St. Louis Southwestern - part of SP?

Model Railroader Prototype information for the modeler
1

I am modeling St. Louis, Mo in 1960 +/- 10 years. I just saw an Alco PA on eBay that is in SP Daylight colors, but lettered for St. Louis Southwestern. I’m not familiar with this line. Were they part of Southern Pacific? Operating when and where? Any info on St. Louis Southwestern would be welcome.

I have a SP Daylight passenger consist that I like the looks of, but it doesn’t fit my mid-west theme. Or maybe it does??

Thanks,

Bill Field

2

SSW, aka Cotton Belt, was merged into the SP many years ago. All are now part of the Union Pacific.

You can learn more about SSW at the SSW Historical Society web site.

http://www.geocities.com/TheTropics/8199/?200727

3

The SSW/Cotton Belt and Mopac shared trackage south out of St Louis. The railroads used the Mopac St louis to Thebes/SIMBCO and then the SSW from Thebes to Dexter, Mo and Paragould, Ark, where the two road split on separate routes.

Dave H.

4

Actually, Cotton Belt was never merged into Southern Pacific.
http://www.trains.com/TRC/CS/forums/1034793/ShowPost.aspx

5

Southern Pacific purchased 57% of the St.Louis Southwestern Railway (SSW) stock in 1930. An application for control of SSW by Southern Pacific was approved by the ICC on April 14, 1932.

The PA-1s were purchased for the Cotton Belt’s declining passenger service in late 1949. They served ten years on the Cotton Belt. The last Cotton Belt passenger train #7 & #8 made its last run on November 30, 1959. The two PA-1 were then leased to the Southern Pacific where they lasted another three or four years. The Cotton Belt quit using St. Louis Union Station on April 11, 1958. After that date the Cotton Belt’s Passenger train originated and terminated at Cotton Belt’s Valley Junction Yard.

Ed Cooper

Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society

6

Most of the photos I have seen of Cotton Belt passenger trains are in Steve Goen’s excellent COTTON BELT COLOR PICTORIAL. Cotton Belt never went in for streamlined passenger cars in a big way because of the competition from other railroads that had better routes. The ten American Flyer (PS) streamlined coaches were all that Cotton Belt could offer in the way of streamlined cars. Headend equipment was all clerestory.

Another note the PA-1s were delivered with St. Louis Southwestern lettering and black roofs. The units had their roofs painted silver by 1954 because of engine overheating problems. COTTON BELT lettering was applied to the units by 1955-56.

Ed