T.G.'s Photography Blog

TRRA 1239 - Brooklyn, IL Terminal Railroad Association (TRRA) 1239 is on the point of a train switching on the south side of TRRA's Madison Yard. Trains that are switching on the south side of the yard will often pull down toward the crossing at Canal Street/Bend Road (where this shot was taken from) and then make a back up move into the yard. TRRA 1239 is an EMD built SW1200 series locomotive that was built in April of 1965, according to RR Picture Archives (an external link, which will open in a new browser window). MRS boxcars Behind the locomotives are three old Manufacture's Railway (MRS) boxcars. The MRS was a small local St. Louis switching railroad that was originally owned by Anheuser-Busch. When InBev bought Anheuser-Busch, it sold the MRS Railway off to Foster Townsend Rail Logistics, Incorporated. Photo taken: February 26, 2006. Brooklyn, Illinois.

MRS Second Street Trackage - St. Louis, MO Some old Manufacturers Railway street trackage is rusting away in South Second Street, at the entrance to an old chemical plant in South St. Louis, Missouri. Photo taken: January 28, 2012, at St. Louis, Missouri.

MRS 255 - St. Louis, MO Manufacturers Railway System 255 leads a switch job south down the tracks in the middle of 2nd Street. The locomotive and its train were heading back to the MRS yard after doing some switching at a business near Barton and 3rd Street in south St. Louis. These days, business on the 2nd Street trackage is pretty much all gone. The largest business on the line, a chemical company, closed many years ago leaving only a couple of smaller businesses to support the line. Photo taken: St. Louis, Missouri. December 27, 2004.

MRS 256 - St. Louis, MO Manufactuers Railway System (MRS) 256 shoves a cut of MRS boxcars off the MRS' 2nd Street trackage toward an industrial siding. The industry that was to receive the cut of box cars was a block over on off of 3rd Street. The MRS The MRS was a small switching operation that was owned by the Anheuser-Busch Brewery. When InBev bought Anheuser-Busch, the railroad was sold off. Now Foster Townsend Rail Logistics, Inc. operates the railroad. The railroad still switches the brewery complex and also does a lot of engine rebuilding. However, I believe that all of the 2nd Street trackage has been abandoned. The 2nd Street trackage isn't used much these days due to most of the customer base going away. In this general area there were three customers who received weekly rail service. The largest customer at this location was a chemical plant which was closed and torn down. At one time the 2nd Street trackage ran for just over two miles from the MRS yard...