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THE KANSAS CITY, OUTER BELT
& ELECTRIC RAILROAD.

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The Kansas City Outer Belt & Electric Railroad was designed primarily to provide the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway with an entrance into Kansas City, and connections for the interchange of traffic with other lines entering the city, more particularly those from the east and north terminating in Kansas City.

A secondary purpose was to provide space and track facilities for the many industries that were, and still are, finding it difficult to secure adequate sites on the existing belt lines. At the time this line was projected and graded the conditions in the freight terminals of all lines in the city were very greatly congested, so much so that through traffic remained in the terminal yards for days before it could be moved to connecting lines. The Outer Belt was expected to relieve this congestion in some degree by occupying a route well outside of the existing freight channels, and by so doing to receive and deliver freight beyond the limits of the over crowded districts.

Mr. Molitor in his preliminary report states; ãIt would appear that the new Union Station and improvements now under construction by the Kansas City Terminal Company, has so altered the situation, that there is no necessity for the completion of the Kansas City, Outer Belt & Electric Railroad Companyä. To those who are familiar with the railroad situation in Kansas City, as it is at the present time, and as it will be when the new Union Station Terminal facilities are completed, the inaccuracy of this statement is apparent.

-5- While it is a fact that the facilities which the Union Station Terminal Company will provide will provide will greatly improve conditions in so far as the interchange of traffic between certain lines is concerned, it will not materially affect the traffic which the Outer Belt is designed for and hopes to secure, that is, the through traffic between the north and east, and the south and west.

Both the local business of the city and its importance as a traffic gateway are rapidly growing and although the necessity for the completion of the Outer Belt will not be so great when the terminal facilities to be provided by the Union Terminal Company are completed, yet shortly thereafter the Outer Belt cannot fail to become a principal channel for the moving of traffic into and through the city.

The function that the Outer Belt will perform in this respect is, however, less important than that of furnishing the Kansas City, Mexico and Orient Railway with an entrance into and terminal facilities in , Kansas City.

Every railroad channel into Kansas City. Excepting that of the Outer Belt right of way, is occupied. In order that it may compete for the business of t he city and for the handling of through traffic, it is necessary that the Orient shall have its own terminal as do all other lines now entering the city. Otherwise it will be unable to secure its proportion of the business.

The lines on which industries are located naturally control to a large extent the routing of the output of those industries. Kansas City is a primary grain market. Grain is shipped to that point. Not only from the points on the line of Orient, but from all lines entering the city. At certain seasons

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of the year the grain is stored in large elevators and the companies having elevators on their own lines are favored with the outbound movement.

Without a belt line such as the Outer Belt provides, the Orient will be unable to furnish such elevator sites, and as a consequence will be unable to control its proportion of that traffic. Already in anticipation of the completion of this line, important industries have been built in locations that may be reached by Outer Belt tracks, and with the completion of the Belt Line and a connection with Wichita, numerous other industries will locate on its tracks.

In further refutation of Mr. Molitorâs statement, a clipping from the Kansas City Post of June 14, 1912 is attached.

The citizens of Kansas City, Kansas (Population 83,000) are endeavoring to secure a Union station. The Outer Belt furnishes the only possible solution of this problem.

That the sites for industries in the city are becoming scarce is indicated by the fact that another belt line, The Kansas City Industrial Belt Ry., is projected around the southeast quarter of the city, the principal purpose of which, as its name indicated, is to provide additional industrial sites.

A clipping form the Kansas City Star of June 9th , 1912 indicating the route of this new belt line is attached. It may be said however, in connection with this latter project, that the industrial sites it will furnish are much inferior to those on the Outer Belt in that a large proportion of the residential section of the city occurs between it and the business district, whereas the Outer Belt reaches the section of principal industrial growth.

-7- The whole of the Outer Belt is above the flood line of the Kaw river, a fact of great importance to manufacturing concerns.

The grading of the line is largely completed for a double track from a connection with the Kansas City Belt Line at Eighteenth Street to a connection with the Missouri Pacific Railway at Second Street, including the west end yards, as shown on the attached map.

The bridges, which are double track, of steel on reinforced concrete abutments, are completed, with the exception of the Kaw River Bridge, the overhead crossing of the K. C. Western (Electric) Railway and the overhead crossing of the Union Pacific Railway. The abutments for the latter bridge are completed and the steel is on the ground awaiting erection. No work has been done on the branch from the west end yards to a connection with the Orient and the Santa Fe at Turner on the South side of the Kaw. Except on the latter connection the right of way has been secured throughout.

KCOB&E report transcribed in altered form for the web by Russell Crump

INDEX

Introduction..................................................1
Kansas City, Outer Belt & Electric R.R........................3
	Estimate of Cost.........2 maps.......................7
	Map......................1 map........................8
	Newspaper clippings.....1 map....................9 &10

Kansas City, Mexico & Orient Ry.  
(to be transcribed some future date).....................11-127