Missouri Eastern 588 clatters across TRRA’s forgotten diamond at Rock Island Jct., making its way onto the West Belt Subdivision with the Terminal bound transfer. Later on, the crew will meet T202 at Pillsbury for the swap before heading back west.
Stop signs guard the diamond on what remains of TRRA’s Central Belt Subdivision. The line was a project by Frisco’s Benjamin Yockum who wanted to build a route bypassing TRRA operations in St. Louis. The St. Louis Belt & Terminal ran south off the CB&Q at Prospect Hill, where it would have been double tracked toward the Wabash connection, with the idea of eventually connecting with Frisco at SE Junction. When SLSF merged with the C&EI, TRRA gained control of StLB&T as part of the agreement. TRRA continued building south, passing under the MP at Maplewood.
Progress stalled during the financial crisis of 1907, followed by a lawsuit between a quarry and TRRA over eminent domain. Sometime in the 1920s, before the track ever reached SE Jct., track laid north of Rock Island was pulled up and reused to complete the connection with Frisco.
