That bridge and rail line originally was the entire run of the St. Louis, Oak Hill and Carondelet Railroad, later subsumed by the Missouri Pacific Railroad and always connected to the southwest MoPac trunk.
It's now owned by Union Pacific and is part of their St. Louis to Poplar Bluff, MO, main line, known as the "DeSoto Subdivision." Amtrak's Texas Eagle passes over it each way per day on its way between Chicago and Dallas, as do 3-6 freight trains. The bridge originally advertised the passenger trains of its former owner, the Missouri Pacific, initially the "Scenic Limited" and later the "Eagles" streamliners, most of which ran out of St. Louis Union Station to points south. This dates back to the glory days of passenger rail travel (pre-1960s), and proof-positive that lead-based paint does hold up immensely well. Here is a link to a photo of the bridge in the 1950s, when MoPac's Texas Eagle was king! Note the boxcar in the middle of Kingshighway!!! The brake wheel was defective and it rolled away from a warehouse (near where Home Depot currently is located) while it was being unloaded. -Scott N., Clayton http://www.westernrailimages.com/Mopac/Mopac-Missouri-Pacific-Railway/7189869_M2B9f9#!i=461709404&k=4SPiG&lb=1&s=A
It's a little hard to read, but I think it might say "Scenic Railroad," meaning that the trains on this trestle went out to Castlewood.
That bridge and rail line originally was the entire run of the St. Louis, Oak Hill and Carondelet Railroad, later subsumed by the Missouri Pacific Railroad and always connected to the southwest MoPac trunk.
ReplyDeleteIt's now owned by Union Pacific and is part of their St. Louis to Poplar Bluff, MO, main line, known as the "DeSoto Subdivision." Amtrak's Texas Eagle passes over it each way per day on its way between Chicago and Dallas, as do 3-6 freight trains. The bridge originally advertised the passenger trains of its former owner, the Missouri Pacific, initially the "Scenic Limited" and later the "Eagles" streamliners, most of which ran out of St. Louis Union Station to points south. This dates back to the glory days of passenger rail travel (pre-1960s), and proof-positive that lead-based paint does hold up immensely well. Here is a link to a photo of the bridge in the 1950s, when MoPac's Texas Eagle was king! Note the boxcar in the middle of Kingshighway!!! The brake wheel was defective and it rolled away from a warehouse (near where Home Depot currently is located) while it was being unloaded. -Scott N., Clayton http://www.westernrailimages.com/Mopac/Mopac-Missouri-Pacific-Railway/7189869_M2B9f9#!i=461709404&k=4SPiG&lb=1&s=A
ReplyDeleteWow, what a great picture! There's actual pedestrians walking up and down Kingshighway!
Delete