Missouri Illinois Railroad ...who was this ? ... vintage scratch built Pacific

Missouri Illinois operated around 200 miles of track on both sides of the Mississippi River in its namesake states.

https://www.classicstreamliners.com/rr-m-i.html

It was owned by the Missouri Pacific and was merged into the MP in 1978.

Rusty

Underside shot?

Ah, the dear ol' Mike-'n'-Ike!  Wholly owned MoPac Red-headed stepchild, born of a union between the Illinois Southern and the Mississippi River and Bonne Terre (perhaps the most under-appreciated shortline ever).

Lead mines; Eastern Ozark scenery; a very late car-ferry operation across the Mississippi; parallel electric/interurban operations on the St. Francis County Traction Co. Lines; a huge steel trestle near Winegarten, MO; the southern Illinois coal fields:  there is something for just about everyone who love RRs (except a big, famous name; NYC Hudsons; and warbonnet F-3s).

See if you can find a copy of Joe Collias' MoPac Power in your local library.  MR did a write up on the MR&BT RR a number of years ago.  I might be able to find my copy, if needed.

Hello all

I had no idea the Mo ~ ILL  was real ...just assumed it was the modelers basement layout buried in East StLouis ...

Here is a belly shot of the engine ....

Cheers Carey 

Joe Collias also covered the Mike 'n Ike in his "Last of Steam" publication and  did a presentation on the line's car ferry across the Mississippi R at Bonne terre, MO/St Genevieve, IL at a Prototype Modelers Seminar in Naperville about 10 years ago. Seemed like they operated elderly, slide valve Consols, at least at the car ferry operation. Not sure if they actually owned 4-6-2's (?)

mark s posted:

Joe Collias also covered the Mike 'n Ike in his "Last of Steam" publication and  did a presentation on the line's car ferry across the Mississippi R at Bonne terre, MO/St Genevieve, IL at a Prototype Modelers Seminar in Naperville about 10 years ago. Seemed like they operated elderly, slide valve Consols, at least at the car ferry operation. Not sure if they actually owned 4-6-2's (?)

The MR&BT had some small Pacifics when MoPac took over--289,000 lbs, 64" drivers, per the MR article and Collias--two of which survived into the MoPac era.  Nothing the size and modern vintage as this model.  The RR often won awards for the cleanest engines under the St. Louis Union Station train shed.

Only a "diminutive" Illinois southern Mikado survived very long (Collias calls it possibly the smallest 2-8-2 built for standard gauge mainline service in the US:  344,700 lbs, 180 lbs PSI boiler pressure, 56" drivers, TE 37,025 lbs). 

The 2-8-0s mostly came from the MR&BT, including an Alco 1899 graduate of 136,000 lbs with 50" drivers.

Early dieselized, the M-I needed help during the Korean war, and MoPac favored its offspring with 10 spot-series 2-8-0 hand-me-downs to the mid-'50s.  Afterwards, additional RS-3s arrived, which ended up being the last engines lettered for the M-I, parent road power being assigned as needed thereafter until the full absorption of the little guy erased the distinction.

All-in-all, the little pike is a fascinating subject of study and an endlessly varied possible prototype to model.