One of my long time retirement goals has been to build a switching layout in HO, mimicking the prototype trackage of south St. Louis in the area between the Budweiser Brewery and the Mississippi River at the Foot of Arsenal Street. Between 1982 and 1989, I was assigned to the United States Coast Guard Marine Safety Office and the Captain of the Port of St. Louis. As a Chief Boatswain Mate, I was responsible for the boat operations, and we kept our larger Ports and Waterways vessel, CG32314, at the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Base, also at the Foot of Arsenal Street. Literally, a chain link fence separated the Corps Base from the 6 tracks you crossed of the Missouri Pacific Railroad’s old Iron Mountain Southern tracks and the MRS Engine House, Cherokee Street Yard, River Yard and the “Pocket Track” and Scale House of the Interchange. Lots of time was spent watching those beautiful little green engines work the area. Since then, lots of models have been built and collected. Lots of research has been collected and analyzed. I’ve got to do something with all of this wasted time and brain cells.
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History
The railway company was founded in 1887 by Adolphus Busch, the President of Anheuser-Busch. By 1906, Busch was still President while William D. Orthwein was Vice President.
The company’s line connected with the Missouri Pacific Railroad, and after the 1982 merger, the Union Pacific Railroad, Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis and the Alton and Southern Railroad in East St. Louis, Illinois. The MRS accessed the Alton and Southern Railroad utilizing trackage rights over the Terminal Railroad Association of St. Louis via the MacArthur Bridge. MRS owned railroad cars used to transport Anheuser-Busch’s products. It also provided locomotive maintenance and painting services to other companies. In the 20th Century, the MRS switched many industries in the immediate “South St. Louis Area”, along the western banks of the Mississippi River, just south of the area dominated by the Gateway Arch. Amongst these were Ralston Purina, Nooter Boiler Works and a large American Car and Foundary facility, plus many other industries along Second Street.
On March 25, 2011, it was announced that Anheuser-Busch had applied to shut down the MRS, after the brewery began shipping outbound products via truck instead of rail. However, on April 8, Foster Townsend Rail Logistics (reporting marks: FTRL) announced that it planned to take over operations of the line once Manufacturers Railway ceased operations. On October 2, 2011, FTRL Railway began providing rail switching services at Anheuser Busch’s St. Louis brewery. But by 2017, all ingredients and all product are shipped by truck.
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Lots of you guys know of my fascination with switching puzzles and John Allan’s 'Timesaver". In the articles written on his railroad and the “Timesaver”, there are pictures of the “Double Timesaver”. This is two “Timesaver” puzzles, where the operators have to work together to move the cars with cooperation between the two puzzles. Lots of grid paper and pencil lead has been used and abused trying to come up with a workable puzzle and not stray to far from the trackage at the Foot of Arsenal Street and the surrounding area.
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And so this Saga begins.
