Mississippian Railway

The Mississippian Railway (reporting mark MSRW) is a short line railroad operating from Amory, Mississippi, to Fulton, Mississippi. It is operated by the Mississippian Railway Cooperative.

This article is about a particular railway. For other railways in the U.S. state of Mississippi, see List of Mississippi railroads.

Mississippian Railway
Mississippian #77 on the Alberta Prairie Railway
Overview
HeadquartersFulton, Mississippi
Reporting markMSRW
LocaleMississippi
Dates of operation1926–present
Technical
Track gauge4 ft 8 1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge
Length25 miles
Mississippian Railway
25.0
 Fulton
10.0
 Smithville
0.0
 Amory
BNSF Railway

The MSRW interchanges with the BNSF Railway at Amory, Mississippi. The MSRW's shops are also located in Amory.

History

The Mississippian Railway was established in 1923 primarily to haul lumber products from Fulton south to the interchange with the Frisco Railway in Amory.

In 1944 a bentonite plant was built in Smithville to take advantage of a large deposit discovered there which led to a surge in business for the line and its nickname The Bentonite Road. By 1968 the bentonite deposits near Smithville had been depleted and the plant closed, however several industries had moved to Fulton and continued to provide traffic for the railroad.

In the late 1970s, construction of the Tennessee–Tombigbee Waterway threatened to flood about nine miles of track. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers decided it would be cheaper to abandon the line than pay to relocate it. Local business owners and public officials teamed up with the Appalachian Regional Commission to save the railroad. They successfully lobbied the Interstate Commerce Commission to withhold the sale of the line until the funds to purchase it could be found. In 1986, the Itawamba County Development Council purchased the Mississippian Railway and transferred it over to the Mississippian Railway Cooperative, an entity directly representing industries that relied on the railroad to transport their products. County leaders raised several million dollars to upgrade the severely degraded track to a condition where reliable service could be provided.

Today the Mississippian hauls between 100 and 120 cars a month operating three days a week.

Motive power

The railroad previously operated a pair of 1920 Baldwin 2-8-0s until 1967 when diesels replaced them. Currently the MSRW operates an EMD GP7[1] (no. 102).

Preservation

The two famous Baldwin 2-8-0 Consolidation steam locomotives survive:

  • Mississippian #76 was built as No. 40 in December, 1920 for the Jonesboro, Lake City and Eastern Railroad.[2] When that line became part of the Frisco, the locomotive was re-numbered as 76.[2] After performing freight service for years, the engine was sold to the Mississippian in 1947 where it retained the Frisco number.[2] Following several further changes in ownership,[2][3] including the Gettysburg Railroad and the Steam Railroading Institute, #76 is now owned by the B&O Railroad Museum in Oakland, Maryland where it has been renumbered and relettered as the Baltimore & Ohio 476.[4]
  • Mississippian #77 had a similar history, being built in December, 1920 as No. 41 for the JLC&E, and passing through Frisco service as No. 77 before arriving in 1947 with the Mississippian.[2] After passing through further ownership, No. 77 is now with Alberta Prairie Railway in Stettler, Alberta where it pulls excursion trains and where it has been renumbered back to the original 41.[3]

See also

References
  1. "Mississippi Short Lines and Industrial Railroads". Don's Rail Photos.
  2. "The Frisco Survivors" (PDF). All Aboard, The Frisco Railroad Museum, November, 1987 (accessed on CondrenRails.com). Retrieved January 20, 2021.
  3. "Mississippian #77". HawkinsRails. Retrieved January 23, 2021.
  4. "Homepage (Post of January 15, 2021)". Oakland B&O Museum. Retrieved January 23, 2021.

Sources


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