Train Watchers Guide To St Louis Szwajkart Book only

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Train Watchers Guide To St Louis Szwajkart Book only
Train Watchers Guide To St Louis By John Szwajkart 185 Pages  MAP NOT INCLUDED
Copyright 1983
Title page thru page VI separated from the book.
Soft Cover
185 pages
St. Louis is considered by many the second greatest railroad center in the United States. It has a large number of railroads and they all come from a number of different directions. Not a terminal city, yet a terminal city, divided by a river, connected by a number of bridges, each with its own dramatic approach, a mixture of railroads melding and separating, crossing and recrossing, St. Louis presents for the out of town fan a most confusing situation. Where to go? What to expect? And how to get there? Questions that without a proper guide tend to discourage the newcomer and in many cases the casual visitor. Thus the Train Watcher's Guide to St. Louis. Its purpose to help you, the fan, in exploring the many railroads of St. Louis.
Instead of a terminal such as Chicago, the St. Louis area is known by railroaders as the "Gateway". This is not because St. Louis is considered the Gateway to the West, rather it is the nations most important gateway between rate territories. Here four major rate territories, Official. Southeastern. Southwestern, and Trunk Line meet. It was for this reason that the ICC for many years resisted any attempts by the railroads to merge from east to west through St. Louis.
Over the years only two roads succeeded in breaking this barrier, the B80 and the N&W. The B&O did so when it acquired the old Chicago & Alton, which gave it a line to Kansas City. But this attempt failed and the road had to dispose of the line, eventually selling the Alton to the GM&O which ultimately became part of the ICG. The second attempt was the acquisition of the WAB by the N&W, again resulting in a through route to Kansas City. This one has proved more durable in that it is still in existance and appears destined to remain so.
Railroaders use the term Gateway to refer to the entire terminal area in and around St. Louis. This to avoid confusion between the City and the switching limits which include the St. Louts suburban areas and on the Illinois side, all the area from Dupo north to Granite city bounded by the A&S. A similar distinction between the City and the switching area Is made throughout the Guide.
The Gateway is not the easiest place to watch trains, but it is one of the most Interesting and varied. Without too much effort you can go from the heavily industrialized scene, such as around the Granite City Steel Mills and Wool River refineries, to the practically deserted areas around Machens or south of Dupo near Bixby. But the scene can also change from the very flat in the Bottoms, to the hills in the river bluffs, and the long grades through places such as Glen Carbon, Belleville, or over the so called mountain at Kirkwood. A great proportion of the traffic is centered about the various Mississippi River Crossings and their approaches, massive and long trestles that dominate the Riverfront many within sight of the monumental Gateway Arch, a St. Louis landmark. How to get to all these places and many more are the subject of this Guide. But also covered, is what to expect and some idea of when to expect it'
Organization of this Guide is rather simple. It is divided into three major sections. The first lists and describes the various railroads in the Gateway area, their routes, yards, and operations.Included is information on highway access to the lines along with scenic information. The second section covers past and current passenger operations, while the last section provides the details needed to reach many of the interesting places in the area. All places mentioned are keyed to a special Train Watcher's Map of St. Louis, but in addition, local road maps and schedules will be of assistance. Because most of the information you need is here, time searching for locations is reduced and you have more time to enjoy the railroads In the Gateway area. Just what brings about a guide Such as this? Initially It was the publication of the Chicago Guide and the friendships that resulted, that led to the idea of a similar guide for St. Louis. Some Initial work was started, but it was a cornfield meet and work on a history of the Chicago & Illinois Midland that provided the needed spark of inspiration. For you see, one of the predecessor roads, the Chicago Peoria & St. Louis, ran into the area and was responsible for several of the area rail lines. One became the Litchfield & Madison which is now the C&NW line into the Gateway. With the final dismemberment of the road, the remaining parts in the area became parts of the ITC steam and later diesel divisions. One was the line from Alton west along the River to Grafton, now part of III-100. Another part was the line from WR Tower in Granite City to L&M Junction, still in use serving the Granite City Steel Mills as part of the N&W. Another remnant that immortalizes the old CP&StL is the junction named after the road, CP Junction, just south of the TRRA Madison Yard. Though the road died many years ago, its memory lingers on. Writing about a railroad long gone, yet still having some Impact on an area, had to whet my curiosity. The result is this Guide, a learning experience for me and I hope one for you.
This has been a cooperative effort in sharing information, information that should be useful in enabling you to explore the Gateway in the most efficient manner. This is a working book and we all hope you use it as such.
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