Hannibal trains

[Terry Toenges]

We just returned from 4 days in Hannibal MO. with the grandkids.
While the trip was meant to enlighten the grandkids about things Mark Twain related, it was also a cool place for train viewing.
There is a double track main through town between the historic district and the river.
From our riverview room in the Hotel Clemens, I could watch the trains frequently going North and South. Seems like about every couple of hours or so, there would be one going one way and, a few minutes later, one going the other way. We were on the second floor, so the view was partially obstructed by buildings. Had we been on the third floor, the view would have been even better.
Just above the historic part, there is a railroad draw bridge crossing the Mississippi River into Illinois and I watched quite a few trains crossing the river.
I think it is Burlington Northern track. I did see BN, BNSF, and UP lettered locos in the same train.
The consists seemed to be mostly empty auto haulers going South and hoppers heading North and East with an occasional mixed freight.
Just South of the historic district, below Lover's Leap, there had been a roundhouse in the late 1800's- early 1900's. I looked all around for any indications where the roundhouse had been, but couldn't find any.
Crossing the Southern part of town (East to West) there is an "S" curve that looks like the curves are really sharp compared to others I've seen and the straight between them looked to be not much more than a car length.
Just South of Hannibal, there is a cement plant with all kinds of neat sidings and spurs.
In town there is a train store with a huge "O" scale layout in the back room.
I had been to Hannibal years ago and had forgotten about all the train activity.
Great place for train fans to visit.

[SteamGene]

But how were Tom and Becky?
gene

[lanny]

Gene,

I imagine they were on "Lovers Leap" watching all those neat trains Terry mentioned. 

lanny nicolet

[nscaler711]

How did you like your stay in Missouri?

[Terry Toenges]

It was so hot, I reckon Tom and Becky were off skinny dipping somewhere while I perused the in-door pool.
The Lover's Leap is said to have been two Indians and the chief was going to whack the brave for "hunting his daughter's buffalo", so they chose to die together.
Except for a couple of years here and there, I been in Missouri most of my life... St. Louieee born and bred.
How did I like my stay in Hannibal?
It would have been just great if it wasn't so dern hot.  Upper 90's the whole trip. The grandkids sure kept me going. My wife has a sore arm and foot so she stayed in the room most of the time.

[SteamGene]

Terry,
I was in Hannibal years ago - probably just a bit younger than Tom, but maybe not.  I really enjoyed it.  I'd like to see it again and take my grandkids to it.  What a story!  Injin Joe, Muff Potter, the fence, the cave, "Pirates at Their Own Funeral" - great!
Gene

[Terry Toenges]

Gene,
It was a fun time. It brought back a lot of kid memories for me.
The first night, we stayed at Travelodge just up the road from the historic stuff. They had us in a room with no window and I couldn't take 4 days of that. That's when we switched to Hotel Clemens. I'm so glad we did. Great view, good restaurant across the street on one corner and the train store/layout on the other. Half a block away is Mark Twain's home and the infamous white fence..
My granddaughter decided she and I were going to walk up those long stairs and look at the lighthouse atop the hill overlooking the town.  Boy, was that exhausting for me, but she breezed right up. Then we get to the top and I see there is a road we could have taken right to it.
Then, the people in the round bumper boats at Sawyer's Creek didn't appreciate me when I discovered that if you turn the handle a full 90 degrees, you can spin around in circles the whole time like the park merry-go-rounds. I guess they didn't want me teaching the kids that.
I forgot to mention that a few miles down the road South of Louisiana, MO there is another RR bridge over the Miss. This one is the turntable type thats swings around to let boats pass.
The one above Hannibal is the one with two pillars that raises.

[nscaler711]

i did not realize you were/are from Missouri.....
I live two hours west of you in Columbia...and the weather is still so HOT!

[GlennW]

Some of the trains may have been NS on the old Wabash?