In his book, "The Rebirth Of The Missouri Pacific, 1956-1983," author Craig Miner articulately details how the MoPac became one of the Midwest's most prominent carriers during an era when several others were struggling. The recapitalization, which resolved the stock conflict and provided an essential stock restructuring, also gave Mo-Pac the potential for more active participation in the Western Railroad merger movement and cleared the way for the Missouri Pacific to proceed with its own corporate unification. Modernization of the properties continued uninterruptedly, and in November, 1959 a $13-million double-crest automatic freight car classification yard was opened for service in Kansas City, Mo. It had its origins when the Pacific Railroad (of Missouri) was chartered on March 12, 1849, to build from St. Louis to the western boundary . In 1998 a gentleman by the name ofAndre Kristopans put together a web page highlighting virtually every unit out-shopped by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division. that officially merged into MP in 1956. A multi-stage modernization program carried out at Mo-Pac's major freight car repair complex at DeSoto, Mo., was completed in 1966 with construction of a car fabricating shop, the seventh new structure built during the project. Locomotives and cars came the same way. The company also increased its efforts to attract new industries to its 12-state territory. Thanks to World War II's incredible traffic blitzkrieg these upgrades continued and by 1955 dieselization was completed. Gould also purchased control of the International Great Northern and completed the line of this latter railroad into Laredo, Texas. Troy, N.Y. But it was not until two years later, on March 1, 1956, that the United States District Court at St. Louis officially ended Missouri Pacific's 23 years of receivership. It operated between St. Louis, Missouri and Denver, Colorado, using MP trackage from St. Louis to Pueblo, Colorado and traveling on the Denver & Rio Grande Western Railroad from there to Denver. Because the route selected required the construction of two tunnels west of what became Kirkwood, and because tunnel excavation was necessarily slower, work on these tunnels was also begun at that time. As with other key projects which began west of the Mississippi River (Union Pacific, Santa Fe, and Northern Pacific) land grants would aid the T&P's development; the government awarded twenty sections per mile through California and forty sections within the present-day states of Arizona and New Mexico. In 1937 the first diesel locomotives made their appearance on Missouri Pacific tracks. Alleghany Corp. joined the suit the next year. The Texas Western Railroad, chartered in 1852 to build from the eastern to the western boundary of the state, later became the Texas & Pacific. However, he, too, suffered the same fate as his father when the financial Panic of 1907 broke up his empire. By July 1853 work on the two tunnels west of Kirkwood was completed so that the "First Division" of the railroad could be opened. Abandoned Railroads In 1855, work on the original PR resumed as it reached Jefferson City. Updates? In 1975, the Federal Railroad Administration awarded Mo-Pac a $5.5 million contract to develop an automated freight car scheduling system, built upon the data base and operating applications of Missouri Pacific's TCS. A consistent industry leader each year in both growth and volume of piggyback and containerized traffic, Mo-Pac has invested heavily-more than $20 million since 1961 in the facilities and hardware needed to efficiently handle intermodal movements. For the time being, however, things did not quite go according to plan for mogul. The company's initials-MP-continued as symbols of the Modern and Progressive spirit of Missouri Pacific's heritage. Tipton was also the eastern terminus for a new overland mail service to San Francisco. Today, Amtrak continues to operate its Texas Eagle and Union Pacific paid homage to the railroad in 2005 by painting one of its new EMD SD70ACe locomotives In 1916 they were sold to the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico Railway, and operated as the Gulf Coast Lines. Between 1885 and 1892, however, there was a large increase of Missouri Pacific mileage through construction of subsidiary lines. Those trains replaced the famed Sunshine Special and made their inaugural runs on August 15, 1948. Progress, though, was interrupted again by the Civil War's outbreak. It took congressional action to overcome this handicap. In 1885 the management of the Texas & Pacific was separated from that of the Missouri Pacific, and in 1888 the lease of the Katy railroad properties was terminated, a move which divorced the I-GN from Missouri Pacific control. Before the issue came to trial, the parties agreed on a recapitalization plan late in 1972 which was approved by the court early the next year. About 1873 a New York financier, Jay Gould, became interested in western railroads when he acquired a large block of stock in the Union Pacific Railroad. While the United States Government was still considering allowing construction of a railroad across federal land in the West, Missouri funded its own first step across the continent. Mr. Jenks was elected chairman of the board of Mississippi in 1973. For his many faults, Gould is credited with establishing many of the classic systems we know so well today; names like the Wabash,Katy, Rio Grande, and Wheeling & Lake Erie. After the GSL was added in 1926, management turned its attention to the Texas & Pacific. It was a predecessor of both the Missouri Pacific Railroad and St. Louis-San Francisco Railway . The other three systems have their own interesting stories, far too long to cover in any great detail within this article. Construction was started in 1856, and WI en it was finished it was the first railroad touching the Texas Gulf Coast. Gould noted the westward expansion policy of the new Missouri Pacific Railway as a threat to his Union Pacific, and in 1879 he bought a controlling interest in the company and became its president. Gould developed a system extending through Colorado, Nebraska, Arkansas, Texas, and Louisiana. Announcing the contract, Federal Railroad Administrator Asaph H. Hall noted Mo-Pac's progress in transportation control via TCS. Recognizing the importance of its sales representatives, Mo-Pac established an in-depth sales training program in 1970. Missouri Pacific PA-2 #67 (built as #8024) receives attention at the railroad's shops in St. Louis on November 26, 1967. Progress, though, was interrupted again by the Civil War's outbreak. The project was ambitious but formidable with numerous challenges, the most critical of which was procuring a steady flow of capital. complete with an eagle adorning the locomotives nose. Subsequently, he purchased control of the Kansas Pacific, the Denver Pacific and the Central Pacific. Copyright 2007-2023 American-Rails.com. This picture from 1981 shows a small Missouri Pacific Railroad yard near the stadium (to the right of the area shown in the photo) in Lincoln, Nebraska. Coal was the first commodity Mo-Pac hauled in unit train service, a field the railroad entered in 1966. https://www.britannica.com/topic/Missouri-Pacific-Railroad-Company, Texas State Historical Association - The Handbook of Texas Online - Missouri Pacific System. MoPac operated a fleet of more than 1,500 diesel locomotives, almost all purchased within the previous 10 years. However, the Pacific Railroad itself established a fleet of twelve steamboats to connect with the trains at Jefferson City and transport passengers and freight on up the river to Kansas City and beyond. The latter suffered a receivership in 1913 as one result of which it lost the Gulf Coast properties. This line had to link up with the Iron Mountain to provide through service from St. Louis to Texas. Through intensive repairs, the railroad's serviceable cars were increased to more than 97 per cent of its 57,577-car fleet. In 1917 the line was merged with the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway Company and reorganized as the Missouri Pacific Railroad. There was arguably no other component quite as important to MoPac's system as the Texas & Pacific. Application was made to the Interstate Commerce Commission which authorized the merger in May, 1976, Mo-Pac's 125th anniversary year. New centers were built at Lee's Summit, Mo., and St. Louis in 1973. Since the early Sixties, the Missouri Pacific has steadily increased its traffic share of such major commodities as chemicals, automobiles and auto parts, wheat and other food grains, lumber and paper products, steel, iron ore, sand and gravel, and coal. Missouri Pacific Railroad Depot may refer to any of following former and active train stations previously used by the Missouri Pacific Railroad, many of which are listed on the U.S. National Register of Historic Places (NRHP): (by state then city) Missouri-Pacific Depot-Altus, Altus, AR, listed on the NRHP in Arkansas On April 2, 1858 it opened to Pilot Knob (very near Ironton), then continued expanding southwestward. It operated from 1948 to 1971. Another named train, the Rainbow Special, was placed in service in July 1921 between Kansas City and Little Rock. The first telephone was installed in August 1880, and by 1881, 225 telephones were in use, with phone . Both setbacks left him only in command of the Iron Mountain and Missouri Pacific. The company's Official Guide listing proudly highlighted these railroads which included: As for the Texas & Pacific, it enjoyed its very own listing. Of all the lines which Gould had joined to the Missouri Pacific only the Iron Mountain remained at the end of 1888. The Missouri Pacific Railroad logo (blue). Missouri and the West needed railroads, and St. Louisans visualized a railroad all the way to the Pacific Ocean with that railroad starting from their city. Today, the East St. Louis terminal and classification yard of the Alton & Southern, now owned jointly by the Missouri Pacific and Cotton Belt, continue to play a major role in moving rail traffic through the St. Louis gateway, classifying freight for Mo-Pac and nine other railroads. The T&P retained control of the 203-mile Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf, and of the 335-mile Midland Valley Railroad. Construction of this segment began on July 19, 1853 but required upwards of seven years before it was finally completed in 1860. If you are a supplier, contractor or carrier, please visit the. The people of Missouri then had their first look at a steam railroad. In addition, Texas awarded twenty sections per mile within its borders. The Pacific Railroad (not to be confused with Union Pacific Railroad) was a railroad based in Missouri. Missouri Pacific SD40-2 #3117 leads a long freight through western Kansas in the winter of 1974. MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILROAD #1847 ORIGINAL KODACHROME SLIDE. A year later, he set his sights west and acquired the recently-completed Union Pacific in 1873; later that decade the Denver & Rio Grande, Kansas Pacific, Denver Pacific, and a few others were added to his growing network. But, the Great Depression proved a turning point as the MP slowly transformed itself into a modern, respectable, and profitable carrier. American-Rails.com collection. American-Rails.com collection. It was re-organized as the Missouri Pacific in 1956. By 1911 it operated 1,106 miles. Beginning in 1961, Mr. Jenks initiated an intensified plant and equipment modernization program that continues today. Its saga began on March 3, 1871 when Congress awarded the then-Texas Pacific Railroad a rare federal charter to establish a southern transcontinental route along the 32nd parallel from Marshall, Texas to San Diego, California. MISSOURI PACIFIC RAILROAD #1847 ORIGINAL KODACHROME SLIDE. The railroad's largest maintenance center for locomotives and cars is at North Little Rock where an automated wheel shop and airbrake shop were built in 1964. It then built a station that served the railroads until 1894, when the present Union Station at 18th and Market Sts. However, the merger was delayed by parties seeking reconsideration of the Commission's order. MoPac has actively promoted this new route and is moving an increasing amount of traffic as trade among the U.S.., Canada and Mexico continues to grow. Let us know if you have suggestions to improve this article (requires login). One of the company's most noteworthy leaders at this time was Downing Jenks, elected president in 1961 after spending a few years at the Rock Island. Another transport mode water was added to Mo-Pac's total transportation arsenal in 1969 with the establishment of Missouri Pacific Intermodal Transport, Inc., a non-vessel operator that handles the details of ocean freight forwarding for international shippers. However, due to outstanding bonds of the Missouri Pacific, its full merger into the Union Pacific Railroad did not become official until January 1, 1997. 810743-455 HO Scale Intermountain 45812-05 MP Missouri Pacific Eagles Route Box Car #18108 $24.95. As the majority owner of Class B stock, Alleghany had, in effect, a veto power over mergers or other major moves affecting the railroad's capitalization since a majority vote of each class of common' stock - B as well as A - was needed for approval. Condition:--not specified. Alleghany Corp., a New York based holding company, once controlled the Missouri Pacific and when the railroad emerged from reorganization in 1956, Allegheny's common stock holdings were transformed into Class B shares. Nevertheless, promoters pressed forward. Other installations there have included a rail welding plant, producing quarter-mile lengths of continuous welded rail for the entire system, that was completed in 1967, and a diesel locomotive repair and overhaul complex which began operation in 1969. Despite these changes the I&GN did transform into a respectable system reaching Galveston, Columbia, Mineola, Austin, San Antonio, the Mexican border at Laredo, and of course Longview. The company continued to use it in marketing high-speed freight services. Meanwhile, railroad financial circles had been stirred in 1954 when another attempt was made to take Missouri Pacific out of bankruptcy. Please refer to the appropriate style manual or other sources if you have any questions. However, Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his, If you are researching anything EMD related please visit, If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the, C&O's George Washington (Train): Timetable, Route, Consist, 9103, 9117-9119, 9150-9155, 9160-9161, 9198-9199, 9120-9127, 9133-9141, 9148-9149, 9162-9167, 513B-518B, 525B-526B, 553B-556B, 561B-570B, 1100-1166, 1175-1201, 1255-1259, 1263-1279, 1280-1289, 6, 12, 2208, 2502, 8510, 8552, 8562, 8601, E (Various), Northern (Rebuilt from its fleet of Bekshires. These actions were based on Missouri Pacific's belief that the natural and logical development in the realignment of the railroad industry west of Chicago and the Mississippi River would include the amalgamation of the Santa Fe and Mo-Pac. Activity in new railroad building and extension of existing trackage was practically stopped by the 1892 depression, but between then and 1910 major projects completed included the Illinois Division, the lines from Helena, Ark., south to Ferriday, La., the White River line from Carthage, Mo., to Batesville, Ark., and the River Route between Jefferson City and Boonville, Mo. This was part of a long-range program to improve that part of the mainline to Texas to provide higher speed track for the advent of the Texas Eagle streamliners. A key factor in Mo-Pac's intermodal performance has been the operations of the railroad's two motor carrier subsidiaries: Texas and Pacific Motor Transport Co., and Missouri Pacific Truck Lines, Inc., established in 1929 and 1938, respectively. It was also during this period that the main stem of what later became the Gulf Coast Lines was constructed. 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