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<p>In 1881, the St. Louis, Des Moines and Northern Railway (StLDM&N, a predecessor of the Chicago, Milwaukee & St. Paul Railway) began construction of a line extending west from downtown Des Moines, Iowa. In 1882, the Des Moines and St. Louis Railroad (DM&StL, a predecessor of the Wabash Railway) constructed a line extending from the west side of Des Moines towards Albia, Iowa. In 1887, a 0.88-mile segment of the StLDM&N between the Des Moines River and Farnham Street (present-day 16th Street) was sold to the Des Moines Union Railway (DMU). In 1888, a 2.5-mile segment of the DM&StL between the east city limits and Farnham Street was sold to the DMU. The DMU was founded to handle industrial switching operations, and was jointly controlled by the Chicago, Milwaukee St. Paul & Pacific Railroad (Milwaukee Road) and the Wabash Railway. The mainline of the DMU ran between Vine and Cherry Streets. In addition, the DMU operated extensive spurs and terminal facilities in Des Moines.</p><p>Throughout much of the 20th Century, the DMU remained important for handling terminal operations for the two owning railroads, and facilitating interchanges between other railroads in the area. The Wabash Railway eventually became part of the Norfolk and Western Railway (N&W) in 1964, and the Wabash share of the DMU transferred to the N&W. In 1980, the Milwaukee Road shut down the Iowa Division and divested from their share of the DMU. In 1982, the N&W was merged with the Southern Railway to form Norfolk Southern Railway (NS). In the 1990s, Des Moines was undergoing a transformation, with many of the industries and railroads that served them leaving the downtown area. The entire DMU east of E 7th Street was abandoned in 1996. Today, much of the right-of-way has been reused as parking lots and buildings, while the bridge across the Des Moines River has become an iconic pedestrian bridge. Some portions east of the Des Moines River have been retained by NS and are currently used as industrial tracks.</p>
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