St. Joseph, Missouri
Photos coming soon
Railfan Vantage Point 1:
Francis Street - Next to the river at the foot of Francis St. is a large City-owned parking lot
that offers a front row seat to the BNSF action on this busy route. Interstate 229 goes overhead and provides
good shade on sunny days.
Former Chicago Great Western trackage is visible from this area. The remaining CGW tracks have been reduced to
a mere siding as they veer off to the northeast.
Train
Frequency:
Freight - 30-40 a day
What
You'll See:
BNSF - A great place to see northbound and
southbound freights including coal trains, stack trains, intermodal and manifest
trains.
Security
Concerns:
The area is relatively quiet and is well lighted at night. The
parking area is patrolled by the St. Joseph Police
GPS Address
1 Francis St - St. Joseph,
MO
How to Get There:
From I-29 - Take Exit #47 and go west
on Frederick St to Francis St. (Frederick St makes a sharp bend to the left at this intersection) Go right on
Francis St until you reach the parking lot.
Railfan Vantage Point 2:
Alabama St. - On the south side of St. Joseph along US
Hwy 59 South is a spot where BNSF trains enter St. Joseph from the south. There are several places to pull off the
road for photo opportunities at this location. Rock Island and Santa Fe formerly shared these rails as an
entry to Atchison, KS and are now being used by BNSF in addition to the original CB&Q tracks.
Train
Frequency:
Freight - 30-40 a day
What
You'll See:
BNSF - A great place to see northbound and
southbound freights including coal trains, stack trains, intermodal and manifest
trains.
Security
Concerns:
The area has a good deal of vehicular traffic and most folks don't
pay attention to what you're doing but I would be hesitant to park in the area after
dark.
GPS Address
1000 Alabama St. - St. Joseph,
MO
How to Get There:
US Hwy 59 is accessible from several points in the St. Joseph area. Just go south
on 6th St from the Downtown area (6th St is also Hwy 59) until you reach Alabama St. Taco Johns is near the
intersection.
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