Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad

Infobox SG rail
railroad_name=Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
logo_filename=GulfMobileOhioRR.pnglogo_size=130
old_gauge=
marks=GMO
start_year=1938
end_year=1972
predecessor_line = Mobile and Ohio Railroad;
Gulf, Mobile and Northern Railroad
successor_line=Illinois Central Gulf
locale=central United States
hq_city=Mobile, AlabamaThe 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.

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.

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, where the film's fictional small town, Sparta is located, GM&O had ceased all passenger service south of St. Louis, MO eight years before the film was made (1966). The fictional Mississippi town in the film is actually Sparta, Il. And the city where the GM&O engines and cars are filmed is actually Alton Il.

References

*cite web | url=http://www.gmohs.org/TertiaryPages/FamilyTreeFlowChart.htm | title=Corporate Family Tree/Flow Chart | publisher= [http://www.gmohs.org/GMO_Railroad.htm The GM&O Historical Society, Inc.] | accessdate=2006-04-21

External links

* [http://www.gmohs.org/ The Gulf, Mobile & Ohio Historical Society]
* [http://acmeme.com/gmo/ The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio (book)]