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Today I was eating at Spencers Grill in Kirkwood, MO( If anyone has ever been to Kirkwood, you might have seen it about 1/4 mile south from the train station. So after I was done eating I went over to a Local bakery and got some goods. I saw the time and noticed the westbound Mule or Ann Rutledge was about to arrive. So as I was leaving the Bakery I saw the train arriving with 3 superliner coach cars. I have not seen superliners come through Kirkwood in 5 years. Although I think they come through every year in January and Febuary. This was sure a pleasant suprise. I wish I could hav gotten on. Although Im thinking about it tomorrow, if it comes through. If anybody lives near a train station in between KC and STL see if you can get a look at the Superliner cars. And if its not to much trouble go to your nearest train station in between KC and STL tomorrow and see if it has superliner car on it.
Santa Fe 5704 Member # 2277
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Is this the same Uncle Buck that visits with LaPlata Bob?? I'm Bob's brother that works on the BNSF.
UncleBuck44 Member # 2049
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Not that I know of.
Santa Fe 5704 Member # 2277
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Must be two Uncle Bucks in this world!! I ran the KC to St Louis trains back in 1987 for a while. I was one of the early engineers that worked for Amtrak when they decided to hire their own employees that year instead of let the freight railroads run the trains. I can't imagine HiLevel cars on that route. Far too many curves to suite me. I can just see them leaning all the time. Conductors don't like the HiLevel cars either account they are harder to get commuters in and out of as compared to the Heritage type.
SteveD Member # 43
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Buck Shot is the real name of a neighbor of mine, could be the uncle of somebody.
UncleBuck44 Member # 2049
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The Day after I saw it, my dad and I went over to the train station to buy a one way ticket downtown because it was going to have superliner cars. Well at first they didn't have tickets but my dad and I wanted to see the train for fun, it was an hour late. About 15 minutes later the guy said to us that he had some available seats, so I bought one= $2.00, cant beat that. Train came in and I got in the first of three cars. Nobody was in half of our car and nobody was in the second car, didn't make it to the third. After taking lots of single-level trains in between KWD and STL you feel so high up in Superliner cars. Got into STL an hour late and about 75 people were at the station. Or So Fun Trip
Santa Fe 5704 Member # 2277
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I took the Anne Rutledge to Chicago from KC a few years ago to see the route. From St Louis to Alton was boring, boring, and more boring account we went sooooo slow. But, once out on the open main we flew pretty good. It amazed me how much work has been done on that mainline. Back in 1987 I had fellow Amtrak engineers that worked the same line and they told horror stories about "Slow Orders" that equaled a Sears and Roebuck Catalog. Once we got on the BNSF at Pequot the track smoothed out even better until the train hit the old gm&o tracks at Joliet. What a ride!!!! Roughest track I think I've been on in years. Of all the railroads that I've worked and traveled the Santa Fe's mainline remains far above them all in my humble opinion.
UncleBuck44 Member # 2049
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I know what you mean. Every time I take the KWD to STL train it is slow as molasses going into the Yards. Same with leaving STL. Hey why didn't you take the SW Chief. Sold Out.
tubaallen Member # 2057
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This is a funny topic. I just recently posted to a similar topic in another board. I go to school in Bloomington-Normal, and I noticed a picture of a loco in BNL, but it had superliners behind it, and no baggage, and only one loco. It had to have been a corridor train. I walk accross the tracks (right by the station) everyday to get to campus and back. Have yet to witness that myself!
Cthetrains Member # 2148
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Kirkwood?...cool, not too far from my neighborhood...
------------------ Cory (o:}=
Ira Slotkin Member # 81
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Hey Uncle:
Is the Amtrak station in St Louis still a small building behind the old Union Station?
UncleBuck44 Member # 2049
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Tuba I read your article about that, and Ira yes it is still an amshack behind Union Station.
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