Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Alabama, Tennessee and Northern Railroad was a short line railroad operating within the state of Alabama
. It was founded in 1897 as the Carrollton Short Line Railway to link the city of Carrollton, Alabama
with the Mobile and Ohio Railroad
at Reform, Alabama
. Through mergers, acquisitions and the building of track, the railroad eventually reached the port of Mobile, Alabama
. In 1948, the railroad was purchased by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway
(the "Frisco"), who operated it as a separate entity until 1971, when it was absorbed into the parent company.
by way of Reform, Alabama
— rather than the county seat of Carrollton — since the Reform route would be faster. Having failed in their appeal to the M&O, leading citizens of Carrollton set up a corporation to connect their city with the railroad; this was chartered by the State of Alabama as the Carrollton Short Line Railway in June 1897. John Taylor Cochrane, who had constructed the Tuscaloosa Belt Line, began building this new railroad.
Alabama
Alabama is a state located in the southeastern region of the United States. It is bordered by Tennessee to the north, Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to the south, and Mississippi to the west. Alabama ranks 30th in total land area and ranks second in the size of its inland...
. It was founded in 1897 as the Carrollton Short Line Railway to link the city of Carrollton, Alabama
Carrollton, Alabama
Carrollton is a town in Pickens County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 987. The city is the county seat of Pickens County....
with the Mobile and Ohio Railroad
Mobile and Ohio Railroad
The Mobile and Ohio Railroad was a railroad in the Southern U.S. The M&O was chartered in January and February 1848 by the states of Alabama, Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee. It was planned to span the distance between the seaport of Mobile, Alabama and the Ohio River near Cairo, Illinois...
at Reform, Alabama
Reform, Alabama
Reform is a city in Pickens County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,978.The city is notorious for ticketing drivers in several speed traps. Speed limits drop from 65mph to 45mph within a short distance at the top of a hill. The police will sit on the other side of...
. Through mergers, acquisitions and the building of track, the railroad eventually reached the port of Mobile, Alabama
Mobile, Alabama
Mobile is the third most populous city in the Southern US state of Alabama and is the county seat of Mobile County. It is located on the Mobile River and the central Gulf Coast of the United States. The population within the city limits was 195,111 during the 2010 census. It is the largest...
. In 1948, the railroad was purchased by the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway
St. Louis-San Francisco Railway
The St. Louis – San Francisco Railway , also known as the Frisco, was a railroad that operated in the Midwest and South Central U.S. from 1876 to 1980.-History:...
(the "Frisco"), who operated it as a separate entity until 1971, when it was absorbed into the parent company.
History
In 1897, the Mobile & Ohio Railroad chose to route through Pickens County, AlabamaPickens County, Alabama
Pickens County is a county of the U.S. state of Alabama. As of 2010, the population was 19,746. Its county seat is Carrollton, and it is a prohibition, or dry county.-History:...
by way of Reform, Alabama
Reform, Alabama
Reform is a city in Pickens County, Alabama, United States. At the 2000 census the population was 1,978.The city is notorious for ticketing drivers in several speed traps. Speed limits drop from 65mph to 45mph within a short distance at the top of a hill. The police will sit on the other side of...
— rather than the county seat of Carrollton — since the Reform route would be faster. Having failed in their appeal to the M&O, leading citizens of Carrollton set up a corporation to connect their city with the railroad; this was chartered by the State of Alabama as the Carrollton Short Line Railway in June 1897. John Taylor Cochrane, who had constructed the Tuscaloosa Belt Line, began building this new railroad.