The COLT Railroad: A Mid-Missouri Shortline (8/10/22)

On a gorgeous Wednesday morning in August, I was informed of the Columbia Terminal Railroad (COLT) operating from their base in Columbia, MO, up to Centralia, MO to interchange with NS, and return. Having never shot this line before, the opportunity was too good to pass up. Here, you'll see the COLT GP7u # 2001 pulling seven cars north to the NS interchange, and returning south with three cars, two of which would be dropped in the siding at Etta, north of Columbia.

The COLT operates over a former Wabash and then Norfolk Western line that ran from Centralia to Columbia, and was originally intended to connect with the MKT further south. However, it only ended up going as far as Columbia. They operate 2-3 times per week, and sometimes more than that, depending on customer needs.

This is a very neat operation, and proved to be a fun and productive chase, as the highway parallels the tracks pretty closely from Columbia to Hallsville. Hope you enjoy, and please consider subscribing for more quality railroad content down the road. © 2022