Today's installment of "Dave's Depots" takes us close to my home. When the Pacific Railroad of Missouri constructed its line west from St. Louis in the 1850s, just west of present day Kirkwood, the construction engineers encountered two hills too large to go around and too steep to go over. The solution was to construct a pair of tunnels. The tunnels were carved out of the hills using hand tools and black powder-based explosives. (This was before Mr. Nobel invented Dynamite). The tunnels became the first railroad tunnels west of the Mississippi River.
In the 1940s, the Missouri Pacific moved the mainline several hundred feet to the south, in order to lay double track through the area. The railroad simply picked up and moved the depot to its present site as well. Later, after World War II, the Museum of Transportation located at the site, and the depot was the museum’s first office, gift shop, and shop area.
The depot remained an active stop until the 1950s, as the area was a stop on the MOPAC's commuter service from Pacific, MO to St. Louis.
The original mainline grade was later used by MOT for the present day demonstration streetcar line. The tunnels remain off-limits, largely due to some past stability issues.
The present pattern of development at MOT has made the depot inaccessible to the public. It sits in the middle of the shop materials yard. The depot is in good shape, and is presently used as the museum's wood shop. (Photo Credit: Frank Hicks)
In the 1940s, the Missouri Pacific moved the mainline several hundred feet to the south, in order to lay double track through the area. The railroad simply picked up and moved the depot to its present site as well. Later, after World War II, the Museum of Transportation located at the site, and the depot was the museum’s first office, gift shop, and shop area.
The depot remained an active stop until the 1950s, as the area was a stop on the MOPAC's commuter service from Pacific, MO to St. Louis.
The original mainline grade was later used by MOT for the present day demonstration streetcar line. The tunnels remain off-limits, largely due to some past stability issues.
The present pattern of development at MOT has made the depot inaccessible to the public. It sits in the middle of the shop materials yard. The depot is in good shape, and is presently used as the museum's wood shop. (Photo Credit: Frank Hicks)
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