Remembering the Wabash in Missouri

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“In April of 1959, Wabash E8 #1012 leads train #10, the City of St Louis out of Mexico, Missouri, after making its station stop. This train was a joint operation with the Union Pacific Railroad, using UP rails west of Kansas City to Denver, where it was split for connections to Los Angeles and Portland.” – Bill Gibson photo

“One of the busiest railroads at Union Station was the Wabash, with service to Kansas City, Omaha, Chicago & Detroit. In the 1940s the Wabash got into the streamliner market by converting seven 2-8-2s into streamlined 4-6-4s with 80” drivers and “elephant ear” smoke deflectors. Engine #701 is seen departing Union Station on October 9, 1947 with the Banner Blue for Chicago. Note the brand new PRR E7s in the background.” – Joe Collias photo

– The above selections from “Rails Around Missouri” are from chapters 1 and 5, respectively. “Rails Around Missouri” was released on May 10, 2013 as a 224-page, hard cover book with over 500 all-color photos like the ones above. Your copy is available for $47.95 plus shipping and will come signed by the author. choose between the KCS or Frisco cover.  Don’t delay! – There are less than 100 copies of the Frisco cover left!

With over 800 images submitted for consideration, not all could be used. Below are a pair of Wabash shots not included, but are worth sharing here. First is a shot of a Wabash passenger train using the TRRA High Line along the St Louis riverfront. This slide was unmarked and believed to be a duplicate slide. Due to this and no accompanying information, it was not used. It s unusual to see a Wabash passenger train using this line along the riverfront, as all eastbound Wabash trains departed Union Station heading west to Delmar before turning east to cross the Mississippi Rover on the Merchants Bridge. Click the image for a larger view.

Next, we see N&W dome-observation car #1601, originally built for the Wabash Blue Bird, on track #2 at Union Station in August of 1966. Now assigned to the Banner Blue, the car still reflects its Wabash heritage inside and out. Note the GM&O observation car Abraham Lincoln on track 1. That car is currently on display at the Museum of Transport in St Louis County. Photo by Michael J Kelly. Click for a larger view.

 

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Jerome on the Frisco – late 1970s

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 “Further up the hill near Jerome, Frisco B30-7 #863 leads freight #438 as it drifts downgrade towards Newburg on October 28, 1978. In the mid-1970s, the Frisco ran four daily freights each way over the Rolla Sub between St Louis & Springfield: #’s 33, 35, 39 & 437 westbound, and #s 30, 34, 36 & 438 eastbound.” (Ken Albrecht)

This selection from “Rails Around Missouri” can be found in Chapter 7: Central Missouri. “Rails Around Missouri” was released on May 10 as a 224-page, hard-cover book with over 500 all-color photos like the one above. Your copy is available for $47.95 plus USPS padded Priority Mail shipping, and will come signed by the author. Choose between the KCS or Frisco cover. Don’t delay, as less than 100 copies remain with the Frisco cover.

With over 800 images submitted for consideration, not all could be included. Some of the ones excluded were still great shots, such as the one below from Ken Albrecht, taken April 17, 1977 at the same spot as the shot above. Also, the Frisco cover shot was taken in this same area.

Branson – 1975

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“Having reached the Oklahoma border (on the Frisco), we’ll shift to the Missouri Pacific’s Carthage Subdivision, part of MP’s storied White River Division. Beginning at Branson on the morning of September 6, 1975, MP SD40 #3038 leads train #202 over Lake Taneycomo and around the curves approaching downtown Branson. Train #202 carried traffic from the Southern Railway connection at Memphis to the Union Pacific connection at Kansas City. Train #202 would be re-symboled as train SMU a few years later.

A few minutes after the passage of train #202, the tri-weekly Cotter, Arkansas to Aurora, Missouri local, train #506, passes through the same location, led by GP9 #1684. The train is about to pass under US65 and turn north into downtown Branson. Today these rails belong to the Missouri & North Arkansas RR, and are home to the Branson Scenic Railway.

 

The above passage & photos from “Rails Around Missouri” can be found in Chapter Eight: Southwest Missouri. “Rails Around Missouri” was released on May 10, 2013 as a 224-page hard-cover book containing over 500 all-color photos like the ones above. Your copy is available for $47.95 plus shipping, and will come signed by the author. Choose between the KCS or Frisco cover. (Please note: less than 100 copies remain with the Frisco cover, so don’t delay.)

 

Important ‘Rails Around Missouri’ update 8-6-13

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Rails Around Missouri inventory almost 3/4 sold out! If you are still “thinking about it”, don’t wait too much longer as the inventory sits at just under 300 copies left out of 1000. The Frisco cover has only 100 copies remaining, and the KCS cover sits at 192 copies remaining here at “Rails” in Ballwin, Missouri.

The printed cover price is $54.95, but your price is $47.95 plus padded USPS Priority Mail shipping. Choose between the Frisco or KCS cover, and your copy will come signed by the author. DON’T WAIT! We expect the book will be completely sold out by Christmas.

‘Missouri’ Ins & Outs 7-26-13

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“The Illinois Central offered Chicago – St Louis service in the form of the Green Diamond and the Daylight. Both trains made daily round trips between the two cities, with the Green Diamond originating in St Louis, and the Daylight originating in Chicago. The Daylight is seen arriving in St Louis in October 1949 behind a pair of E8s.” (Joe Collias)

This week’s selection from Rails Around Missouri can be found in Chapter Five: St Louis & Surrounding Area. Rails Around Missouri was released as a 224-page hard cover book on May 10, 2013. The book features over 500 all-color photos like the one above, plus maps and depots. Your copy is available for $47.95 plus shipping. Choose between the KCS or Frisco cover, and your copy will come signed by the author. We are over 1/2 way to sold out, so order today!

As a bonus, here’s an alternative shot of the Illinois Central along the St Louis riverfront in 1966. The image is copyrighted to Blackhawk Films, and therefore was not able to be included in the book.

 

Next, in a shot that IS in the book and also in the St Louis chapter, GM&O F3 #883-A leads the Alton Limited out of St Louis Union Station in July 1949, bound for Chicago. (Joe Collias)

 

 Finally, a shot not included is this one of GM&O Alco DL-109 #272 in an undated photo at St Louis Union Station. In addition to the well-known St Louis – Chicago service over the former Chicago & Alton route, the GM&O also offered “Rebel” service from St Louis to Tennessee and Alabama over the original Gulf, Mobile & Ohio routes. Power for the “southern” lines was almost exclusively Alco, while service to Chicago was almost exclusively EMD-powered. This shot was not included as it is a duplicate slide, and the photographer could not be identified. Thanks for looking!

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