River Division Google Earth Map

Discussion in 'General' started by RogerRT, Jan 26, 2013.

  1. RogerRT

    RogerRT Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Attached is a Google Earth map of the River Division, also included is a route list, station & builder index, and color code key. Not included is most of the JLC&E which is part of the 600-series Northern Division & the DO&N which is not completed yet. There is still some questions about the ownership of some lumber spurs on the Tipperary Branch which are colored as other RR's at this time. If you see an astrick this means either it is a fictional name or the route is estimated, see the notes included in each folder for an explanation.

    Roger R. Taylor
     

    Attached Files:

  2. Oldguy

    Oldguy Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Took me abit to figure out how to open the .kmz file, but WOW! Somebody been busy. Very cool map.
     
  3. BBarnes005

    BBarnes005 Member

    Wow this is amazing, I've been trying to trace some of these routes forever, but never been able to due to the quality of some of the satellite imagery google earth uses on some areas or due to lack of evidence. Thanks.
     
  4. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Robert, you have a pretty dandy Frisco/River Division modeler there in Cape in Jim James. Be sure to check out his handiwork.

    And, Keith Robinson (klrwhizkid) and Ken McElreath (kenmc) are both natives of the area who have provided a lot of historic Cape-area photos.

    Best Regards,
     
  5. BBarnes005

    BBarnes005 Member

    Yeah I've seen some of their pictures, pretty awesome seeing pics of my hometown's(quite limited) railroading history. One of the railroads on the KMZ that really sparked my interest was the one running between Cape Girardeau, Commerce, and Morley because I've been trying to trace that one since it was listed here and couldn't find any remnants since my eyes aren't yet trained in the art of finding abandoned railways and there isn't that much physical remains of it that are visible from satellite imagery.
     
  6. klrwhizkid

    klrwhizkid Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Robert, the best way to track the old roadbed of the SM&A is to start at Morley with Google Satellite and look to the northeast from Morley. You will see a diagonal line (faint in most places) that crosses I-55 just south of the Benton interchange and then cuts across the fields just north of the Sand Prairie Conservation Area. The line curves around the south and east edges of Commerce, then follows the east edge of the river bluffs up under the Thebes Bridge. Just north of the bridge, it turned east at about State Highway N. You can see the line in the trees up to the point it joins the right of way of the old SM&A line that comes down from Cape (later the MoP right of way).

    Hope this helps.
     
  7. RogerRT

    RogerRT Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Thanks Robert, it was a lot of fun to draw, I've been told you can download these to a smart phone for use in the field. Like most of Houck's lines, they are hard to find unless you know where to look.

    Keith, actually the Frisco and MOP had separate lines from Illmo to Cape, they crossed each other just south of Marquette. The MOP used the Cape Girardeau & Northern's line from there on into Cape. I used these maps

    http://tacnet.missouri.org/~mgood/MapsofMissouri-USGSList.html

    as reference while drawing the maps.

    Roger
     
  8. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Wow, I learn something new every day. There's a faint, SW-NE ridge to the north of the Benton exit, right before one hits Benton Hill that I always assumed was the old roadbed. The next time we make a run for Lambert's Cafe or an August peach run to Diebold's, I'll have to keep an eye out.

    Keith, I'm glad that you mentioned the line running under the Thebes Bridge. I have a large ink drawing of the Thebes Bridge, c. 1910 and it shows a N-S line running on the west bank. I think that Ken McElreath or Tim Cannon may have photos showing this somewhere here.

    Best Regards,
     
  9. BBarnes005

    BBarnes005 Member

    Thank you for that UGSS map site, that will be no doubly be extremely useful in future abandon railway tracing on Google Earth. Also any idea when the Morley to Cape Girardeau Line was abandoned? Because it's listed on the 1931 map of Morley and it's gone on the 1945 map.
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 6, 2013
  10. yardmaster

    yardmaster Administrator Staff Member Administrator Frisco.org Supporter

    Robert -
    See
    http://www.frisco.org/shipit/index.php?threads/marquette-to-brooks-junction-mo-branch.772/

    This includes some basic data from Roger Taylor on the portion of the River Division's "Leachville Subdivision" that includes Commerce, Benton and Morley.

    The entire portion of the line between Marquette, MO and Brooks Junction, MO on the "Main" Chaffee Sub was abandoned in 1934. Roger's data indicates that the last Frisco train was on 3/14/1934.

    Hence, after 1934, Morley only had rail service via the MoP. As far as I can remember, the MoP line was still in place in the early to mid 1970s, right in front of my great-great grandparent's house.

    Check out the link to Mike Condren's website; it is on the "home" page of Frisco.org. He has posted all of the Frisco Museum's old magazines. Some of the earlier issues had a multi-part series on the entire River Division. I stumbled across copies years ago at the State Historical Society of Mo. here in town, and it quickly multiplied my knowledge of the River Division.

    Best Regards,
     
    Last edited by a moderator: Apr 8, 2016
  11. timothy_cannon

    timothy_cannon Member Frisco.org Supporter

    There was actually a third line into Cape at one time. After Houck sold the Gulf line to the Frisco he built the Cape Girardeau and Thebes Bridge Terminal line from Cape (his Cape Girardeau Northern) to Ancell and then I guess trackage rights to Thebes and then to Cairo. The line to Cairo ended up with the Mop and was used into the 1980's. It is gone now but google earth still reveals the roadbed south to Cairo. The terminus at Cairo had a beautiful station. I have a pic somewhere and will post it later. The line from Ancell to Cape was abandoned between 1913-1917. From what I have read the line was so bad it was probably quicker to walk from Cape to Ancell! Also-and how this is Frisco related- I have read that the Frisco was anything but happy about this. Newspaper articles tell of how the Frisco intentionally derailed several rock loaded hoppers on a siding where Houck intended to cross their line south of Cape. The Mopac line was built in the early 1930's after the Mop purchased what was left of the Cape Girardeau Northern. They tried many times to purchase the Gulf Line from the Frisco BUT the Frisco did not want the Mop to have a line into Cape. So the Mop built a brand new line into Cape and the Frisco ended up getting nothing but an abandoned line

    http://news.google.com/newspapers?i...AAIBAJ&dq=Houck thebes frisco&pg=6617,1028840
     
  12. RogerRT

    RogerRT Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Sorry Robert, I didn't catch your post, if you click on 501-Marquette-Brooks Jct., MO. for example, the file will expand down. Then 501 will go station to station, click on 02-EOT 1934-MP Xing, MO. and it will expand again to 01-Main Line or 02-MP Xing. Click 01-main line and it will expand again and at the top you see a Notes file. This contains who built the line, when it built, when it was abandoned & any other pertinant info.

    The stuff Chris made reference to was an old attempt I made at posting this stuff when this website first started in 1999. Back then the format would not allow me to post text files so it all had to be written out, very time consuming and it just didn't turn out the way I liked so I stopped doing them after a while. It took a while but technology has finally caught up in a way i could put all that info into a format that everyone could understand. Frisco was made up of almost 250 predecessor companies and once you see how Frisco put them together at Piggot, AR. or Kennett, MO. it all makes sense.

    Roger
     
  13. BBarnes005

    BBarnes005 Member

    Thanks. So I'm guessing the Morley to Cape Girardeau line was a victim of the Great Depression?

    Now that I've retraced the line on Google Earth and added some additional information about the abandoned line it crossed with in Morley(The Belmont Branch) and the sidings in Commerce with the railroad piers that used to be there, I would like to know if it'd be okay if I submitted the KMZ for the retracing to this site here? They already have the line listed there in the Missouri profile, but they don't have a map for that. I'll give credit to RogerRT for this wonderful KMZ he provided.
     
  14. RogerRT

    RogerRT Staff Member Staff Member Frisco.org Supporter

    Sure go ahead, it's just a base to build upon, a lot of stuff I didn't know so I left it out hoping someone could fill in the blanks. That's why I built the folders the way I did, all you have to do is add another folder like 02-Commerce Dock Spur, for example below the 01-Main Line and put everything in there. Let me know when you post the updated stuff, love to see it.

    Roger

    BTW-Yes it was a victim the Great Depression, Frisco looked a lot different in 1940 than it did in 1930, lot of lines abandoned.
     

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