Route suggestions from St. Louis to Memphis.

[brazzman]

Looking at the Amtrak Route Atlas map , I'm seeing a green line connecting St. Louis to Carbondale - which is an Amtrak station on the route to Memphis. What does the green line represent? I really want to know the best route from Kansas City to Memphis. Thanks

 

[PRR 60]

The green line is an Amtrak Thruway bus service. The bus provides a link between the Kansas City - St. Louis train service , and the train between Chicago and New Orleans which serves Memphis.

The Amtrak schedule for the Kansas City, St. Louis, Carbondale, Memphis service can be found HERE.

 

[Steve4031]

IMHO taking the train to Chicago and then to Memphis us the most comfortable train option. Then you only have to change once. The stop in Carbondale us the middle of the night. The layover in Chicago is from about 3 pm to 8 pm.

 

[coachseats]

I took that connection several years ago from Carbondale to St. Louis and it was via a 15 passenger van. Not the most comfortable ride in the world, but it got me where I needed to go. If time is not an issue, I would agree to go up to Chicago and then down to New Orleans, all on the train.

 

[brazzman]

Thanks all for your replies. I really posted these questions for my friend who hasn't registered here yet. He may have additional questions when he does. In the meantime; his full itinerary is (with me) from Dearborn > Chicago via the Wolverine on a Friday AM. Catch the SWC @ 3pm Friday > Kansas City. I continue on to LA. He stays over in Kansas City thru the weekend and does the Harley Davidson Factory tour on Monday. He originally planed to then return to Chicago > Dearborn on Tues. But now is entertaining a side trip or two which prompted our inquiry about checking out Memphis via Kansas City > St. Louis > Carbondale > Memphis and the meaning of the green line on the map. He'll probably return to Dearborn via Memphis > Chicago. By the way - has anyone taken the Harley factory tour? And are there hotel recommendations in Kansas City near the station? Thanks.

 

[Steve4031]

Check out trip advisor reviews. They'll help you

 

[Notelvis]

The Westin Crown Center in Kansas City is perhaps 100 yards ..... maybe a shade more.... via enclosed walkway from Union Station. It's also attached to a small shopping mall so it's possible to go from train to hotel room to some eating options, shops, movie theatre, etc. without facing the outside elements. Valuable if it's raining, snowing, or excruciatingly hot or cold..... all of which are possible in Kansas City.

I've stayed there twice on train trips though on both trips I've gotten the room when it was offered as a special. The regular Westin rates are a bit out of my normal price range.

 

[Twin Star Rocket]

Some years ago Amtrak had a St. Louis section of the City of New Orleans that traversed Southern Illinois. You could travel to Memphis from St. Louis after the trains linked up.

 

[Eric S]

Some years ago Amtrak had a St. Louis section of the City of New Orleans that traversed Southern Illinois. You could travel to Memphis from St. Louis after the trains linked up.

I believe this was the River Cities which was essentially a Kansas City section of the City of New Orleans. In 1993 or 1994 the Kansas City-St. Louis-New Orleans River Cities was changed to the Kansas City-St. Louis Mules and the St. Louis-Carbondale bus/van connection.

 

[Shortline]

The Missouri Mules ran a lot earlier than the early 90's, at least as early as 84 or earlier-one KC-STL train was the Missouri Mule, the other was the Ann Rultledge. I don't know if either went past St Louis to Memphis.

 

[Eric S]

Guess I need to re-check old timetables when I get a chance. Perhaps the non-Ann Rutledge KCY-STL train carried both the Mule and River Cities names at one point?

 

[PaulM]

The River Cities had what must be the strangest consist of any regularly scheduled train: a dome-coach and heritage 10-6 sleeper. It was intended to serve visitors to New Orleans world fair around 1985 and didin't last much longer after the fair closed.

The two cars were carried on the St. Louis Mule and the CoNO. In the beginning the switching onto the CoNO was done in Centralia at a more reasonable hour. Later it was done in Carbondale at a less favorable time, even though it continued to join the then ICG mainline at Centralia.

 

[Steve4031]

I rode it from New Orleans to Kansas City in 1987 iirc. This trip there was only one or two people in the car the entire trip. It was the last car on the cnol. At one point it was just me and the brake man. In the morning between Centralia and St. Louis I spent time at the railfan window. The vestibule was at the back end, and the conductor let me ride on the platform as we crossed the Mississippi. A great trip.

 

[hessjm]

The 2 Joe's always stay at the Q Hotel & Spa in the Westport area. They will pick you up from and deliver you to the Amtrak station. the shuttle is available for trips to sights within, I believe, threes miles away - they even drove us over to and picked us up from Oklahoma Joe's for BBQ dinner. Luther, one of their drivers is a competition pitmaster himself! Amtrak passengers receive $15 off of the lowest available rate by showing their ticket at check in:

"If you are arriving to KC via train, this package is a must. You will enjoy $15 off our best available rate for every night you stay just for riding the train to KC. Call us and book the lowest rate we have, then show your Amtrak ticket when you arrive and we'll drop $15 right off your rate. After booking, call us to schedule a free pick-up from Union Station in our Hybrid shuttle vehicle."

Q Hotel and Spa