On July 13, 2026, BNSF Railway removed the switch and final spur (or ‘house track’) that once connected Main 1 to the MFA and Santa Fe Depot freight warehouses. The switch was located just east of the old Dollar General building at 125 E. Howell Ave., and was one of the last remaining physical links to the former Santa Fe rail facilities that once served downtown Marceline. It was also the spur that brought Santa Fe Diesel engine #5008 to its current resting place at the end of California Ave.

Many years ago a few switches served spurs, and even a short siding that came off Main 1 just after the Gracia bridge, went along side what is (in 2026) the old Dollar General and Walsworth Community Center buildings, right along the back-side of Ripley Square, across Santa Fe Ave., then rejoins Main 1  just before Crocker Street.

While this switch and the remainder of the siding has been unused for several years, its removal marks the end of another visible piece of Marceline’s railroad history.

Take a look at a photo from the Gracia bridge looking towards the Depot on the Marceline Historical Society’s Digital Collections site, likely from around 1912. Then, play with the ‘then and now’ slider below.