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47-413: The Kansas City Southern Railway Company ( reporting mark KCS ) was an American Class I railroad . Founded in 1887, it operated in 10 Midwestern and Southeastern U.S. states : Illinois , Missouri , Kansas , Oklahoma , Arkansas , Tennessee , Alabama , Mississippi , Louisiana and Texas . KCS owned the shortest north-south rail route between Kansas City, Missouri , and several key ports along

94-674: A 2-digit code indicating the vehicle's register country . The registered keeper of a vehicle is now indicated by a separate Vehicle Keeper Marking (VKM), usually the name of the owning company or an abbreviation thereof, which must be registered with the Intergovernmental Organisation for International Carriage by Rail (OTIF) and the European Union Agency for Railways (ERA) and which is unique throughout Europe and parts of Asia and Northern Africa. The VKM must be between two and five letters in length and can use any of

141-576: A 76.40-mile Shreveport to Many line on October 26, 1896, an 85.80-mile Many to De Quincy line on June 30, 1897, and the 19.16-mile De Quincy to the Louisiana-Texas state line on September 11, 1897, where the southern terminus was with the Texarkana & Fort Smith Railway Company. A 26.60-mile narrow gauge branch line was acquired from the Calcasieu, Vernon & Shreveport Railway Company (CV&S), through

188-510: A STB ruling in August 2021 that the company could not use a voting trust to assume control of KCS, due to concerns about potentially reduced competition in the railroad industry. On September 12, 2021, KCS accepted a new $ 31 billion offer from CP. Though CP's offer was lower than the offer made by CN, the STB permitted CP to use a voting trust to take control of KCS. The voting trust allowed CP to become

235-705: A few months later by rebuilt cars State Capital (formerly McElheran ) and Mena (formerly McKullo ) on the southern leg of the train's schedule. After World War II , the train was re-equipped with some new cars built in 1948 by American Car and Foundry (ACF), and by rebuilding some of the original Pullman-Standard cars. Two of the diner-observation cars were rebuilt into tavern-observation cars; car 54, Kansas City (renamed to Good Cheer ), and 55, Shreveport (renamed Hospitality ), remained in Southern Belle service. The new cars built by ACF equipped two new consists and entered regular service on April 3, 1949. Each of

282-461: A hyphen. Some examples: When a vehicle is sold it will not normally be transferred to another register. The Czech railways bought large numbers of coaches from ÖBB. The number remained the same but the VKM changed from A-ÖBB to A-ČD. The UIC introduced a uniform numbering system for their members based on a 12-digit number, largely known as UIC number . The third and fourth digit of the number indicated

329-437: A one- to six-digit number. This information is used to uniquely identify every such rail car or locomotive, thus allowing it to be tracked by the railroad it is traveling over, which shares the information with other railroads and customers. In multinational registries, a code indicating the home country may also be included. The Association of American Railroads (AAR) assigns marks to all carriers, under authority granted by

376-685: A predecessor of the CNW, from which the UP inherited it. Similarly, during the breakup of Conrail , the long-retired marks of the Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR) and New York Central Railroad (NYC) were temporarily brought back and applied to much of Conrail's fleet to signify which cars and locomotives were to go to CSX (all cars labeled NYC) and which to Norfolk Southern (all cars labeled PRR). Some of these cars still retain their temporary NYC marks. Because of its size, this list has been split into subpages based on

423-641: A railroad system consisting of 3,984 route miles (6,412 km) that extended south to the Mexico–United States border at which point another KCS railroad, Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM), can haul freight into northeastern and central Mexico and to the Gulf of Mexico ports of Tampico , Altamira , and Veracruz , as well as to the Pacific Port of Lázaro Cárdenas , fulfilling the vision of KCS founder Arthur Edward Stilwell . Kansas City Southern Railway

470-404: A reduced menu, which was termed "cafe car service" by KCS. This new service was aimed at the now mostly coach travelers who continued to patronize these trains. Spartian interiors, which greatly simplified servicing, included tile floors, vinyl seating, dark green tinted windows which eliminated the need for window shades, and fixed vestibule steps, were among the cost saving features that were found

517-611: A subsidiary. From 1940 to 1969, the Kansas City Southern operated two primary passenger trains, the Flying Crow (Trains #15 & 16) between Kansas City and Port Arthur (discontinued on May 11, 1968) and the Southern Belle (Trains #1 & 2) between Kansas City and New Orleans (discontinued on November 2, 1969). In 1995, a new Southern Belle was created as an executive train to entertain shippers and guests. It also pulls

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564-520: The Canadian Pacific Railway (CP) announced that it was purchasing KCS for US$ 29 billion. Prior, a competing cash and stock offer was made by Canadian National Railway (CN) on April 20, 2021 at $ 33.7 billion. On May 13, 2021, KCS announced in a statement that they planned to accept the higher offer from CN, but would give CP until May 21 to come up with a higher bid, which was not made. However, CN's merger attempt would be blocked by

611-671: The Gulf of Mexico . The focus of the routes was the fastest way to connect Kansas City to seaports, since it was only 800 miles from Kansas City to the Gulf of Mexico compared to 1,400 miles between Kansas City and the Atlantic Ocean ports. KCS operated over a railroad system consisting of 3,984 route miles (6,412 km) that extended south to the Mexico–United States border at which point another KCS-operated railroad, Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM), hauled freight into northeastern and central Mexico and to several Gulf of Mexico ports and

658-568: The Holiday Express train in December, making the rounds to several KCS cities and stations. In 1996, Kansas City Southern Industries won a Mexican government concession to operate the "Northeast Railroad," a potentially profitable 5,335-kilometer rail system connecting key cities and ports. This line, which carried a significant portion of Mexico's rail traffic and freight from the United States,

705-575: The Kansas City Suburban Belt Railway , a 20-mile long railroad, which was incorporated in 1887 and began operation in 1890. In 1897, Stilwell completed the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad Company (KCP&G) with a route running north and south from Kansas City to Shreveport, Louisiana , terminating at Port Arthur, Texas . In order to comply with Louisiana laws Stilwell, William S. Taylor, E. L. Martin, and others, officers of

752-547: The U.S. Surface Transportation Board , Transport Canada , and Mexican Government. Railinc , a subsidiary of the AAR, maintains the active reporting marks for the North American rail industry. Under current practice, the first letter must match the initial letter of the railroad name. As it also acts as a Standard Carrier Alpha Code , the reporting mark cannot conflict with codes in use by other nonrail carriers. Marks ending with

799-504: The 26 letters of the Latin alphabet . Diacritical marks may also be used, but they are ignored in data processing (for example, Ö is treated as though it is O ). The VKM is preceded by the code for the country (according to the alphabetical coding system described in Appendix 4 to the 1949 convention and Article 45(4) of the 1968 convention on road traffic), where the vehicle is registered and

846-703: The Arkansas Construction Company, that ran from De Quincy, West Lake, Lake Charles, and Lockport, and the construction company widened the tracks to standard gauge. In 1895, the KCP&;G entered into a contract with the KCS&;G to operate and maintain its property. In 1900, KCP&G was taken over by the Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS). By 1914, the KCS owned the separate entities of

893-713: The Arkansas Western Railway Company, Fort Smith & Van Buren Railway Company, Kansas City, Shreveport & Gulf Railway Company, the Kansas City, Shreveport & Gulf Terminal Company, the Maywood & Sugar Creek Railway Company, the Port Arthur Canal & Dock Company, the Poteau Valley Railroad Company, the Texarkana & Fort Smith Railway Company, the Arkansas Western Railway Company,

940-643: The Glenn Pool Tank Line Company, the Joplin Union Depot Company, the Kansas City Terminal Railway Company, and the K. C. S. Elevator Company. In 1962, Kansas City Southern Industries, Inc. (KCSI) was established when the company began to diversify its interests into other industries. At that time, KCS became a subsidiary of KCSI. In 2002, KCSI formally changed its name to Kansas City Southern (KCS), with KCS remaining

987-488: The KCS for use on the Southern Belle . Each set consisted of a combination baggage - RPO -dormitory (car numbers 64, 65 and 66), a 74-seat coach chair car (cars 234, Pittsburg ; 235, Joplin ; and 236, Texarkana ), and a dining - observation car (car numbers 54, Kansas City ; 55, Shreveport ; and 56, New Orleans ). The KCS rebuilt five heavyweight Pullman sleepers for use on the Southern Belle , making them look like their lightweight counterparts and increasing

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1034-608: The Missouri, Kansas & Texas Trust Company of Kansas City, Missouri, as well as the KCP&G, incorporated the Kansas City, Shreveport & Gulf Railway Company (KCS&G) on September 27, 1894, to build or acquire railroads in Louisiana. The Arkansas Construction Company completed a 41.10-mile line from Arkansas-Louisiana State line (northern terminus with the Texarkana & Fort Smith Railway Company) to Shreveport on April 15, 1896. The Kansas City Terminal Construction Company completed

1081-580: The Pacific Port of Lázaro Cárdenas . Canadian Pacific Railway purchased KCS in December 2021 for US$ 31 billion . On April 14, 2023, KCS became a wholly owned subsidiary of CPR, and both companies began conducting business under the name of their parent company, Canadian Pacific Kansas City . Arthur Stilwell began construction on the first line of what would eventually become the Kansas City Southern Railway in 1887, in suburban Kansas City, Mo . Together with Edward L. Martin , Stilwell built

1128-657: The VKM BLS. Example for an "Einheitswagen" delivered in 1957: In the United Kingdom, prior to nationalisation, wagons owned by the major railways were marked with codes of two to four letters, these codes normally being the initials of the railway concerned; for example, wagons of the Great Western Railway were marked "G W"; those of the London, Midland and Scottish Railway were marked "L M S", etc. The codes were agreed between

1175-531: The acquiring company discontinues the name or mark of the acquired company, the discontinued mark is referred to as a "fallen flag" railway. Occasionally, long-disused marks are suddenly revived by the companies which now own them. For example, in recent years, the Union Pacific Railroad has begun to use the mark CMO on newly built covered hoppers, gondolas and five-bay coal hoppers. CMO originally belonged to Chicago, St. Paul, Minneapolis and Omaha Railway ,

1222-470: The beneficial owner of KCS in December 2021, but the two railroads operated independently until receiving approval for a merger of operations from the STB. That approval came on March 15, 2023, which permitted the railroads to merge as soon as April 14, 2023. KCS hauled freight for seven major government and business sectors: agriculture and minerals, military, automotive, chemical and petroleum, energy, industrial and consumer products and intermodal. KCS had

1269-589: The car at the Houston Railroad Museum. In May 1995 the new president of the railroad, Michael Haverty , ordered the creation of an executive train to entertain shippers and guests. Under his direction, four former Canadian National locomotives, three EMD FP9As and an F9B , were purchased and painted a very dark green, similar to the paint scheme of the business fleet. Numbered 1-4 and named Meridian , Shreveport , Pittsburg , and Vicksburg , they were placed into executive service. In 2007, KCS changed

1316-441: The car names were dropped. The train's consists remained relatively unchanged between 1948 and the end of 1968 with Pullman and meal service, although in later years the diner-lounge cars were replaced by the ex-NYC tavern observation cars serving meals and beverages. When Pullman closed its doors on December 31, 1968, KCS elected not to continue sleeping car service and it was discontinued. From January 1, 1969, until November 2, 1969,

1363-985: The equipment used in these services. This may also apply to commuter rail, for example Metrolink in Southern California uses the reporting mark SCAX because the equipment is owned by the Southern California Regional Rail Authority —which owns the Metrolink system—even though it is operated by Amtrak. This is why the reporting mark for CSX Transportation , which is an operating railroad, is CSXT instead of CSX. Private (non-common carrier) freight car owners in Mexico were issued, up until around 1990, reporting marks ending in two X's, possibly to signify that their cars followed different regulations (such as bans on friction bearing trucks) than their American counterparts and so their viability for interchange service

1410-459: The expanding KCS bought 49 percent of Tex-Mex Railway . At the time, the investment was considered questionable by some observers, because TM had no connection to KCSR. The solution would not come until 1996, when Union Pacific and Southern Pacific agreed to provide Tex-Mex with trackage rights from Robstown northbound and through the Houston area to connect with KCSR at Beaumont . This agreement

1457-642: The final competition in New Orleans, Louisiana , on August 24, 1940. She briefly became a screen actress, being most famous for her cameo as Teresa Guadalupe in The Leopard Man of 1943. The last run of the Southern Belle was on November 3, 1969. On April 29, 1953 , heavy rainfall washed out a section of track near Montgomery, Louisiana , causing five cars of the train to derail. There were 10 injuries. Just before inauguration, Pullman-Standard delivered three new lightweight passenger car sets to

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1504-448: The first letter of the reporting mark: A railway vehicle must be registered in the relevant state's National Vehicle Register (NVR), as part of which process it will be assigned a 12-digit European Vehicle Number (EVN). The EVN schema is essentially the same as that used by the earlier UIC numbering systems for tractive vehicles and wagons , except that it replaces the 2-digit vehicle owner's code (see § Europe 1964 to 2005 ) with

1551-575: The letter "X" are assigned to companies or individuals who own railcars, but are not operating railroads; for example, the TTX Company (formerly Trailer Train Company) is named for its original reporting mark of TTX. In another example, the reporting mark for state-funded Amtrak services in California is CDTX (whereas the usual Amtrak mark is AMTK) because the state transportation agency ( Caltrans ) owns

1598-424: The new 1965 coaches, as well as the older coaches remaining in service, and in all the ex-NYC observation cafe cars. KCS wisely recognized the need to keep costs to a minimum, while continuing to provide a high level of service that was satisfactory to the remaining patrons. The previously-mentioned tavern-observation cars rounded out the ends of the two consists. Between 1962 and 1964, these cars were renumbered and

1645-462: The new consists included: KCS was pro-passenger until the Postal Service terminated mail contracts in 1967. Previous to that, KCS had continued to purchase new baggage/express cars, as well as the last intercity coaches by Pullman-Standard in 1965. Full dining car service was reduced to meals in ex- NYC tavern observation cars which had been modified with lunch counters serving food selections from

1692-469: The new train, KCS held a beauty contest to find "Miss Southern Belle," a young woman whose image would be used in advertising materials systemwide. Local competitions were held before the train's launch in all of the cities that the KCS served. The ultimate winner of the competition, Margaret Landry, was the winner of the local competition in Baton Rouge, Louisiana . She was selected as "Miss Southern Belle" at

1739-467: The number of double bedrooms in each. Cars Siloam Springs (formerly McBurney ) and Sulphur Springs (formerly McLarty ) were rebuilt in time for the train's inauguration. Initially, Pullman service was only offered between New Orleans and Shreveport, Louisiana . In 1941, car Barksdale (formerly McAllisterville ) was added to the train's operation when Pullman service was extended from Shreveport to Kansas City. The first two rebuilt cars were joined

1786-557: The owner of a reporting mark is taken over by another company, the old mark becomes the property of the new company. For example, when the Union Pacific Railroad (mark UP) acquired the Chicago and North Western Railway (mark CNW) in 1995, it retained the CNW mark rather than immediately repaint all acquired equipment. Some companies own several marks that are used to identify different classes of cars, such as boxcars or gondolas. If

1833-405: The owner, or more precisely the keeper of the vehicle. Thus each UIC member got a two-digit owner code . With the introduction of national vehicle registers this code became a country code. Some vehicles had to be renumbered as a consequence. The Swiss company BLS Lötschbergbahn had the owner code 63. When their vehicles were registered, they got numbers with the country code 85 for Switzerland and

1880-450: The railways and registered with the Ministry of Railways , Government of India . Southern Belle (KCS) The Southern Belle was a named passenger train service offered by Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) from the 1940s through the 1960s, running between Kansas City, Missouri , and New Orleans, Louisiana . The service was inaugurated on September 2, 1940. To promote

1927-727: The railways and registered with the Railway Clearing House . In India, wagons owned by the Indian Railways are marked with codes of two to four letters, these codes normally being the initials of the railway divisions concerned along with the Hindi abbreviation; for example, trains of the Western Railway zone are marked "WR" and "प रे"; those of the Central Railway zone are marked "CR" and "मध्य", etc. The codes are agreed between

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1974-730: The shortest north-south rail route between Kansas City, Missouri , and several key ports along the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The KCS, along with the Union Pacific railroad, was one of only two Class I railroads based in the United States that has not originated as the result of a merger between previously separate companies. The company owned or contracted with intermodal facilities along its rail network in Kansas City, MO; Jackson, Miss. ; Wylie, Texas ; Kendleton, Texas ; and Laredo, Texas . KCS operated over

2021-586: The train operated with only a baggage car, coaches, and the Ex-NYC observation cars. One of the ex-NYC cars is on display in the town of Jackson, La. Several of the 1965-vintage Pullman-Standard coaches remain in regular service today with the North Carolina DOT "Piedmont" passenger train service between Raleigh and Charlotte. Good Cheer has been preserved by the Gulf Coast Chapter NRHS , which displays

2068-410: Was highly sought after due to its strategic location, including proximity to numerous auto assembly plants. The concession was operated by a new company known as Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM) , which was a joint venture of KCSI with Transportación Maritima Mexicana (TMM). In 2005, TMM sold its share of TFM to KCSI, prompting a rename to Kansas City Southern de México (KCSM) . In 1995 ,

2115-564: Was impaired. This often resulted in five-letter reporting marks, an option not otherwise allowed by the AAR. Companies owning trailers used in trailer-on-flatcar service are assigned marks ending with the letter "Z", and the National Motor Freight Traffic Association , which maintains the list of Standard Carrier Alpha Codes, assigns marks ending in "U" to owners of intermodal containers . The standard ISO 6346 covers identifiers for intermodal containers. When

2162-562: Was one of the conditions imposed by the Surface Transportation Board (STB) for the approval of the proposed merger between UP and SP. Responding to increased international trade between the US and Mexico, the railroad built a large railroad yard and intermodal freight transport facility at Laredo in 1998 . They also won Regional Railroad of the Year that same year. On March 21, 2021,

2209-475: Was owned by Kansas City Southern , known as Kansas City Southern Industries until 2002, which in turn also owned other companies like Kansas City Southern de México and the Panama Canal Railway 's operator, Panama Canal Railway Company. Reporting mark In North America , the mark, which consists of an alphabetic code of two to four letters, is stenciled on each piece of equipment, along with

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