Alabama Southern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Alabama Southern Railroad is a class III railroad
that operates in the southern United States
.
ABS is one of several short line railroads owned by the Watco Companies
.
The ABS consists of 85 miles (136.8 km) of track between Columbus, Mississippi
and Birmingham, Alabama
, with trackage rights
over Kansas City Southern Railway
/CSX Transportation
between Brookwood, Alabama
and Birmingham. The line interchanges
with the Kansas City Southern at Columbus, with the Norfolk Southern Railway
at Tuscaloosa, Alabama
, and with CSX at Birmingham.
The tracks were leased to Watco Companies
by the Kansas City Southern effective November 6, 2005, resulting in the formation of three railroads; the Arkansas Southern Railroad
, Louisiana Southern Railroad, and the Alabama Southern Railroad. The Alabama Southern consists of the Kansas City Southern's Tuscaloosa Branch, which includes the Tuscaloosa Subdivision east of Columbus to Tuscaloosa, the Warrior Branch between Tuscaloosa and Fox, Alabama, and the Brookwood Branch from Brookwood Junction to Brookwood.
, having trackage rights over the line.
The line was originally constructed by the Mobile and Ohio Railroad
which was purchased through a foreclosure
sale by the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
(GM&O) on August 1, 1940. The GM&O merged with the Illinois Central on August 10, 1972 resulting in the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad.
On March 31, 1986, the MidSouth Rail
Corp. purchased 373 miles (600.3 km) of track, which included this line, from the Illinois Central Gulf. On January 1, 1994 the Kansas City Southern bought out Midsouth Rail.
Class III railroad
A Class III railroad, as defined by the Surface Transportation Board, is a railroad with an annual operating revenue of less than $20 million . The term only applies to United States railroads, but is sometimes applied to other countries...
that operates in the southern United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
.
ABS is one of several short line railroads owned by the Watco Companies
Watco Companies
Watco Companies, Inc. is a Pittsburg, Kansas-based transportation company that was formed in 1983 by Charles R. Webb. Watco is composed of three divisions: transportation, mechanical and transloading. WCI is the owner of Watco Transportation Services, Inc...
.
The ABS consists of 85 miles (136.8 km) of track between Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus, Mississippi
Columbus is a city in Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States that lies above the Tombigbee River. It is approximately northeast of Jackson, north of Meridian, south of Tupelo, northwest of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and west of Birmingham, Alabama. The population was 25,944 at the 2000 census...
and Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham, Alabama
Birmingham is the largest city in Alabama. The city is the county seat of Jefferson County. According to the 2010 United States Census, Birmingham had a population of 212,237. The Birmingham-Hoover Metropolitan Area, in estimate by the U.S...
, with trackage rights
Trackage rights
Trackage rights , running rights or running powers is an agreement whereby a railway company has the right to run its trains on tracks owned by another railway company....
over Kansas City Southern Railway
Kansas City Southern Railway
The Kansas City Southern Railway , owned by Kansas City Southern Industries, is the smallest and second-oldest Class I railroad company still in operation. KCS was founded in 1887 and is currently operating in a region consisting of ten central U.S. states...
/CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation
CSX Transportation operates a Class I railroad in the United States known as the CSX Railroad. It is the main subsidiary of the CSX Corporation. The company is headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, and owns approximately 21,000 route miles...
between Brookwood, Alabama
Brookwood, Alabama
Brookwood is a town in Tuscaloosa County, Alabama, United States. As of the 2000 census, the population of the town is 1,483. It is part of the Tuscaloosa, Alabama Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Brookwood is located at ....
and Birmingham. The line interchanges
Interchange (freight rail)
In freight rail transport, interchange is the practice of railroads conveying freight cars from other companies over their lines...
with the Kansas City Southern at Columbus, with the Norfolk Southern Railway
Norfolk Southern Railway
The Norfolk Southern Railway is a Class I railroad in the United States, owned by the Norfolk Southern Corporation. With headquarters in Norfolk, Virginia, the company operates 21,500 route miles in 22 eastern states, the District of Columbia and the province of Ontario, Canada...
at Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Tuscaloosa is a city in and the seat of Tuscaloosa County in west central Alabama . Located on the Black Warrior River, it is the fifth-largest city in Alabama, with a population of 90,468 in 2010...
, and with CSX at Birmingham.
The tracks were leased to Watco Companies
Watco Companies
Watco Companies, Inc. is a Pittsburg, Kansas-based transportation company that was formed in 1983 by Charles R. Webb. Watco is composed of three divisions: transportation, mechanical and transloading. WCI is the owner of Watco Transportation Services, Inc...
by the Kansas City Southern effective November 6, 2005, resulting in the formation of three railroads; the Arkansas Southern Railroad
Arkansas Southern Railroad
The Arkansas Southern Railroad is a short-line railroad which started service in October 2005.ARS operates two disconnected lines consisting of 61 total miles, which are leased from the Kansas City Southern Railway :...
, Louisiana Southern Railroad, and the Alabama Southern Railroad. The Alabama Southern consists of the Kansas City Southern's Tuscaloosa Branch, which includes the Tuscaloosa Subdivision east of Columbus to Tuscaloosa, the Warrior Branch between Tuscaloosa and Fox, Alabama, and the Brookwood Branch from Brookwood Junction to Brookwood.
History
The entire line from Columbus, MS to Brookwood, AL was formerly operated by the Kansas City Southern with the Columbus and Greenville RailwayColumbus and Greenville Railway
There have been two uses of Columbus and Greenville Railway, both for the same rail line.-Original Columbus and Greenville:The first Columbus and Greenville Railway was formed by the sale of the Southern Railway operated Southern Railway in Mississippi, to local interests...
, having trackage rights over the line.
The line was originally constructed by 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...
which was purchased through a foreclosure
Foreclosure
Foreclosure is the legal process by which a mortgage lender , or other lien holder, obtains a termination of a mortgage borrower 's equitable right of redemption, either by court order or by operation of law...
sale by the Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad
The Gulf, Mobile and Ohio was a Class I railroad in the central United States whose primary routes extended from Mobile, Alabama, and New Orleans, Louisiana, to St...
(GM&O) on August 1, 1940. The GM&O merged with the Illinois Central on August 10, 1972 resulting in the Illinois Central Gulf Railroad.
On March 31, 1986, the MidSouth Rail
MidSouth Rail
The MidSouth Rail Corporation is a former railroad line that is currently operated by Kansas City Southern Railway as a result of the January 1, 1994, acquisition; KCS began operating over MidSouth's line on January 11, 1994...
Corp. purchased 373 miles (600.3 km) of track, which included this line, from the Illinois Central Gulf. On January 1, 1994 the Kansas City Southern bought out Midsouth Rail.
Sources
- Press Release Announcing Alabama Southern Railroad July 20, 2005 http://www.watcocompanies.com/news/press_releases/2005/07-20-05%20KCS%20Watco%20News%20Release.pdf
- The Historical Guide to North American Railroads - 2nd ed., (Kalmbach Books, 2000) for info on the Class I mergers.
- Trains.com Information on MidSouth Rail
- SPV's Comprehensive Railroad Atlas of North America - Southern States by Mike Walker (Steam Powered Publishing & SPV, 2001) Ownership and detail of rail line.
See also
- List of United States railroads
- List of Alabama railroads
- Watco CompaniesWatco CompaniesWatco Companies, Inc. is a Pittsburg, Kansas-based transportation company that was formed in 1983 by Charles R. Webb. Watco is composed of three divisions: transportation, mechanical and transloading. WCI is the owner of Watco Transportation Services, Inc...
List of all of Watco's railroads