Missouri - Illinois Railroad in the News

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Missouri-Illinois Train Derails at Flat River

Last Monday afternoon, between 2 and 3 o'clock, as the regular afternoon westbound train of the Missouri-Illinois was switching at Flat River, a box car climbed the rail at the switch about one hundred yards west of the depot and went completely over the bank. When about half way over the embankment, which is high at this point, the car overturned, leaving the trucks and rolled completely over on one side.

The train crew, using a heavy steel cable fastened to their locomotive, pulled the overturned car clear of the rails and removed the trucks to allow room for trains to pass. They were delayed at Flat River something more than an hour by the accident. Fortunately no one was injured.

Published by THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois County, Missouri, Fri. May 25, 1928.

MR&BT To Cut Off Several Trains

Unofficial information given the Lead Belt News, is to the effect that the M.R. & B.T. [Mississippi River & Bonne Terre] Railway will cut off several trains and do considerable shifting of their station forces on June 10th. Two passenger trains and two local freights are among the trains to be cut off. Passenger train schedules will consist of a train arriving here from St. Louis about noon and returning to the city about five p.m. Connection will be made at Riverside with the Missouri Pacific. The new passenger schedule will no doubt do away with what little business the road now has. Passenger service schedules over the road have not been arranged for the convenience of the public for several years, with the result that the busses have about gobbled all the business.

William Thomas, operator at Desloge, will be transferred to Flat River. The passenger station at Flat River will be closed except about thirty minutes before arrival of trains. Some old conductors will be reduced to brakemen and some old brakemen either cut off or placed on the extra board.

Published by THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, Fri. June 1, 1928.

Passenger Train Discontinued Between Riverside and Doe Run

The passenger train between Riverside and Doe Run on the Missouri-Illinois Railroad will be discontinued Saturday by order of the Public Service Commission. The last run will be made by the north bound train Saturday afternoon. Conductor John Paul will take the Leadwood freight run and Engineer Cresswell will go on the extra board as fireman and engineer. Railroad employees do not appreciate the support given the commission by some business concerns in having the train discontinued.

Published by THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, Fri. Nov. 29, 1940.

Bonne Terre Railroad Shops Closed

The Missouri-Illinois Railroad Co. shops have been closed and the employees and machinery have been transferred to other points on the line, Ste. Genevieve, Mo., Sparta and Dupo, Ill. During the past few years the employees at the Bonne Terre shop have been gradually reduced and when closed only a few men were employed there. For many years during the time the road was owned and operated by the M.R. & B.T. Ry., a subsidiary of St. Joe Lead Co., 200 or more men were employed, the road owned and operated some forty steam locomotives and a large number of passenger and freight cars all of which were repaired and rebuilt in the Bonne Terre shops. At times 35 or more railroad crews were used which meant some 200 men. Today there are only two or three crews on the line. Also in those days at least eighteen stations were on the line from Riverside to Doe Run and some 150 men were engaged in station work. The company now has only six stations in operation, Herculaneum, Festus, Bonne Terre, Desloge, Flat River, Rivermines, and less than a dozen men are engaged in that work. The Leadwood station was closed last week. The late John F. Kerhmann of Bonne Terre was for many years Master Mechanic for the M.R. & B.T. Ry. and Harry Hoskings of Bonne Terre was shop foreman. Among other oldtimers who were connected with the shops were Ferd Turley, Marsh Chandler, Harry Claywell, Frank Marchand, the late Chas. Deggendorf, the late Ben Pigg, John Davis, Albert Davis, Ed McClain, Elisha Cloud, Earl McDaniel, A. R. McKenzie, Matt Townsend, A. E. Jinkerson, Henry Bouchard, J. D. Berry, Wm. Cundiff, Wilbur Mitchell, Wm. Burns, John Barker, C. R. Williams and many others.

Published by THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, Wed. Feb. 13, 1963.

New Railroad Depot for Leadwood

The construction of a new depot is well underway by the Missouri-Illinois carpenter crew. The north end of the old building was left so agent Eaton would have a place to carry on the business. The first depot at Leadwood (then known as Owl Creek) was an old box car. It was used for a few months until the one that has just been razed was moved there in the summer of 1905 from Rock Springs near Doe Run. A few years later it was necessary to build an addition to it. Russell Eaton has served as agent more than thirty years out of his thirty-seven years of service with the railroad. The new station will be built on the same plan as those at Rivermines, Desloge, Festus and Herculaneum.

Published by THE LEAD BELT NEWS, Flat River, St. Francois Co. MO, Fri. Dec. 9, 1949.