Murphysboro & Southern Illinois Railway

Murphysboro & Southern Illinois Railway

by Stephen M. Scalzo

Headline image: The M&SIRy only owned two interurban cars, and here they are when new. All photos are from the Stephen Scalzo Collection of the Illinois Railway Museum.

Murphysboro was laid originally on a 20-acre lot donated for the purpose of establishing a village by Dr. John Logan. Murphysboro replaced Brownsville as the county seat of Jackson County in 1843 because it was located in the middle of the county. Coal mining operations since 1810 had a profound influence on population expansion and economic growth of the area. Murphysboro was the location of the Mobile & Ohio Railroad's locomotive shop and division headquarters, and at one time over 1,700 people were employed there.

Carbondale was founded in August 1852 when 360 acres were purchased along the Illinois Central Railroad, which was an important factor in the location of the town. The city developed as a mercantile and transportation center, and in 1874, the Southern Illinois Normal University was opened there. By 1900, the population was over 3,300, and by 1905 it was in excess of 4,700. The main factor responsible for the phenomenal growth rate was the growth of the IC; Carbondale was the nucleus of the IC's coal distribution in southern Illinois, and was the division headquarters with a roundhouse, yards, etc.

One of the Murphysboro mule cars. Date and specific location unknown.

The Citizens' Street Railway was organized by the Logan family in April 1889 with $25,000 capital, and that company was succeeded by the Murphysboro Street Railway, which was organized in March 1895 with $11,000 capital. During 1897, 1.5 miles of track was constructed and placed into service on Walnut Street (the main thoroughfare) between 6th and 22nd Streets, with the objective to develop the west side of Murphysboro. Three small four-wheel cars were purchased along with mules to pull them. On July 1, 1901, a fire destroyed the car barn and all but one car and one mule, which was operating on the trackage. The destroyed equipment and animals were replaced.

Another photo of  what is probably the same mule car. Date and location unknown.

On November 9, 1907, the Murphysboro Electric Railway Light Heat & Power Company was formed, and after receiving a franchise on January 13, 1908, that company purchased the Murphysboro Street Railway. In October 1908, a local contractor began constructing about one mile of new trackage on Walnut Street in connection with a street paving project. During 1909, contracts were let for another half mile of trackage to the Iron Mountain Railroad (later Missouri Pacific) depot. During May 1909, the Westinghouse Electric and Manufacturing Company received a contract to electrify the system. Service started on October 1, 1909, using two streetcars on 2.5 miles of track, and electricity for the overhead was purchased from the Murphysboro Water Works and Electric and Gas Light Company's power plant located at 6th and Walnut Streets. Switches were installed in the trackage to connect all three steam railroads that crossed Walnut Street, and a limited freight service was begun by transferring freight cars from one railroad to another for $2 per car. Additional freight business was obtained in 1912 when coal was hauled to the power plant.

One of the company's streetcars was this attractive secondhand car from St. Louis, number unknown. Around this time United Railways of St. Louis was rebuilding its decade-old 900-series cars (of which this is likely one) for resale to smaller traction cmopanies.

The Murphysboro & Southern Illinois Railway Company was organized on September 21, 1909, with $250,000 capital as an offshoot of the city streetcar system. A 70-mile system was planned between Murphysboro, Carbondale, and Herrin [and, presumably, a connection with the Coal Belt Electric], with a spur to the coal mines at Bush. On June 28, 1910, a 50-year franchise was obtained in Carbondale, and on May 18, 1915, a 30-year franchise was obtained in Murphysboro. In Carbondale, a route was procured that would enter the city on North Illinois Street, with rights to build on that street to the Normal School. In Murphysboro, the interurban would use the local streetcar tracks.

Single-truck streetcar 2 was purchased new from St. Louis Car Company in 1909.

Because of the European war, money was hard to come by, and it was not until the fall of 1916 that construction began on the interurban system. In November, after awarding a contract to the Itawamba Engineering Company of St. Louis, construction began on the $80,000 steel bridge over the Big Muddy River at the east limits of Murphysboro. Two miles east of Murphysboro, a bridge was built over the IC that the company had purchased in 1917 from the IC. By July 1917, about eight miles of trackage using 67.5-pound rail had been constructed by the Heman Construction Company of St. Louis from the Big Muddy River in Murphysboro through the hilly country to the Carbondale city limits at a cost of $300,000.

Regular interurban passenger service began between Murphysboro and Carbondale on September 1, 1917. Two interurban cars were purchased to operate hourly on 18 round trips daily with an 18-cent fare (35 cents round trip) serving nine stations and several flag stops. Over the first two days of service, 1,797 tickets were sold, and after the first week, 6,443 passengers had ridden the line, necessitating the use of two-car trains on several trips. Normally, only one car was needed to maintain the schedule. Regular package and carload freight service was also instituted.

The M&SI ordered two handsome interurban coaches in late 1916 for delivery in 1917, car 5 and one other of unknown number. From photos they appear to have been of lightweight construction and set up for two-man operation with two doors at opposite corners for rear platform loading.

The overhead construction on tangents was of the bracket type, with wooden poles spaced 100 feet apart, while on curves a double line of poles was set, spaced 50 feet apart. Power for the overhead, which was furnished at 550 volts DC, was purchased from the Murphysboro Electric Light Gas and Power Company's new power plant that was constructed during 1917 along the river at the east edge of Murphysboro. The carbarn for both the streetcars and interurbans was located next to the power plant.

In Carbondale, trackage was built on four blocks of North Illinois Street to Jackson Street, where two rooms of the Edwards House (later the Franklin Hotel) were used as the station. Because of the war, not enough money could be raised and material purchased to extend the trackage the planned distance down Illinois Street to the Normal School. At the midpoint of the system in Henry, at the location of a passing siding, freight cars loaded with limestone and other products used by the local farmers were unloaded. Also, an amusement park was developed at that location, which attracted many passengers.

Downtown Murphysboro is shown, looking west on Walnut at 11th Street, with one of the company's streetcars in the distance.

Even though separate companies, the streetcar and interurban systems were operated as one company and were owned by the same interest. The streetcar system in Murphysboro never paid but the interurban line made a little money, though hardly enough to justify the investment. By 1915, the streetcar system was earning only $6,048 with 87,933 riders, and was just barely able to struggle along. As late as 1922, the interurban was still working with the IC on extending the line from Carbondale through Carterville to Herrin. The proposed line had been surveyed, but the company could not get anyone to finance construction. With the construction of paved highways and inroads made by the automobile on passengers, the interurban saw the handwriting on the wall. The company sought to open a bus subsidiary to Herrin, but the Coal Belt Electric Railroad blocked that in 1924. Earnings on the interurban dropped from $59,772 ($90,036 net) in 1923 to $15,801 (negative $5,732 net) in 1926.

On March 18, 1925, a devastating tornado hit southern Illinois, killing 199 persons, injuring 1,000 others and leaving 5,000 homeless. Murphysboro was one of the worst hit, with the west and north sections of the city being the hardest hit. Up to 50 city blocks in the city of 13,000 were destroyed, including a two square mile residential area, the M&O shops, and several factories, with over $3 million in property damage. The streetcar system had all its poles and overhead torn down from 13th to 23rd Streets, but the streetcars and carbarn were spared. The interurban bridge over the Big Muddy River sustained considerable damage. Interurban service resumed on March 29, but streetcar service never was resumed. Murphysboro rebuilt most of the destroyed area; however, the M&O shops were never rebuilt, and later the work was transferred to Jackson, Tennessee.

Another view of downtown Murphysboro, this time looking east on Walnut, with an airbrush-modified streetcar in the distance.

On March 30, 1926, the city of Murphysboro issued an official complaint against the interurban regarding its tracks, because its equipment was frequently derailing on the sharp curves on the city trackage. On November 30, 1926, the city also charged the streetcar company with failing to properly have the streets paved where its tracks were located. On December 8, both companies filed an application with the Illinois Commerce Commission to discontinue service. With the completion of the concrete highway between Carbondale and Murphysboro in 1925, private automobiles and buses were taking passengers away, and most freight business was being gobbled up by trucks. Only the coal business and a little carload freight business remained.

One of the interurban cars is shown on Walnut Street in downtown Murphysboro, date unknown.

Interurban passenger service was discontinued suddenly on December 12, and ICC orders to resume the service were ignored. The interurban was losing about $1,000 a month, and maintenance of the trackage had previously been stopped. Freight service continued for a while, but it, too, did not meet expenses. Official state approval was granted on January 26, 1927, to abandon the interurban and streetcar system when it was noted that the Logan family had used up all of its funds trying to keep the system running. However, an exception was made to the abandonment of the trackage in Murphysboro from the MP interchange to the power plant at Walnut and 6th Streets, which continued operating for about six months until the IC built a new spur track to the power plant.

On September 21, 1927, an inspection trip was made over the interurban for persons interested in buying the line as an operating concern. Because the system was in poor physical condition and had been operating at a very heavy loss, it was purchased for scrap at the foreclosure sale by Sonken-Galamba Corporation of Kansas City and dismantled shortly thereafter. The removal of trackage and the pavement of streets in Murphysboro became the responsibility of the city. The last holding of the company, the bus company formed in 1925 to protect the interurban franchise, was sold to the Egyptian Transportation Company in March 1927. The interurban company was finally dissolved on September 19, 1928.

This article was edited and laid out by Frank Hicks. Thanks to Richard Schauer and Ray and Julie Piesciuk for making available the materials from the Stephen Scalzo Collection necessary to publish this article.

Equipment Roster

MERLH&P = Murphysboro Electric Railway Light Heat & Power Company

MSR = Murphysboro Street Railway

M&SIR = Murphysboro & Southern Illinois Railway

Mule cars - three mule cars were obtained in 1897, two destroyed by fire in 1901 and subsequently replaced. Two mule cars, one open and one closed, were conveyed in 1907 to the MERLH&P, modified, and used as streetcar trailers. They were off the roster in 1912.

Car 2 - a single-truck deck-roof streetcar was ordered by MSR from the St. Louis Car Company (order #830) in 1909; StL #9 truck. Apparently off roster by 1919.

DT car - a double-truck deck-roof streetcar (number unknown) was purchased by MSR secondhand from United Railways in St. Louis in either 1909 or 1911, likely a 900-series car in St. Louis. Possibly retired in 1925, likely scrapped c1927.

Locomotive - a double-truck cab-on-flat locomotive (number unknown) was acquired by MSR in 1909; it was conveyed to the M&SIR in 1919. Scrapped c1927.

Cars 5 & ? - two double-truck arch-roof interurban cars were ordered by M&SIR from the American Car Company (order #1083) in 1917. They were double-ended, with Brill 27MCB2 trucks, 4 x WH 523 motors, HL control, 50 seats, and MCB couplers so that the cars could be used in freight service. Scrapped c1927.

Trailer - in 1919 a secondhand freight trailer was acquired by the M&SIR and used for express package service. Likely scrapped c1927.

Route Map

Click here for a route map of the Murphysboro & Southern Illinois Railway

Stations on the interurban line between Murphysboro and Carbondale were (west to east):

Baird

Thorpe

Wells

Henry

I.C. Crossing

Clay

No. 9

Silica

Cemetery

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