| Please forgive the light streaks, but I think this shot personifies the backwoods Frisco in Missouri. This is the tri-weekly local on the Kansas City to Springfield "High Line" with only three cars, a company 40' box, a covered hopper and a flatcar carrying farm implements before the caboose. Power is a single GP7, steam boiler-equipped 610 in this case, which would end up with Amtrak five years later. Although the shorter route between KC and the road's hub city, the High Line saw only locals at this point as the mainline took the longer route over better track through Ft Scott and Lamar. This train is at Brownington, about ten miles south of Clinton and appears to be headed south, probably near the posted 25MPH limit. Most of this endearing, slow line would be pulled up by 1978. (and in another sign of rural Missouri is the pile of empty Schlitz cans in the foreground) |