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Missouri Pacific
Hi-Railers, Off-rail Vehicles
& Alternate Transportation
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| MP
MOW Crew and crane Trucks at Poplar Bluff, Missouri - Elvin
Klepzig photo |
Many
of the vehicles pictured below were gathered from other images at Screaming
Eagles. Some are unique to this page. Most are poor quality images,
as trucks and cars were often seen lurking in the long shadows of the
more glamorous rail power. Still we hope this page can provide some insight
into another overlooked area of railroading.
Click
on the thumbnails to see a larger image
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific
company car
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Location/Date of Photo:
Freeport, TX
1976-1977 |
Road No.
unknown
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Photographer:
© Nathan Griffin Photo |
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| Was there a car more classic
for the 1970's than the Chevy? Blow-up from MP1190 photograph, taken
at Freeport, Texas, behind the depot 1977. |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific
company car
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Location/Date of Photo:
unknown
1960-1970's |
Road No.
unknown
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Photographer:
© Brian Paul Ehni Photo |
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| This time its another symbol
of the 1960-70's, a station wagon, as seen in a close-up from Brian
Paul Ehni's shot of business car MP8 - |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific
Hi-rail truck
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Location/Date of Photo:
unknown
1960-1970's |
Road No.
unknown
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Photographer:
© George
Elwood photo |
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| "Buzzsawed" truck
in typical colors seen lurking in the background. From close-up
of A&S #1517. |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific
Hi-rail truck
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Location/Date of Photo:
Paris, TX
December 1982 |
Road No.
unknown
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Photographer:
© Gary
Morris Photo |
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| Looks like a Ford
similar to one above, this time looking at the tailgate. From
this we can make out a rotating beacon light on the cab roof, spare
tire in the bed and the hi-railer add-on beneath the bumper. From
close-up of Paris, Texas depot. |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific
MoW truck
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Location/Date of Photo:
unknown
unknown |
Road No.
unknown
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Photographer:
Jerry Carson Photo/T. Greuter Collection |
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| Blown-up from a
slide, the MoW truck wears the MP buzzsaw on the door, has a locker/equipment
box behind the cab and an open flatbed with tall slatted sides of
wood construction. |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific
MoW truck
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Location/Date of Photo:
Laredo, TX
January 1978 |
Road No.
unknown
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Photographer:
© Gary
Morris Photo |
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| MP truck, this time
with short sides around the flatbed. In the full shot there's also
a company pickup. Seen at Missouri Pacific station, Jan 78 at Laredo,
Texas. |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific
MoW truck
crane truck
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Location/Date of Photo:
Poplar Bluff, MO
unknown |
Road No.
unknown
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Photographer:
Elvin
Klepzig photo |
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| MP
MOW Crew and crane Trucks - of the same types seen above. Here they're
rerailing MP #5031 (at far right in UP colors) at Poplar Bluff, Missouri. |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific
Little Giant Crane
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Location/Date of Photo:
Wichita, KS
February 16, 1987 |
Road No.
RR C12
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Photographer:
©
Ronald
Estes, Rail Images/ T. Greuter Collection |
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| RR C12 - rail-runner
crane at snowy Wichita, Kansas on February 16, 1987 |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific/Union Pacific
Little Giant Crane
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Location/Date of Photo:
Union, NE
February 2002 |
Road No.
RR C25, 1381
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Photographer:
Todd Greuter Photo |
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| RR C25, rail-runner
crane like above, this time after the UP has applied their shield
to its side. Union, Nebraska, February 2002 |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific/Union Pacific
Little Giant Crane
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Location/Date of Photo:
Union, NE
February 2002 |
Road No.
RR C25, 1381
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Photographer:
Todd Greuter Photo |
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| RR C25 - detail
shot. Union, Nebraska, February 2002 |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific/Union Pacific
Little Giant Crane
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Location/Date of Photo:
Union, NE
February 2002 |
Road No.
RR C25, 1381
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Photographer:
Todd Greuter Photo |
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| Mo-Pac Little Giant
Crane #1381 at Union, Nebraska. Notice that these heavy-duty trucks
were even equipped with a rear coupler. |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific/Union Pacific
Little Giant Crane
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Location/Date of Photo:
Union, NE
February 2002 |
Road No.
RR C25, 1381
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Photographer:
Todd Greuter Photo |
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| MP Little Giant
Crane #1381 at Union, Nebraska |
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The
Missouri Pacific system was more than just trains. Far from it. In fact
the railroad was part of the larger parent company Missouri Pacific Corporation
(ex-Mississippi River Corporation, ex-Mississippi River Fuel Company)
which dealt with oil pipelines. Like other railroads that had any hope
to remain competitive, the MP system was always eager to stay ahead of
the curve and strived to keep abreast of all means of transportation,
not just that which ran on rails. The following are some interesting examples
of the MoPac's other modes of transportation.
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Missouri Pacific - By Water |
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Unit:
Missouri-Illinois
Rail car ferry
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Location/Date of Photo:
unknown
unknown |
Vessel Name:
"Ste Genevieve"
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Photographer:
David
Beckermann Collection |
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A
rather famous shot of the 3rd "Ste Genevieve", the Missouri-Illinois
rail car ferry, which was retired in 1961. The Transfer Boat is seen
with a steam engine pulling a cut of cars off the deck. The boat itself
has two steam engines, one on each side, with dual paddlewheels.
The MoPac included
ferry operations along the Mississippi River, The "George
H. Walker" was a large steam-powered twin paddle-driven ferry
boat which operated between Baton Rouge and Anchorage, Louisiana.
It's use lasted a quarter century, from 1923-1947. From photos, the
Walker was aparently capable of hauling twelve cars which where
loaded evenly on either end of the deck. Two large smokestacks towered
over the deck and each paddlewheel was enclosed with a large buzzsaw
emblem painted over the ship's name on the sides. This was the only
ferry on the system that regularly scheduled passenger runs as part
of it's transport service. |
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Missouri Pacific - By Land |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific Trailways
GM PD-2903 Bus (1946)
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Location/Date of Photo:
unknown
unknown |
Road No.
MPT 864
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Photographer:
Builder Photo/T. Greuter
Collection |
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A General Motors PD-2903 Bus (1946 model). The Missouri Pacific
Transportation Company, Saint Louis, Missouri, was a subsidiary of
the Missouri Pacific Railroad, with most of its route miles paralleling
the railroad. It provided extensive bus service from Saint Louis to
Kansas City, Missouri, Nebraska, Kansas, Arkansas, Louisiana, Memphis,
Tennessee and to Houston, Texas, and in the Texas Rio Grande valley.
It was an early member of the National Trailways Bus System, later
became Midwest Bus Lines and then part of the Continental Trailways
Bus System. |
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Missouri Pacific - By Air |
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Unit:
Missouri Pacific
unknown Bi-plane
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Location/Date of Photo:
unknown
Late 1920-1930's |
Bird No.
unknown
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Photographer:
T. Greuter Collection
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A company-sponsored bi-plane?
- I don't know much about this image, except for the obvious. The
photo dates to the late 20's into the 1930's. Did the MoPac use
this bird for corporate transportation of company officials or possibly
it was experimenting with then new air mail shipping? This image
would pre-date the company's excursion into passenger air service.
I've got a different idea. This looks
more like a public event such as an airshow, which was a very very
popular thing in the early days of flight. Notice the large sign
in the crowd to the left. I can't make out all the words but it
definitely reads "PILOTS REGISTER... " The bottom line is anyone's
guess. With the red buzzsaw logo plastered on wings, fuselage and
tail rudder it looks as if the she were about to take off for a
dogfight with the Red Baron. There's also at least two other planes
in the background. Was the railroad a corporate sponsor in the event,
just as you see company logos on NASCAR racers today?
Whatever the occasion, the bi-planes
seem to have attracted quite a crowd of gawkers and well-wishers
including the mother and daughter posing for the camera. The bi-plane
design is interesting itself, with a fully enclosed crew cabin,
a state-of-the-art idea for those days, and the stubby lower wing
in comparison to the upper assembly suggest it was built for speed
and maneuverability.
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Click here for info.
