Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
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| Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad | |
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| Reporting mark | GMO |
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| Locale | central United States |
| Dates of operation | 1938–1972 |
| Predecessor | Mobile and Ohio Railroad; Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad |
| Successor | Illinois Central Gulf |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 81⁄2 in (1,435 mm) (standard gauge) |
| Headquarters | Mobile, Alabama |
The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio (reporting mark GMO) was a railroad carrier in the central United States, with its primary routes from Chicago to Mobile, Alabama and Kansas City, Missouri.
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[edit] History
The Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad was a result of the reorganization of the New Orleans, Mobile & Chicago in 1917. The GM&O incorporated in 1938 to take over and merge the Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad and the Mobile and Ohio Railroad, which it completed in 1940. The railroad also merged with the Alton Railroad in 1947.
On August 10, 1972, the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad was merged into the Illinois Central Railroad, forming the 9600-mile north/south Illinois Central Gulf Railroad. In 1996 Illinois Central spun off some of its redundant trackage, including most of the former Gulf, Mobile and Ohio. Most of this trackage was acquired by other railroads.
On February 11, 1998 the Illinois Central was purchased by the Canadian National Railway (CN) with the integration of operations beginning on July 1, 1999.
[edit] Passenger Operations
Aside from the GM&O's most popular train, the Rebel, the railroad also operated a number of other named trains. These include:
- Alton Limited: (Chicago - St. Louis)
- Abraham Lincoln: (Chicago - St. Louis)
- Ann Rutledge: (Chicago - St. Louis)
- Gulf Coast Rebel: (St. Louis - Mobile/Montgomery)
- Midnight Special: (Chicago - St. Louis)
- Night Hawk: (St. Louis - Kansas City)
- Prairie State Express: (St. Louis - Chicago)
- The Mail: (Chicago - St. Louis)
Until recently the Ann Rutledge was still operated by Amtrak.
[edit] In the media
GM&O engines and passenger cars were featured in the 1967 film In the Heat of the Night. Although the film's opening and ending shots of the GM&O are implied to be in Mississippi (a fictionalized version of Sparta, Mississippi), GM&O had ceased all passenger service south of St. Louis, Missouri eight years before the film was made (1966). The actual filming location was Sparta, Illinois. The location where the GM&O engines and cars were filmed was Alton, Illinois.
[edit] References
- "Corporate Family Tree/Flow Chart". The GM&O Historical Society, Inc.. http://www.gmohs.org/TertiaryPages/FamilyTreeFlowChart.htm. Retrieved on 2006-04-21.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Historical Society
- The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio (book)
- The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad, 'The Alton Route'
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