SteveK from Saint Louis, MO on 8/1/2012 8:45:39 PM:
You can still trace some of the abandoned section you mention on Google Maps. However, the MKT line you were on was built in the 1870's and abandoned in 1957 with reservoirs that were built north of Burlington, KS in the 1960's permanently severed that abandoned line. The line south of Burlington(to Parsons, KS) was active for a while longer, but eventually it was abandoned(and not railbanked) too....that is if what I just looked up on the internet is accurate.