Live CamThis fixed camera looks east along the railroad at La Plata, a small town in northern Missouri that sits on a busy BNSF freight corridor and on Amtrak's Chicago to Los Angeles route. Trains come through at all hours, so the view swings between long quiet stretches of empty track and the sudden arrival of a headlight in the distance.
Why La Plata? Railfans have gravitated to La Plata for years because the traffic is heavy, the sightlines are long and the town has embraced its trains rather than tolerating them. The east-facing angle gives you plenty of warning as a train approaches, letting you watch a locomotive grow from a pinprick of light into a full consist rolling past.
La Plata Railroad highlights: As you enjoy the live view, be sure to look out for:
- Amtrak Southwest Chief: The long distance Chicago to Los Angeles train calls at La Plata, and its arrival is one of the most anticipated moments on the cam.
- Freight After Freight: Mixed manifests, intermodal stacks and grain trains roll through around the clock on this busy main line across northern Missouri.
- Night Headlights: After dark the approach becomes a slow glow on the horizon, then a rush of light and passing cars before the track goes quiet again.
Beyond the Tracks: La Plata is a small farming town in Macon County, surrounded by the fields and rolling grassland of northern Missouri. It is the kind of place where the railroad is the main event, and visiting railfans mix easily with locals. Kirksville lies a short drive north for anyone travelling through the region.
Thanks to the operator who keeps this camera aimed steadily east along the La Plata main line. Maintaining a reliable trackside stream through Missouri winters and summers takes real commitment, and railfans around the world are able to watch this corridor because of it.
Tune in whenever you like, wait for that distant headlight to appear, and let a passing freight or the Southwest Chief bring a little of northern Missouri to your screen.
