MPHS - MoPac: A History of Colorful Railroads

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Missouri Pacific, Predecessors & Subsidiaries Chronological History

St. Louis Iron Mountain RR approved by Missouri

Groundbreaking for Pacific Railroad of Missouri (direct predecessor to the Missouri Pacific).

First passenger train on Pacific Railroad

Central Branch Union Pacific RR completed to Waterville, KS

Pacific RR guage changed from 5'6" to 4'9"

The Texas & Pacific Railway incorporate to build a line from Marshall, Texas on through El Paso to San Diego, CA.

I-GN (International-Great Northern) formed

The railroad debt crisis occurs.

The Missouri Pacific Railway is created by the investors who purchased the Pacific Railroad.

Jay Gould acquires controlling interest in Missouri Pacific.

Sedalia, Warsaw & Southern Rwy formed (3' guage)

St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern (SLIMS) aquired by Missouri Pacific Railway

Houston & Great Northern RR formed

New Iberia and Northern RR incorporated

Crystal City & Uvalde RR incorporated

MP and SLIM&S declare bankruptcy and are placed into receivership. Jay Gould loses control of the railroad.

First run of the "Sunshine Special"

NOTM (New Orleans, Texas & Mexico) gains control of NI&N (New Iberia & Northern).

St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern (SLIMS) and Missouri Pacific Railway reorganize and merge which in turn creats the Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.

I-GN (International-Great Northern) organized

NOTM (New Orleans, Texas & Mexico) gains control of H&BV (Houston & Brazos Valley).

NOTM gains control of I-GN (International-Great Northern).

MP gains control of NOTM (New Orleans, Texas & Mexico) and its subsidiaries.

NOTM gains control of SAUG (San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf) and AB (Asphalt Belt).

NOTM gains control of SL (Sugarland), A&G (Asherton & Gulf), and RGC (Rio Grande City).

MP gains control of NOLC (New Orleans & Lower Coast).

NOTM gains control of SAS (San Antonio Southern).

T&P gains control of A&S (Abilene & Southern).

Double tracking of St. Louis to Jefferson City opened

CHTT (Chicago Heights Terminal Transfer) sold to C&EI.

MP gains control of T&P (Texas & Pacific).

MRBT (Mississippi River & Bonne Terre) leased by M-I.

MP gains control of M-I (Missouri-Illinois).

MP gains control of DK&S (Doniphan, Kensett & Searcy).

T&P gains control of FWB (Fort Worth Belt).

MP declares bankruptcy and is placed in trusteeship.

Diesel-electric locomotives are introduced on the Missouri Pacific.

First run of the "Eagle" streamliner

77 trains in one day on single track between Dupo and Thebes, Illinois

First run of the "Texas Eagle"

Last run of electric interurban on HNS (Houston North Shore)

First run of the "Valley Eagle" service

Missouri Pacific retires its last steam locomotive.

A 23-year trusteeship, the longest in U.S. rail history, ends as MP is reorganized.

Paul J. Neff becomes president of MP

GCL (Gulf Coast Lines - NOTM, BSL&W, O&NW, NI&N, ISM&E, SLB&M, IGN, SAS, SAUG, AB, SB&RGV, SL, H&BV, HNS) are absorbed into MP.

Downing B. Jenks becomes president of MP

T&P gains control of KO&G (Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf), and Midland Valley Railways. The KO&G-MV partner, OC-A-A (Oklahoma City-Ada-Atoka Railway), is sold to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe.

MP gains control of C&EI (Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad).

MP & C&NW gain joint control of A&S (Alton & Southern).

MP sells the Evansville line (eastern side) of C&EI to Louisville & Nashville, and the Chicago to Woodland junction passes into joint MP-L&N ownership.

KO&G (Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf) absorbed into T&P [MP].

The parent corporation, Mississippi River Corp., is renamed the Missouri Pacific Corp.

The Chicago & Eastern Illinois and Texas & Pacific subsidiaries are absorbed into MP.

TPMPT (TP-MP Terminal RR of New Orleans) absorbed into MP.

A&S (Abilene & Southern), T-NM (Texas-New Mexico), NO&LC (New Orleans & Lower Coast), FWB (Ft.Worth Belt), M-I (Missouri-Illinois), SJB (St.Joseph Belt) & UT (Union Terminal) absorbed into MP.

The Union Pacific, Missouri Pacific and Western Pacific railroads file merger applications with the Interstate Commerce Commission. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific ceases operations. In the following years, many of its lines are sold to other railroads, including MP, SSW and MKT.

The UP-MP-WP merger is approved by ICC. UP gains control of MP & WP after being granted control of Missouri Pacific on December 22, 1982. The merger application was filed on September 15, 1980, and the application was approved by the ICC on October 20, 1982. The approval was contested in court and was cleared by the courts on December 22, 1982. As conditions of the merger, SP gains trackage rights from Kansas City to St. Louis via MP.

SEKR (Southeast Kansas) created by MP line sale.

GSW (Great Southwest) absorbed into MP.

JSW (Jefferson Southwestern) absorbed into MP.

GCRC (Golden Cat) created by MP line sale.

WMW&NW (Weatherford, Mineral Wells & Northwestern) absorbed into MP.

UP gains control of MKT (Missouri-Kansas-Texas - 'Katy').

MKT leased/merged with MP.

GH&H (Galveston, Houston & Henderson) merged into MP.

On January 1, the Missouri Pacific Railroad legally merges into Union Pacific Railroad, with UPRR remaining as the surviving corporation.

Last Updated: September 4, 2006

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Missouri Pacific, Predecessors & Subsidiaries Chronological History
Date	Action
03-03-1851	St. Louis Iron Mountain RR approved by Missouri
06-04-1851	Groundbreaking for Pacific Railroad of Missouri (direct predecessor to the Missouri Pacific).
12-09-1852	First passenger train on Pacific Railroad
01-20-1868	Central Branch Union Pacific RR completed to Waterville, KS
07-18-1869	Pacific RR guage changed from 5'6" to 4'9"
1871	The Texas & Pacific Railway incorporate to build a line from Marshall, Texas on through El Paso to San Diego, CA.
08-30-1873	I-GN (International-Great Northern) formed
1873	The railroad debt crisis occurs.
1876	The Missouri Pacific Railway is created by the investors who purchased the Pacific Railroad.
1879	Jay Gould acquires controlling interest in Missouri Pacific.
09-16-1879	Sedalia, Warsaw & Southern Rwy formed (3' guage)
1881	St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern (SLIMS) aquired by Missouri Pacific Railway
10-22-1886	Houston & Great Northern RR formed
04-02-1907	New Iberia and Northern RR incorporated
04-19-1909	Crystal City & Uvalde RR incorporated
04-17-1912	San Antonio Uvalde
1915	MP and SLIM&S declare bankruptcy and are placed into receivership. Jay Gould loses control of the railroad.
12-15-1915	First run of the "Sunshine Special"
1916	NOTM (New Orleans, Texas & Mexico) gains control of NI&N (New Iberia & Northern).
1917	St. Louis Iron Mountain & Southern (SLIMS) and Missouri Pacific Railway reorganize and merge which in turn creats the Missouri Pacific Railroad Co.
08-10-1922	I-GN (International-Great Northern) organized
02-01-1924	NOTM (New Orleans, Texas & Mexico) gains control of H&BV (Houston & Brazos Valley).
06-21-1924	NOTM gains control of I-GN (International-Great Northern).
12-08-1924	MP gains control of NOTM (New Orleans, Texas & Mexico) and its subsidiaries.
12-01-1925	NOTM gains control of SAUG (San Antonio, Uvalde & Gulf) and AB (Asphalt Belt).
02-02-1926	NOTM gains control of SL (Sugarland), A&G (Asherton & Gulf), and RGC (Rio Grande City).
11-1926	MP gains control of NOLC (New Orleans & Lower Coast).
12-31-1926	NOTM gains control of SAS (San Antonio Southern).
01-01-1927	T&P gains control of A&S (Abilene & Southern).
01-22-1927	Double tracking of St. Louis to Jefferson City opened
08-01-1927	CHTT (Chicago Heights Terminal Transfer) sold to C&EI.
01-01-1928	MP gains control of T&P (Texas & Pacific).
04-20-1929	MRBT (Mississippi River & Bonne Terre) leased by M-I.
04-20-1929	MP gains control of M-I (Missouri-Illinois).
12-1931	MP gains control of DK&S (Doniphan, Kensett & Searcy).
06-20-1932	T&P gains control of FWB (Fort Worth Belt).
1933	MP declares bankruptcy and is placed in trusteeship.
1939	Diesel-electric locomotives are introduced on the Missouri Pacific.
03-0-1940	First run of the "Eagle" streamliner
11-07-1942	77 trains in one day on single track between Dupo and Thebes, Illinois
08-15-1948	First run of the "Texas Eagle"
09-25-1948	Last run of electric interurban on HNS (Houston North Shore)
10-31-1948	First run of the "Valley Eagle" service
1955	Missouri Pacific retires its last steam locomotive.
1956	A 23-year trusteeship, the longest in U.S. rail history, ends as MP is reorganized.
1956	Paul J. Neff becomes president of MP
03-1956	GCL (Gulf Coast Lines - NOTM, BSL&W, O&NW, NI&N, ISM&E, SLB&M, IGN, SAS, SAUG, AB, SB&RGV, SL, H&BV, HNS) are absorbed into MP.
1961	Downing B. Jenks becomes president of MP
09-25-1964	T&P gains control of KO&G (Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf), and Midland Valley Railways. The KO&G-MV partner, OC-A-A (Oklahoma City-Ada-Atoka Railway), is sold to the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe.
05-12-1967	MP gains control of C&EI (Chicago & Eastern Illinois Railroad).
08-01-1968	MP & C&NW gain joint control of A&S (Alton & Southern).
06-06-1969	MP sells the Evansville line (eastern side) of C&EI to Louisville & Nashville, and the Chicago to Woodland junction passes into joint MP-L&N ownership.
04-01-1970	KO&G (Kansas, Oklahoma & Gulf) absorbed into T&P [MP].
1976	The parent corporation, Mississippi River Corp., is renamed the Missouri Pacific Corp.
10-15-1976	The Chicago & Eastern Illinois and Texas & Pacific subsidiaries are absorbed into MP.
01-01-1978	TPMPT (TP-MP Terminal RR of New Orleans) absorbed into MP.
11-01-1978	A&S (Abilene & Southern), T-NM (Texas-New Mexico), NO&LC (New Orleans & Lower Coast), FWB (Ft.Worth Belt), M-I (Missouri-Illinois), SJB (St.Joseph Belt) & UT (Union Terminal) absorbed into MP.
1980	The Union Pacific, Missouri Pacific and Western Pacific railroads file merger applications with the Interstate Commerce Commission. Chicago, Rock Island & Pacific ceases operations. In the following years, many of its lines are sold to other railroads, including MP, SSW and MKT.
12-22-1982	The UP-MP-WP merger is approved by ICC. UP gains control of MP & WP after being granted control of Missouri Pacific on December 22, 1982. The merger application was filed on September 15, 1980, and the application was approved by the ICC on October 20, 1982. The approval was contested in court and was cleared by the courts on December 22, 1982. As conditions of the merger, SP gains trackage rights from Kansas City to St. Louis via MP.
03-27-1987	SEKR (Southeast Kansas) created by MP line sale.
04-09-1987	GSW (Great Southwest) absorbed into MP.
05-18-1987	JSW (Jefferson Southwestern) absorbed into MP.
11-19-1987	GCRC (Golden Cat) created by MP line sale.
12-31-1987	WMW&NW (Weatherford, Mineral Wells & Northwestern) absorbed into MP.
08-12-1988	UP gains control of MKT (Missouri-Kansas-Texas - 'Katy').
12-01-1989	MKT leased/merged with MP.
12-01-1989	GH&H (Galveston, Houston & Henderson) merged into MP.
01-01-1997	On January 1, the Missouri Pacific Railroad legally merges into Union Pacific Railroad, with UPRR remaining as the surviving corporation.