Western Railroad Discussion > A Little Known Railroad, The Manufacturers Railway!

Hello, I wanted to share a few images of a neat little railroad located here in St. Louis Missouri. The Manufacturers Railway is wholly owned by Anheuser Busch the brewing giant. The railroads main purpose is to switch the huge AB brewery in south St. Louis and a few smaller customers. They have a roster of 6 or 7 EMD switchers with a few normally leased out to area industries. The MRS is well known for keeping its power sparkling clean, as you can see by the images of MP-15 #254. I was lucky Tuesday as I caught MRS #254 bringing 10 cars back from The Alton & Southern Railway yard in East St. Louis ILL., as this move normally takes place at night. Catching The MRS outside the area around the brewery is not easy since they leave only once a day. Most of the beer goes out on BNSF and is taken on a TRRA transfer to Madison ILL for delivery to BNSF. This set of images shows MRS #254 bringing 10 cars back from The A&S , the train is seen dropping off the Poplar St. bridge in St. Louis MO. The third image shows the train nearing the north end of the MRS yard in South St. Louis MO.
Take Care! Mike

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You should have seen them in '69 when they used three S-2s and scaled the bridge! Wow.

There is currently one working in Granite City, Il at American Steel Foundry, and I believe 2 others are working at Tri-City Port in Granite City.
Photo 1 was taken new years day 2006,
2) 1-19-06 Tri-City Port
3) 2-7-06 American Steel Foundry

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Very cool pictures. Wanted to say that that's a great paint scheme, especially the red pads on the pilot.

Thanks, and keep em coming!

Interesting railroad, i was looking at photos of their motive power and a few things caught my eye. They have mp15s with blomberg M trucks, and one sw1500(258) that appears to have that slight boxy top hood section like an mp15dc near the cab. I don't think i've ever seen a picture of another sw1500 like that. Anybody know the story on that unit?

Nice right-on-the-edge shot of the Peace Arch in the background!

I see that the 253 has electric fans. I never saw this on a SW before. What railroad was the previous operator of these engines?

The MRS #253 was rebuilt from an Alco S Series switcher with an EMD prime mover. It has been on lease to Tri-Cities Port in Granite City ILL for a few years.
StlRailfan

MRS 253 was rebuilt by Morrison Knudsen as class TE-47-4E. Unit retained its ALCO cab, frame and trucks.

John Benson

http://www.bensonrailphotos.com

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Slight correction, there are no tracks on the Poplar Street Bridge. The train is coming down the south approach on the Missouri side of the MacArthur Bridge.

Those who mentioned the Manufacturers Railway of years passed are correct. I switched for the MoP in the Lesprence Street Yard in the early '60s, so I got to watch as the transfer run walked up the same bridge approach. It usually had four units on the head end, and they just kept gettin' up. One of the standing jokes about the Manufacturers at that time was that you had to drive stakes and check regularly to tell which way they were going.

But clean, or should I say sparkling all of the time.

Ron Zimmer

Being wholly owned by Anheiser Busch I wonder if "rule G" still applies?

I don't think they give out a case of beer with the paychecks. Or was it once a month they got a case? Regardless i think they've done away with doing that.

westcoaster Wrote:
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> Nice right-on-the-edge shot of the Peace Arch in
> the background!


Sorry, the Peace Arch is in Blair, Washington, this is offically the Jefferson National Expnasion Memorial "Gateway Arch". It commerates the Louisiana Purchase.

Ron Zimmer
St. Louis