South of Cape Girardeau, the jointly operated MP-SSW mainline from East St Louis, IL to Dexter, MO crosses the Mississippi River at Thebes, just east of Scott City. Known as Illmo by the railroads, the Cotton Belt had a large, 2-story station and office building here. In July, 1978, MP GP38 # 2130 leads a…
It’s been 2 months since Rails Around Missouri was re-released in hardback. The response has been enthusiastic, with many readers seeing it for the first time. Reprinted in more vibrant color and with a new cover, the book contains all 224 pages filled with over 500 all-color images from every part of Missouri, from 1946…
It’s been well over 35 years since a Rock Island or Cotton Belt train rumbled across Missouri between St Louis and Kansas City via Freeburg. Shuttered by the Cotton Belt in the early 1980s, the scenic line, complete with 4 tunnels and several high bridges, has been officially abandoned west of Union, Mo. In fact, the…
FINALLY!! After many months, production copies of the hard cover reprint of Rails Around Missouri are on their way from Britegraphix in Ft Scott Kansas. They are expected to arrive Friday Dec 18, get signed, and shipped back out by Monday Dec 21. I realize this is cutting it close on Christmas orders, but hopefully yours…
HAPPY THANKSGIVING!! A delay at the printer has set the release back a week or so. Copes are expected to begin shipping out from Ft Scott, KS by December 4th. Copies ordered here on this website will ship out as soon as they arrive from the printer. Expect delivery mid-December. As a reminder – This is…