Hi Everyone,

I was wondering if anyone has any information on three Louisiana shortlines.

The first one is the Mansfield Railway & Transport Railway? This was a VERY short line (I think only 1 mile long!!). From what I've read, I think this company was commonly owned with the Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri Railroad, and disappeared sometime in the late 1950s? Does anyone have any info.?

The next one was also a short line in Louisiana, the Feliciana Eastern Railroad? Does anyone know the history of this line, and when it was abandoned or does it still exist? Also, what was the principal traffic?

Finally, the last one was Louisiana's South Shore Railroad. I've heard that this line was once commonly owned with the Louisiana Midland Railway, and both lines frequently swapped diesels and other equipment. Does anyone have any information or photos of this line? Does this one still exist?

Any information on any of the above lines would be most welcome. Thanks for reading this message.

-Mike

(mdamico23@hotmail.com)

-- Mike D'Amico (mdamico23@hotmail.com), August 07, 1999

Answers

The Mansfield Railway and Transpotation Co at one time ran southwesterly from Mansfield to the Mississippi River at Hunter in Desoto County approximately 18 miles. ICC Statistics of Railways in the U.S. indcate operated mileage of only 3.42 miles IN 1922. Also served Camp Point also in the general area of Hunter according to a great map i discovered COUNTY MAP OF ST .LOUIS SOUTHWESTERN RAILWAY LINES and connections ca.1910

-- Edward Bangs (bunkerhilled@webtv.net), August 16, 1999.

Information on the Mansfield Railway & Transportation Co. can be found in;

ICC 23 Tap Line Case, p. 587.

I think that there was a connection between the M. R & T. Co. and the Reader RR, in Arkansas through the Mansfield Lumber Co. You might check this out in SHORT LINE RAILROADS OF ARKANSAS by Clifton Hull.

I have no information on the Feliciana Eastern RR or the Louisiana South Shore RR.

Hope this helps. If youn have any question regarding this contact me. Russell Sh

-- Russell Short (russshort@aol.com), August 15, 1999.

Mike,

I forgot to mention that in 1956 the officers for the MRTR are shown as the same names as the officers of the A&LM. So clearly they had common ownership. Have nothing on the other two lines.

-- Jerry Dowling (jdowling@lcc.net), August 10, 1999.

Mike,

The Official Railway Equipment Register of February 1923 shows the Mansfield Railway & Transport Railway to be a part of the Huttig, Mansfield and Nacogdoches Railroads. These consist of the MRTR, the Nacogdoches and Southeastern, the Louisiana And Pine Bluff, and the Arkansas and Louisiana Missouri. By July 1937, the ORER shows the same roads minus the A&LM. The April 1956 ORER shows the MRTR by itself. It had 3 miles of track and in 1956 operated one diesel locomotive and one gasoline locomotive. It interchanged with the KCS and the T&P.

That's all the info I have handy. Hope it helps.

-- Jerry Dowling (jdowling@lcc.net), August 10, 1999.