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Alton & Southern Railway Company

Owned by the Union Pacific Railroad

A&S All Time Roster - Incomplete

Steam Locomotives:

Alton & Southern Steam Locomotive Roster

Switchers:

ALS #1 .......... GE 44 Ton

ALS #1501 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1502 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1505 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1506 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1508 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1510 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1511 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1512 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1513 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1514 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1515 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1516 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1517 .......... EMD SW1500*
ALS #1522 .......... EMD MP15DC**

Road Switchers:

ALS #28-39 .......... ALCO RS-2 - purchased new, 1947
ALS #40-42 .......... ALCO RS-2 - purchased new, 1948****

ALS #2000 .......... EMD GP38-2***
ALS #2001 .......... EMD GP38-2***

NOTES:
* - All SW1500's acquired between 1969 and 1971
** - #1522 acquired in 1980
*** - #2000-2001 acquired in 1994.
**** - ALCO RS-2 #40 survived as unit #1040 until the mid 1980s.

References:
I'd like to thank Keith Belk and Brian Frierdich for compiling this data for St. Louis Railfanning.

PHOTOS

Click on any photo for a full sized version.

Two SW1500s switch the Gateway Yard.

2000 and 2001 putting together their train.

An MP15 and two SW1500s on a transfer.

2000 and 2001 on the downtown transfer.

Info on the Alton & Southern Railway Company:

In 1910, the Aluminium Company of East St. Louis created its own railroad to bring in raw materials and coal, this was after becoming dissatisfied with services provided by the Southern Railway. This new railroad was the Alton & Southern. Later in 1910 the railroad was expanded to the south to haul bauxite to the AC of ESTL, this was done by the creation of the Denverside Connecting Ry. Co.. It was expanded to what is known as Fox Terminal today. In 1913, all the railroads were consolidated into the Alton & Southern Railroad Co. and the railroad pushed into Madison County. The A&S was allowed to build across the Pennsylvania at what is now HN Cabin, and they continued their push North. In 1925, the A&S completed its northward treck to Mitchell, IL. Here it connected with the Wabash, Chicago & Eastern Illinois, the "Big Four" and the Chicago & Alton, this spot is now known as Lenox Tower, and it is one of the last operating interlocking towers in the St. Louis area. Lenox Tower remains the northern terminus of the A&S, and Fox Terminal remains as the southern terminus.

During the '60s, Alcoa (not to be confused with ALCO) built the A&S into a major terminal RR, it built hump facilities, and expanded its Gateway Yard. In 1966, Alcoa closed its E. St. Louis plant and put the A&S up for sale. In 1968, the A&S was purchased jointly by the Missouri Pacific and the Chicago & Northwestern. The new paint scheme incorporated MoPac blue and C&NW yellow, with a combined logo of the MoPac buzzsaw, and C&NW bar. In 1972, however, the C&NW sold its share of Alton & Southern to the St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt), MoPac's ownership remained the same, until the 1982 merger with the Union Pacific, at that time MoPac ownership was transferred to the UP. Finally, in 1996, the UP absorbed the combined Southern Pacific/SSW system, and its ownership in the A&S. Today the sole owner of the A&S is the UP, although the A&S remains an independent company.

Today Alton & Southern primarily serves as a hub for Union Pacific trains, as well as trains in and out of St. Louis on the CSX. Additional traffic moves in and out of A&S to and from the NS, TRRA, and KCS. A&S also has some online business.

Alton & Southern's base of operations is its huge Gateway Yard in E. St. Louis. The closest you can legally get to the yard is Valley Jct. From here, one can readily see the hump jobs go back and forth, as well as any action on the yards outer tracks.

MAP:

Click on map for larger version.

Contact Info:

Alton & Southern Railway Company
1000 South 22nd Street
East St. Louis, IL 62207

Contact the General Manager at:
Phone: (618)-482-7707
Fax: (618)-482-7775
Email: N/A

Official Alton & Southern Railway Website

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