Memphis
Rock Island Freight House

Bill Pollard Photo

This freight station was first occupied by the Rock Island on July 7, 1914, replacing a prior RI terminal located on Front Street at the foot of Adams Avenue. The red brick building was 50 feet wide and 500 feet long, with 5 house tracks and a transfer platform on the west side of station, and with a wagon driveway on the east side. Railroad offices were relocated to a smaller, concrete block building near East 4th & Broadway in late 1966, and by 1975, the house tracks were long gone and the building had been leased for storage.

Contributed by Bill Pollard

From the March 1915 Rock Island Employee Magazine

Contributed by Bill Pollard

From the March 1915 Rock Island Employee Magazine

Contributed by Bill Pollard

Pictured is a "new" storehouse that was constructed by the Rock Island in Memphis. The building was constructed in 1943, using reclaimed angle iron and plates for trusses, and using conduit tile and brick for the wall sections, all to minimize use of critical war materials. The building dimensions were 28 feet wide by 72 feet long. Most of the building contained shelving to store inventory (approximately 8000 items) for passenger cars and diesel electric locomotives, and it was also served by a single track on the east side of the building. When built, the storehouse issued materials for supplying cleaning and making running repairs to approximately 700 passenger cars, 200 locomotives and 350 freight cars per month. A map of the coach yard shows the store house to be near the west 1/3 of coach yard, sandwiched between the 5 coach yard tracks and the two industry tracks for Pittsburg Pipe Co. Photo and information from Railway Purchases and Stores, February 1944.

Mike Condren Photo

East side of Rock Island freight house, 9/86.

Mike Condren Photo

Rear half of the Rock Island freight house, 9/86