Western Railroad Discussion > St. Louis shortline fanning advice

Good evening,

Hoping to get some good advice from our members knowledgable on the ins and outs of St. Louis shortlines. I am going to drive through St. Louis on a long road trip with only a short time to spare (no more than an hour delay). There are a number of shortlines in town that pique my interest, but with only the opportunity to do a "smash n' grab" I'm going to need some help.

I've found the excellent guide to St. Louis railfanning on Trainweb, which is a great help for finding where everything is. So, here are my questions:

Alton & Southern: Valley Jct. seems like the place, though not getting rave reviews on safety. Tons of trains, but how much A&S power? Is this THE spot to get A&S power, or do other opportunities exist, such as Mitchell Yard at Granite City or elsewhere?

TRRA: How is Madison Yard for photography? Seems there is a spot to watch/photograph the action just outside the entrance to the yard. Any good photo angles for mid to late morning light? Interested in the TRRA power.

Manufacturer's Railway: nice shots around the shop. How is it lit for mid to late morning? Would I expect to find any activity on a Saturday around that time?

Respondek: I've seen some nice shots at Granite City of the green power. Any weekend activity out of this road, or would they likely be parked on a Saturday morning? Is the Melvin Price facility open to the public or private? Looks like plenty of wide open shots available there.

Now, these questions probably leave you thinking "that sure is a lot for an hour!" All of these won't happen, for certain. I'd be happy to get even two given the time I have. I'd really appreciate hearing from the experts what is practical out of the above mentioned roads, and if there is somewhere better to get them than I have listed, more than happy to hear the suggestions.

I greatly appreciate any and all responses. These short time swing throughs are what I find to be the toughest when you're in such a "target rich" environment, and it certainly does take a load off to have some sort of game plan coming in. Thanks in advance for the help!

Mike Derrick
http://www.shortlinesusa.com

Mike, MRS can usually be seen working the yard in the afternoon, best shots of the engine house and power are in the morning, just stay off the property and you will be ok. Yard and enginehouse are in south St. Louis on near Arsenal and Broadway east of the brewery along the river. The TRRA is best for photography in the afternoon shots of power in the pit can be had from roadway into yard, do not go on TRRA property. Also good shots can be had of yard and hump from overpass over northend of yard, a semi rough area ,just be aware of what is going on around you. The Alton and Southern is a little tougher to get , most of the power stays in the yard, They do leave but if you don't have alot of time your best bet is to go to the yard. Best chance to see power close up is too go to the backend ( southend) of the yard. Dual humps and many switch moves can be seen here. This is a real rough area be very careful around here, best for photography in the morning. If near the A&S you might want to check out Metro East Industries, a locomotive and railcar rebuilder, always has alot of oddball power around. The Respondek is real easy to get, they are located in the former Melvin Price Army facility along Rt. 3 in Granite City, just tell at the gaurd at the gate what you want to do and they will almost always let you in to photograph the locomotives. The units are usually kept all together south of the main gate. I hope this helps you, If it was me I would do the Respondek and the TRRA, they are only less than two miles apart. You could do the MRS time permitting, but they don't always have locomotives sitting out. Any other questions feel free to ask.
Mike

Kind of depends on where you are coming from and going to.
If coming from the north go by Mitchell first and try your luck. May have some power working the yard. Go south on Il-203 to Pontoon road and make a right to Il Rt 3. turn left on Rt 3 to the Melvin Price Center. Just tell the guard your going to Respondek. (After passing the guard house turn left and follow it back to the warehouses) After your done there when you get to the stop light at rt 3 go straight (Niedringhaus?) and take this up to State Street (3-4 blocks past WR Tower which is no longer there)Turn right on State and follow it to the TRRA yard (best bet is from the bridge but as was noted earlier be aware of your surroundings) After you are done with the TRRA and depending on where you need to go I would go and take a right at the first stop light in Madison (6th street?) after coming off of the bridge and make a right. Follow it out to Il 203 and turn right. This will take you to the the Interstate (55-70) You can cross the Poplar street Bridge to I-55 south and take the 7th street exit. Turn left at the stop light and follow it down to Arsenal (7th turns into Broadway) turn left on Arsenal and follow it to the flood wall. MRS is there on the left. Stay on the road to take pictures! Notice I didn't send you through E. St Louis or Venice. There is a reason. If you aren't familiar with the area, stay out! If you are somewhat familiar, before crossing the river on the PSB take the Tudor Ave. exit. follow it up to 20th street turn right and take it to Valley Jct. Once at Valley I feel a lot safer. Just getting through the neighborhood is another thing. When your ready to leave Valley, you can take Wilford to 19th, turn left cross both sets of tracks and make a right. follow this around to the stop light in Sauget and you can make a right to the Poplar Street Bridge. GOOD LUCK and show us what you are able to shoot!

Mike contact me by email for East St.Louis advice,
Randy Allard
FIREMAN424@aol.com