Illinois Terminal Railroad Tunnel?

I am so far unable to find out any facts about what this abandoned railroad tunnel is in old North St. Louis, but a fellow urban explorer seems to think it was once used by the Illinois Terminal Railroad. So, for lack of my own information, I am going to assume he is correct for now. Matt and I were actually trying to figure out how to get somewhere else, but when I realized where we were, I made him stop the car. He reluctantly agreed to come along on this exploration, even though he "just doesn't find an old railroad tunnel intriguing in any way." I think he knew, deep down, that if he didn't come I would question his sexual orientation in public every possible chance I got. He may have been right.

The first thing that I noticed before we even reached the tunnel was this opening in the concrete wall to our left. I couldn't help but wonder why there was so much trash piled up into a makeshit ramp leading into the doorway. After coming closer, I realized that this was obviously somebody's home, and it would be best to leave it alone. Continuing into the tunnel, it was apparent that at least this part of the tunnel was not entirely enclosed. We were definately underneath the street, as I was reminded of every time a car above us drove over a bump and I (I mean Matt) jumped like a little prissy girl, but the part of the tunnel where we entered was more like a half-tunnel, half-bridge hybrid. Hopefully the pictures will illustrate this point better, because it is quite hard to describe.

As we continued on, we began to notice many areas where dirty old pieces of furniture and old mattresses had been arranged into little living areas. In some areas, someone had obviously even created makeshift walls out of trash and rubble. As much as I wondered what was on the other side of these walls, I again thought they were better left alone. I would have hated to peek my head into one of these areas to see some person who was none too pleased with my presence in his home. Further on, the tunnel did become completely enclosed for awhile, and we began to see loading docks alone the wall with still working lights illuminating them. This area was obviously not completely forgotten. Matt kept wondering how much furthur I was planning on going, so I agreed that once we got to and saw what was in the next open area that we could both see up ahead, we would turn around. As we got closer, I could tell that there was actually an old engine car still on the tracks! This also was obviously not forgotten, as it was surrounded by a fence topped with razor wire. As I got closer, I noticed the "No Tresspassing" signs posted on the fence. All of a sudden, a spotlight above me turned on. I can't understand why this car would be here protected by fences and motion lights, when it's owner could have just as easily relocated it somewhere. We began to hear voices coming from the sidewalk above us, so decided that it would be best to just head back.

This trip left me with more questions that it did answers. Now that I know what is down there, I want to figure out why. Does this tunnel keep going, or is the remainder of it unpassable? As much as I want to know these answers, I doubt if I will return to this place. Knowing that it has become a home to many people who have no homes made me feel quite out of place, if not extremely uneasy. If anyone has any information about this tunnel or it's current use, please contact me. And if you plan on going yourself, bring some friends and a bo-staff or something.