Nostalgia & History > "A Midwesterner's Espee"... Pt 2

In August 1975, I made my first ever visit to the SP, or at least to its Cotton Belt subdsidiary. Throughout the late 60's and into the 80's, the joint MP-SSW "River Line" from East St Louis south to the Mississippi River crossing at Thebes IL, and thence on to Dexter Jct. MO, where MP and SSW divided, acquired a reputation as being one of the busiest freight arteries in the country. A substantial number of movements, about evenly split between Cotton Belt and Mopac, traversed the line each day, and short stretches of single track along the route south of Chester IL tended to bunch trains up as they waited to take their turn over those gauntlets. I had the opportunity to return to the "River Line" a couple more times during the SP era, always finding it to be an interesting, and certainly active, piece of railroad. Of course, it remains a vital link today, albeit under Union Pacific auspices, the successor to both SP (SSW) and MP. Here are a few selected images from those visits.

Cheers,

aussiehinz


1. A southbound SSW manifest train hustles through "CP Potts," directly across the Mississippi River from Cape Girardeau MO on MP's Chester Subdivision. August, 1975

2. An SSW northbound train, also at "CP Potts," on the same hot, humid August, 1975 day.

3. A northbound SSW train, bound for Gateway Yard in East St Louis, crosses the Mississippi River on the massive bridge linking Thebes IL and Illmo MO. November, 1986



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/11 12:20 by aussiehinz.

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4. An SSW southbound train nears Gorham IL in November 1986.

5. On the same November 1986 day, a northbound SSW train with "Kodachrome" scheme 7564 on the point rumbles through Gorham IL, the junction with the ex-Mopac (C&EI) line to Chicago.

6. At Valley Jct., in East St. Louis MO, a northbound SSW merchandise train passes UP-MP power as it nears Gateway Yard.



Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/11 11:05 by aussiehinz.

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7. A southbound SSW train pauses at the north end of Dupo Yard, as it waits for a crew to take it down the UP's ex MP Chester Sub. March, 1990

8. Another southbound SSW train rolls through South Dupo IL on the same March, 1990 day.

9. SP #5111 brings several ex MP units, now belonging to regional Paducah & Louisville (P&L), into Gateway Yard at East St. Louis IL. March, 1990



Edited 3 time(s). Last edit at 06/12/11 11:44 by aussiehinz.

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Especially like the picture of the SP 7878. While working for the Katy, we had the SP 7878 on a regular basis on the run between McAlester, Oklahoma and Oklahoma City. We could never get the white Mars light to work, but the red one worked fine.

Great photos of SP somewhere besides in California.

Adam

very nice photos,please keep scanning,

Mark

Great shots, love that SPSF one!

SuperC Wrote:
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> Great photos of SP somewhere besides in
> California.
>
> Adam

Word! :)

Wonderful images. Enjoyed very much.