Austin and Northwestern Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Austin and Northwestern Railroad began construction on a rail line west of Austin, Texas
, USA
, toward Llano on April 20, 1881. The railroad was originally built as a narrow gauge line with plans to connect to the Texas and Pacific Railway
at Abilene
. Construction reached Burnet, Texas
, by 1882 and the line was later extended to Granite Mountain by 1885, when the railroad was contracted to haul pink granite for the new Texas State Capitol building in Austin. The company later extended its line 2.3 miles (3.7 km) to Marble Falls by using the charter of the Granite Mountain and Marble Falls City Railroad.
The line was converted to standard gauge
and by 1892 the railroad was extended to Llano. In 1901 the Texas legislature approved the merger of the Austin and Northwestern and the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. As a condition of the merger, a new passenger terminal was constructed at Austin, and the line was extended from Burnet to Lampasas
in 1903. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad
absorbed the line in 1934 and it was later absorbed into the Southern Pacific Company.
In 1986, Southern Pacific elected to abandon the entire 163 miles (262.3 km) Giddings to Llano line. The City of Austin and Capital Metro purchased the railroad for $9.3 million, with the intent of using the right-of-way as a mass transit corridor. As of 2008 the railroad is owned by Capital Metro (Austin's transit authority) and freight service is currently operated by the Austin Western Railroad.
Austin, Texas
Austin is the capital city of the U.S. state of :Texas and the seat of Travis County. Located in Central Texas on the eastern edge of the American Southwest, it is the fourth-largest city in Texas and the 14th most populous city in the United States. It was the third-fastest-growing large city in...
, USA
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
, toward Llano on April 20, 1881. The railroad was originally built as a narrow gauge line with plans to connect to the Texas and Pacific Railway
Texas and Pacific Railway
The Texas and Pacific Railway Company was created by federal charter in 1871 with the purpose of building a southern transcontinental railroad between Marshall, Texas, and San Diego, California....
at Abilene
Abilene, Texas
Abilene is a city in Taylor and Jones counties in west central Texas. The population was 117,063 at the 2010 census. It is the principal city of the Abilene Metropolitan Statistical Area, which had a 2006 estimated population of 158,063. It is the county seat of Taylor County...
. Construction reached Burnet, Texas
Burnet, Texas
Burnet is a city in and the county seat of Burnet County, Texas, United States. The population was 4,735 at the 2000 census.Both the city and the county were named for David Gouverneur Burnet, the first president of the Republic of Texas. He also served as Vice President during the...
, by 1882 and the line was later extended to Granite Mountain by 1885, when the railroad was contracted to haul pink granite for the new Texas State Capitol building in Austin. The company later extended its line 2.3 miles (3.7 km) to Marble Falls by using the charter of the Granite Mountain and Marble Falls City Railroad.
The line was converted to standard gauge
Standard gauge
The standard gauge is a widely-used track gauge . Approximately 60% of the world's existing railway lines are built to this gauge...
and by 1892 the railroad was extended to Llano. In 1901 the Texas legislature approved the merger of the Austin and Northwestern and the Houston and Texas Central Railroad. As a condition of the merger, a new passenger terminal was constructed at Austin, and the line was extended from Burnet to Lampasas
Lampasas, Texas
Lampasas is a city in Lampasas County, Texas, United States. The population was 6,786 at the 2000 census. It is the seat of Lampasas County.Lampasas is part of the Killeen–Temple–Fort Hood Metropolitan Statistical Area.-History:...
in 1903. The Texas and New Orleans Railroad
Texas and New Orleans Railroad
The Texas and New Orleans Railroad is a former railroad in Texas and Louisiana. At one point the company was the largest railroad in Texas, with of trackage in 1934, but by 1961 there were only remaining when it was merged with parent company Southern Pacific....
absorbed the line in 1934 and it was later absorbed into the Southern Pacific Company.
In 1986, Southern Pacific elected to abandon the entire 163 miles (262.3 km) Giddings to Llano line. The City of Austin and Capital Metro purchased the railroad for $9.3 million, with the intent of using the right-of-way as a mass transit corridor. As of 2008 the railroad is owned by Capital Metro (Austin's transit authority) and freight service is currently operated by the Austin Western Railroad.