Middle Yard | Missouri – Illinois Railroad

Prototype…

Middle Yard was positioned halfway between Thomure and the Ste. Genevieve depot – a total distance of about 2 miles. The prototype had 12 tracks with a capacity of 139 cars; a Fairbanks balance beam track scale was located on the south end of the yard. Crews classified and built trains for the journey south (mostly westward) from Ste. Genevieve to an interchange in Bismarck, MO, on the MoPac’s DeSoto Division.

Middle Yard (north end) as it looks today. Ste. Genevieve’s lime industry is still served by the UP.

Layout adaptation…

There are 3 tracks available for sorting and classifying at Middle Yard, with track #3 sporting a Boulder Creek Engineering track scale to weigh outbound loads. Overweight cars are returned to the originating shipper on the next train for adjustment.

The scale house on track 3. Scratch built from styrene.

Although never seen, I chose to add interior details, including the Fairbanks track scale.

The Yardmaster position stays busy with ferry cuts as well as creating several extras. Peerless White Lime Company, the M-I’s largest customer, is switched daily and occasionally twice, depending upon its demand for cars. An Afternoon Yard job works the local Ste. Genevieve customers and Frisco interchange traffic.

This EMD NW2 idling in Middle Yard was the first diesel locomotive that arrived on the prototype railroad in 1949. This model is kitbashed from a 3-Rail Atlas SW8. The SW8 shell was replaced with a Lionel NW2 shell and repainted. The headlight castings on the Lionel and Atlas units were not to proper scale – in fact they were closer to 1:64 rather than 1:48. Fortunately, Kevin Leyerle had headlights cast in brass based on detailed prototype measurements and pictures. He kindly shared a few pieces with me.

Water is available for any steam engines departing Middle Yard. Unfortunately, the quality of the muddy Mississippi River water does not produce great steam, so crews will try to use as much as possible en-route so they can refill with the natural spring water available at Weingarten.