The Missouri Pacific had, by far, the most extensive operations of any Class One road in the St. Louis/East St. Louis area.1 St. Louis Terminal Division included operations north from the Dupo Illinois Yard through Valley Junction, and over the MacArthur Bridge to Mill Creek Valley. Industrial trackage south along the Mississippi river front was also a part of this division. South of the MacArthur Bridge, Terminal Division included the trackage from Lesperance Street to Davis Junction. This section was known as the Lesperance Sub. Moving west through Mill Creek Valley, Terminal Division trackage included Mopac’s 23rd Street Yard and the Ewing Ave engine terminal, plus multiple junctions and interchanges at Grand Avenue and Iron Mountain Junction.
Located west of Maplewood, the Sedalia Sub (part of the Northern Division) was the mainline west to Jefferson City and Kansas City. East of Kirkwood, the Carondelet Sub, a line that was used as an outer belt line for the MoPac to avoid the Mill Creek Valley, headed south and east.
Departures From the Prototype on the Layout
Concessions and adjustments were made on the Saint Louis Lines layout to fit the available space, conform to an existing completed track plan, and in the overall interest of train operations.
On the layout, Ewing Avenue serves as the main yard, with 23rd Street serving as a second smaller yard. Also, the Carondelet and Lesperance Subs split at Iron Mountain Junction. There, the Lesperance sub runs east while the Carondelet sub continues south. Most of the layout is considered to be either the Lesperance Sub or Carondelet Sub – the two subs which made up the Mopac’s St. Louis Terminal Division. The main yard is located just west of Iron Mountain Junction, so trains departing the yard can immediately take the Carondelet or Lesperance sub to their assigned destination. Cars terminating in West Staging have just entered the Sedalia Sub. The intent is to capture the essence of MoPac operations rather than recreate an exact copy of the Saint Louis Terminal Division.
1. Sandrin, James (2000), Trackside Around St. Louis 1952-1959 with Jim Ozment (Missouri Pacific Railroad, p. 52)