atsf3460@aol.com wrote:
> Good question! It would seem to make sense that GM&O would use the CB&Q from
> Mexico, MO down to St. Louis since CB&Q ran from Mexico to Kansas City, MO.
> As far as I know this wasn't the case. GM&O used their own line from St.
> Louis to Roodhouse and then west to get to Mexico, MO.
>
> There is some thought possibly also that at one point the Santa Fe may have
> wanted to use these lines to get into St. Louis. I think I've read or heard
> this before and if anybody else knows more about this I'd love to hear it
> (contact directly if you feel it's straying too far off topic).
>
In 1940, when the GM&O was merged from the Gulf Mobile & Northern and
Mobile & Ohio, the Q held 30% of the GM&N stock. Ralph Budd was the Q's
representative on the GM&N board and he opposed the combination of the
GM&N and M&O. The M&O gave the GM&N an outlet to St Louis which allowed
them to bypass the Paducah connection the Q had just built 25 years
before. Also at the same time, the Q was running joint passenger service
with the Alton from St Louis to Kansas City. Zephyr service was provided
by the Ozark State Zephyr (originally powered by 9908 Silver Charger)
and a heavyweight overnight train called the Night Hawk. Also the Q on
and off over the years had teamed up with the Alton to run freight
service from St Louis to Kansas City.
Fast forward to 1946. The Alton had continued it's long streak of losing
money and the B&O, who had bought the Alton in 20's, allowed the
railroad to file for reorganization as the B&O was starting to have it's
own problems. The Alton would provide an outlet for the GM&O to Chicago,
but the east-west line from Roodhouse to Kansas City did not fit the
projected GM&O traffic pattern. The Q had long realized that it's route
to Kansas City from Chicago needed improvement (in terms of route
mileage). The Santa Fe had also long desired to reach St Louis. Hence a
deal was cut. The Q and Santa Fe would support GM&O's merger
application. In return, the GM&O would sell the Alton's Missouri line to
the Q. The Q would share the purchased line with the Santa Fe promising
improvements and upgrades in service. In return, the Q would get
trackage rights on the Santa Fe from Bucklin to Kansas City (what BN and
ATSF did once they merged) and shorten the Q's route from Chicago to
Kansas City.
The St Louis-based railroads howled as many were still in bankruptcy
reorganization from the 30's (I think the MoP stayed in reorganization
into the mid 50s due to it's complicated corporate and subsidiary
structure). The last thing the St Louis-based railroads wanted
(especially the Frisco and MoP) was the Santa Fe coming into their
backyard in St Louis. In a close decision by the ICC, the ICC approved
the GM&O buying the Alton, but rejected the sale of the Missouri line to
the Q and joint Q/Santa Fe operation. With the ICC rejection, the Q
discontinued it's joint passenger operations with the Alton by 1948. The
Q negotiated an agreement with the GM&O to use their line from Francis
to Rock Creek Jct near Kansas City with CB&Q crews. This agreement
continued until early into the BN era. This also resulted in the Q
proceeding to build the 78 mile Kansas City shortcut which opened in 1951.
Bill
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