DeSoto is located south of St Louis, and was home to a large car repair shop for the Missouri Pacific, as well as the namesake town of the DeSoto Subdivision. Though previously published in his book “Missouri Pacific Lines in Color” from the early 1990s, the late, great author and photographer Joe G Collias was kind enough to lend this image of a classic scene at DeSoto in June 1946. Missouri Pacific 4-8-4 #2109 has arrived with the northbound Texan, while a switcher works the car repair shop tracks on the left. This shop is still open and in service today for the Union Pacific. (Joe Collias)

The above is an excerpt from Rails Around Missouri, Chapter Six, pages 134-135. Rails Around Missouri is currently in its second hard cover print run, and is due out by Thanksgiving 2015. You can order your copy via the link below, and your copy will come signed by the author, and in time for Christmas! Postal or dealer orders are also an option directly from the printer. Contact Don Banwart, donald@sekan.com or call 620 664-7014.

The book is packed with over 500 all-color images from between 1946 – 1986, and from every corner of the state. Our online price is $54.95 plus $8 shipping. If it is a gift, please email me after your order to make sure I have that info: atsf101@hotmail.com