Photos of the cars recently purchased and now headed for Kansas City Union Station. Mostly old Milwaukee Road.

http://www.trainweb.org/mopac/MoPac3.htm

I'm delighted to see so many Milwaukee Road passenger cars are still around so many years after the railroad went bankrupt. Hopefully they can be properly interpreted within their historic context.

....... just why is a fleet of Milwaukee cars and equipment going to Kansas City, which didn't have any MILW trackage?

Beg to differ, as Milwaukee did run into Kansas City right up until Soo Line purchased the remains in the early 1980's.

That being said, in as much as the remains of No.s 25 and 26 (The Southwest Limited) came off in 1958, it is pretty doubtful that these cars ever ran into Kansas City unless some of them made the trip on UP as part of the mileage agreement over the "Cities" trains. Milwaukee cars did make it to and from Kansas City on UP's 9-10 and 17-18.

Seeing these cars leads me to several questions:
1. How did these cars escape the Friends of the 261 from acquiring?
2. The cars are marked for KCS. Were they to be part of the executive train, and then discarded, or are they marked this way just for shipping?
3. Will they be displayed as a single train, or as separate cars; will they function (meaning run on tracks) as a train?

I have read the press comments on the KC museum's ups and downs, but forget some of the details. I know this exhibit will not make or break the museum on its own, but I hope the display is done well.

Lastly, my nomination for a good train to display in KC would be the Mark Twain Zephyr, which needs a good home, even if it's on the far side of Missouri.

1. How did these cars escape the Friends of the 261 from acquiring?

Other than the fact that the majority of the cars are of Milwaukee Road parentage, they just don't fit into the present needs of FO 261. And the other five letter word, "M-O-N-E-Y".

Only the diner is unique and would be a nice addition to the first class section of the excursion train.

"Jefferson River" is a duplicate to their "Minnesota River" except that the room arrangement within the car is different. "Minnesota River" is Amtrak compliant; who knows how much money it would take do the "J. River" or any of the rest of these cars to make them acceptable to Amtrak after sitting for so many years.

The RPO is, well, it is an RPO. A future tool car candidate or open air car, maybe, but not a necessity at this time. FO 261 has a former UP baggage car on their property which would work just as well.

"Going-To-The-Sun-Mountain" is a lovely ex-GN car but the car would be redundant for FO 261 as "Cedar Rapids" is the premier car of the consist and will remain so. "Cedar Rapids" was made Amtrak compliant over the past winter so all the more reason for not needing the GN observation.

FO 261 has concentrated on purchasing former Amtrak cars which are easier to re-certify in Amtrak service. While not of Milwaukee Rd parentage, their purchases have been "case-specific" as each one fills a perceived need in the trainset.

I know everyone gets tired of the same old, same old..."Support your local steam locomotive, museum, tourist operations, blah, blah, blah " but here is a good example of equipment "getting away" at least partially due to the lack of funds and the need to rationalize equipment purchases. And remember, there is a 4-8-4 at the center of their universe competing for funds just like the passenger cars.

Don C.

1) the KCUS people paid $650,000 for the equipment, so I wouold suspect money was the diriving factor in why no one else has bought the stuff previously.

2) KCS paid for the move as a donation towards KCUS and one would suspect needed KCS numbers to move - possibly a special movement rate was negotiated under STB rules.

3). The equipment is to be exhibited in Kansas City. In as much as no one of this stuff has run since 1971 or so, there is no way any of the passenger cars could be considered Amtrak compliant.

one more thing. These cars have reasonably complete interiors. The mark Twain Zephyr is really not much more than shells on wheels.

Keep in mind there is still a debate going on within the KCUS and the governmental bodies as to how this stuff will in the end be paid for. Money has been taken out of contingency monies to actually write the purchase check, however some local politicians are involved now so who knows what may happen.