pair of the bananas bring a transfer balk to KCT Mill Street Yard from KCS Knoche Yard at Adams Street Interlocking.

Looking like an early 90's coal bucket, UP Train WGHSFZ 23 comes under the signal bridge at Muncie on the UP Kansas Sub. with a triclops SD60M and a pair of Dash-9s on a Gads Hill, MO to Stratford, TX ballast load.

Coming around a curve east of Bonner is UP Train WGHSFZ 23 on the UP Kansas Sub. with a Gads Hill, MO to Stratford, TX ballast train.

The Rock E-Units have now been moved over to Mid-America Car & Locomotive from KCS Knoche Yard. MAC will work them over before sending them onto the IANR.

The Rock E-Units have now been moved over to Mid-America Car & Locomotive from KCS Knoche Yard. MAC will work them over before sending them onto the IANR.

Timeless logo on the nose door. This thing has seen a lot of miles--and bugs.

One of the Olympic Torch Relay units leads UP Train MNPKC 26 through the KC West Bottoms at St. Louis Avenue on the UP KC Metro Sub.

With one the Winter Olympic Torch Relay SD70Ms on the point, UP Train MNPKC 26 eases down Main Track 4 just outside UP Neff Yard, where this train will terminate.

Headed across the Hannibal Bridge into The Gooseneck is a BNSF move of crude oil.

The Banana GP35s head through Old Union Depot Interlocking on their way from KCS Knoche Yard to KCT Mill Street Yard.

The Bananas pass Adams Street Tower on their way from KCS Knoche Yard to KCT Mill Street Yard.

This afternoon a relatively minor head on collision took place on the KCT Low Line between UP Armourdale Yard and Adams Street Interlocking just north of Kansas Avenue in Kansas City, KS. <P> A DME/CP transfer from Joint Agency Yard to UP Armourdale yarded its consist of autoracks at the UP. The power consist was a pair of SD40-2s, NREX 7349 and NREX 5581, both facing west (elephant style). The rear engine, the 5581, was cut away and ran long hood forward east to Adams Street, where it was turned, and then began to head back west to the other unit, again running long hood forward to UP Armourdale Yard where it was to be coupled back into the 7349, and return Joint Agency Yard back to back engine light. <P> This is where something went awry. About this time a KCT transfer with WAMX 1507, a SW1500, and 15-20 cars began to pull out of UP Armourdale east on the way to KCT Mill Street Yard. This move was on the southern of the 2 running tracks out of the yard. This was also the track that the light engine was on. This track is OMT other than main track GCOR 6.28 territory with a 10 MPH speed limit. About 30 feet north of Kansas Avenue these two movements collided head on in a sharp, blind curve, derailing the rear truck of the NREX SD40-2, and what appeared to be both trucks of the KCT SW1500, and possibly the first car of the transfer. The impact did damage to the pilots of both engines, and bent both drawbars downward. The weather conditions were sunny, clear, temperatures right around 60 degrees, and occurred around 15:30 on 2-26-12. <P> Kansas City, Kansas Police were called to the scene. By 17:00 R.J. Corman Derailment Services were on the scene unloading the sidebooms. A UP remote yard job was brought over to rear of the transfer and uncoupled all but the head 2 cars, and dragged them back into Armourdale Yard around 5:30. <P> I hate to speculate on a matter such as this, but there are several things that could have went wrong here, whether it be a crew running a signal onto the running track (or signal problem), a crew not asking permission to make their move, or there was a miscommunication such as a crew not taking the proper assigned routing. Regardless, this is still 6.28 territory which requires you to travel at a speed able to stop within half the range of vision, which is fairly limited in that particular curve, and in a perfect world would have prevented this. <P> At least one crew member from the CP light engine move was taken to the hospital with either broken and/or bruised ribs. The CP conductor was said to have less than a year of service, and the engineer is said to have been promoted 2 months ago. <P> This is an unfortunate event, and the railroads involved are obviously doing their investigations (Watco/KCT/Kaw River Railroad, DME/CP, and UP mangers were on the scene as well, since it partially occurred on their track, right at the maintenance limit sign with the KCT). <P> I posted this as a reminder to be safe, and to check, and recheck your instructions before you make a move. Having spent a fair share of my days in the cab of a locomotive I know first hand how easily this could happen if you have even a momentary lapse in attention or judgement at the wrong time. Be careful out there guys.

A pair of Ex-ATSF Units, a GP60 and a GP50, sit not far away from a Santa Fe Caboose at BNSF 19th Street Yard.