I would like to know if anyone has information on a group rumored to be operating in southwestern Missouri. This group is supposed to be located around St. Joseph, possibly in Webb City MO. From what I've heard, they operate an interurban car from the Southwest Missouri Railway (#5, homebuilt 1905) in a park by using a generator-on-a-flat-car. They may also have one or two other pieces of equipment.

Has anyone ever seen this small, but fairly noteworthy, organization's site or operations?

> I would like to know if anyone has
> information on a group rumored to be
> operating in southwestern Missouri. This
> group is supposed to be located around St.
> Joseph, possibly in Webb City MO. From what
> I've heard, they operate an interurban car
> from the Southwest Missouri Railway (#5,
> homebuilt 1905) in a park by using a
> generator-on-a-flat-car. They may also have
> one or two other pieces of equipment.

> Has anyone ever seen this small, but fairly
> noteworthy, organization's site or
> operations?

Actually yes, this operation does exist in Webb City. One of our local NRHS members, who spent his formative years in Webb City, was there last year and got photos of the car, which is operated, not by a generator, but by a power truck rigged up with an engine from an old Corvair.

There is just the one car, and according to the member, no evidence of additional preservation work. It also seemed that the work to date was done by a very small cadre of people. If I had a scanner I could borrow slides and post them, but........

Still, if you find yourself in Webb City, look around, many buildings from the former interurban are still extant in the area.

Hope this helps.

Michael Seitz

Missoula Montana

mikefrommontana@juno.com