I am preparing an reasonably scholarly article for publication concerning rail service changes in the Tombigbee river valley, an area impacted greatly by the Tenn-Tom Waterway. Some would call Tenn-Tom nothing but a porkbarrel project, and a boondoggle which left Birmingham and Memphis without an Interstate Highway connection. Without a doubt, its completion marked the end of the Canal Era. The recent discovery of certain papers in Senator John Stennis's collection at Mississippi State University has revealed some interesting things about the project. A major part of the story is the events occurring on the old GM&O (M&O mostly)routes -- their sale to the Gulf & Mississippi; that line's struggle to survive; its eventual sale to the MidSouth (an Illinois Central surrogate) and then merger into the KCS empire. I worked for G&M, in Marketing and Government/Media Relations, and workplace duties prevented a lot of photography. Can anyone help? I am particularly in need of shots of the big BN grain trains which we handled from Tupelo to Mobile for a year or so. Full credit in the publication, of course.

amiller@rtms-movietrains.com