04-10-2013, 12:07 PM
The Union Railway of Memphis (URY) was a freight-only switching line surrounding Memphis that for most of its existence was controlled by Missouri Pacific, and performed all freight switching for MoPac in Memphis. There are a few websites run by a gentleman named Mike Condren that contain articles, maps, and a few photos. Other than these, I have had almost no luck obtaining additional information regarding this line. It can be reasonably guessed from MP rosters and builder data that in the diesel era this line was powered by a variety of BLW switchers including VO-660, VO-1000, and S-12, totaling eleven units. It is not clear whether all eleven were in operation at the same time. Following World War II, URY operated some joint trackage with SLSF and IC along the Mississippi River riverfront through downtown from its Georgia Street Yard (now condos) up to its North Yard (now nothing).
A lot of the trackage is still in use, particularly Sargent Yard and east to Aulon then north to Leewood Yard, as well as Sargent Yard and southwest to Harrison (formerly Johnston) Yard. Various segments are apparently still in use for limited industrial switching southwest of downtown (Hershey Foods, Budweiser Memphis, and access to Presidents Island) and north adjacent to the Wolf River (Bunge, ADM, Memphis Hardwood Flooring, and an Owens Corning asphalt shingle plant), these days served by UP and CNIC respectively. A perusal of Google Earth and Bing Maps allows one to identify where a lot of the abandoned and removed trackage was once located. At one time this line seems to have served around one hundred or more industries; now it appears mainly to function facilitating transfer/interchange among the five class-1's in Memphis.
URY is an interesting line. Can anyone here provide more information or point me toward additional sources of information? Thanks! Ric
A lot of the trackage is still in use, particularly Sargent Yard and east to Aulon then north to Leewood Yard, as well as Sargent Yard and southwest to Harrison (formerly Johnston) Yard. Various segments are apparently still in use for limited industrial switching southwest of downtown (Hershey Foods, Budweiser Memphis, and access to Presidents Island) and north adjacent to the Wolf River (Bunge, ADM, Memphis Hardwood Flooring, and an Owens Corning asphalt shingle plant), these days served by UP and CNIC respectively. A perusal of Google Earth and Bing Maps allows one to identify where a lot of the abandoned and removed trackage was once located. At one time this line seems to have served around one hundred or more industries; now it appears mainly to function facilitating transfer/interchange among the five class-1's in Memphis.
URY is an interesting line. Can anyone here provide more information or point me toward additional sources of information? Thanks! Ric