Gulf and Mississippi

Company History: Gulf & Mississippi (reporting marks GMSR) was the first major spin-off in Illinois Central Gulf’s 1980s rationalization plan. In July of 1985, the new Gulf & Mississippi began operations on approximately 700 miles of mostly former GM&O lines in Mississippi, western Alabama, and southwestern Tennessee.

Included in the deal were four dozen diesels, all geeps rebuilt at ICG’s Paducah Shops. Only 3 locomotives ever received the official Gulf & Mississippi red and white paint scheme which was essentially the same as used on GM&O’s SD40’s. The rest of the Gulf & Mississippi fleet never shed their patched ICG orange and white.

Traffic levels on the G&M was pretty soft and three years after launch, they were in trouble. The Gulf & Mississippi was purchased by MidSouth (itself an ICG spinoff, although a more successful one) in 1988. MidSouth set up a new subsidiary called SouthRail to hold the G&M. From an operational standpoint, MidSouth and SouthRail became a single seamless system under the MidSouth flag.

Successor/Parent History: MidSouth (reporting marks MSRC) launched in 1986 as a spinoff from Illinois Central Gulf. The original routes were: Shreveport, Louisiana east to Meridian, Mississippi. 310 miles. Hattiesburg to Gulfport, Mississippi. 70 miles. Redwood to Le Tourneau, Mississippi. 20 miles.

The two principles for the new company were an odd couple. One (Moyers) was a former superintendent on the ICG. The other was a former attorney from the Justice Department who had also worked for the Interstate Commerce Commission. By all accounts, MidSouth was a roaring success with traffic increasing 10% per year. Two years after the launch, MidSouth bought another ICG spinoff, Gulf & Mississippi. The G&M became a paper railroad called SouthRail under the MidSouth flag. MidSouth already had purchased the North Louisiana & Gulf and Central Louisiana & Gulf and these two became known as “MidLouisiana Rail” and became a subsidiary of SouthRail. The final MidSouth system was 1,212 miles and served the large cities of Meridian, Vicksburg, Jackson, Artesia, Gulfport, and Hattiesburg, Mississippi; Shreveport, Louisiana; and Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama.

The diesel fleet (around 112 units) was dominated by GP10’s (EMD geeps rebuilt by ICG’s Paducah Shops) although a handful of un-rebuilt GP9’s, and GP18’s as well as a half dozen CF7’s. Most of the fleet came as part of the purchase from ICG and had been painted in crusty orange and white. MidSouth was fairly quick to repaint them in MidSouth slate gray with green and white trim.

Moyers left to become president of ICG and tried to take MidSouth with him. However, his former partner resisted and enlisted Archer Daniels Midland (who was a big MidSouth customer) to help keep the railroad independent. They were successful. Moyers turned around the ICG and left to head Southern Pacific. In 1994, MidSouth was sold to Kansas City Southern. The original Shreveport to Meridian corridor became an important through route for KCS and partner Norfolk Southern between Dallas and Atlanta. They jointly market the route as The Meridian Speedway. MidSouth had eight eventful years of existence.

Brief History: The U.S. is a country of 50 states covering a vast swath of North America, with Alaska in the northwest and Hawaii extending the nation’s presence into the Pacific Ocean. Major Atlantic Coast cities are New York, a global finance and culture center, and capital Washington, DC. Midwestern metropolis Chicago is known for influential architecture and on the west coast, Los Angeles' Hollywood is famed for filmmaking.