Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway
Encyclopedia
The Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway was an 85 miles (136.8 km) railroad that ran from Beaumont, Texas
to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston. It passed through small southeast Texas communities such as Hull
, Kenefick
, and Huffman
. As part of the Gulf Coast Lines
system, the road was eventually merged into the Missouri Pacific Railroad
in 1956, which in turn was merged into the Union Pacific Railroad
in 1982. The Union Pacific still makes heavy use of the route.
were projected originally by B. F. Yoakum
, chairman of the board of the Rock Island and Frisco Lines. Yoakum's plan envisioned using the Rock Island and Frisco, together with several railroads to be built in Texas and Louisiana
and now known as the Gulf Coast Lines, to form a continuous line of railroad extending from Chicago
, St. Louis
and Memphis
to Baton Rouge, Houston, Brownsville
, Tampico
and Mexico City
.
The Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway Company was chartered on August 8, 1903, as the Beaumont, Sour Lake and Port Arthur Traction Company. Construction of the Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western section was started at Beaumont in October, 1903. The name was changed on June 30, 1904. R. C. Duff and other financial backers from Columbus, Ohio, and Beaumont, Texas, organized the Traction Company to build an electric line between Port Arthur and Sour Lake. The renamed railroad amended its charter to allow it to connect Beaumont with Port Arthur, Sour Lake, Batson, and Houston, and to transport freight, passengers, mail and express.
However, as Port Arthur seemed increasingly unlikely to overtake Houston as a major shipping center, and as Sour Lake oilfield production declined, some of the original investors lost heart. Yoakum purchased the properties in 1905 and placed them in service to Houston on December 31, 1907, simultaneously with the beginning of operation of the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico from Houston to Brownsville.
After joining the Gulf Coast Lines, the BSL&W was extended from Grayburg to Houston in December 1907 despite high water and the threat of yellow fever along the Trinity River. In 1916 the BSL&W reported passenger earnings of $180,000 and freight earnings of $604,000. The eighty-five-mile line became part of the Missouri Pacific system in 1924, but continued to operate as a separate company until merged with the MP on March 1, 1956.
Curiously, the HNS, after purchase by BSL&W never actually connected with other elements of the BSL&W system. Tickets and schedules were issued under that name, but there was no physical meeting of branches for exchange of passengers, etc. From the 1920s until the late 40s, the interurban line was powered by electrical overhead catenary. Freight operations were powered by steam. In 1948, the line converted to diesel-powered busses, laid on frames of busses as built for city bus lines.
In its early years, the major stopping points for passenger were: Goose Creek (terminus); the Humble Oil Refinery (the largest contributor of revenue); Highlands (a small suburban community), and Houston. In earlier times, the electrified trains ran several schedules along these points. It was an incentive for each community's population to shop, work and visit the Houston metropolis, and return home in time for dinner. In the 40s, the line was downgraded to diesel-busses, as the post-war economy emphasized personal transportation with automobiles eagerly produced by Detroit manufacturers to enable them to return to a peacetime, and profitable, footing.
Toward the end, the interurban was primarily a vehicle for commuting by personal servants going to and from work and home; occasionally, field trips for grade-school students on a day-long outing would take them from Goose Creek to the turn-around point at MP's Market Street Yard, on Houston's fringe area. The round trip lasted about two hours.
BSL&W's losses ran to a million dollars per year on this branch. The railroad regularly petitioned the ICC for permission to cancel the service; it was typically denied. In 1961, the ICC finally granted the petition to end the service, and BSL&W ended its presence in the area.
, successor to MoPac. Predominantly a single track railroad with limited sidings, it is normally restricted to eastbound traffic, averaging around 15 trains daily including Amtrak's eastbound Sunset Limited.
Beaumont, Texas
Beaumont is a city in and county seat of Jefferson County, Texas, United States, within the Beaumont–Port Arthur Metropolitan Statistical Area. The city's population was 118,296 at the 2010 census. With Port Arthur and Orange, it forms the Golden Triangle, a major industrial area on the...
to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston. It passed through small southeast Texas communities such as Hull
Hull, Texas
Hull is an unincorporated community in Liberty County, Texas, United States.-External links:...
, Kenefick
Kenefick, Texas
Kenefick is a town in Liberty County, Texas, United States. The population was 667 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Kenefick is located at ....
, and Huffman
Huffman, Texas
Huffman is an unincorporated area of northeastern Harris County, Texas within the Houston–Sugar Land–Baytown metropolitan area.-Location:The area is centered on Farm Roads 2100 and 1960, thirty miles northeast of Downtown Houston in the piney woods of southeastern Texas. Neva Williams, a...
. As part of the Gulf Coast Lines
Gulf Coast Lines
The Gulf Coast Lines was the name of a railroad system comprising three principal railroads, as well as some smaller ones, that stretched from New Orleans, Louisiana via Baton Rouge and Houston to Brownsville, Texas...
system, the road was eventually merged into the Missouri Pacific Railroad
Missouri Pacific Railroad
The Missouri Pacific Railroad , also known as the MoPac, was one of the first railroads in the United States west of the Mississippi River. MoPac was a Class I railroad growing from dozens of predecessors and mergers, including the St. Louis, Iron Mountain and Southern Railway , Texas and Pacific...
in 1956, which in turn was merged into the Union Pacific Railroad
Union Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
in 1982. The Union Pacific still makes heavy use of the route.
History
The Gulf Coast LinesGulf Coast Lines
The Gulf Coast Lines was the name of a railroad system comprising three principal railroads, as well as some smaller ones, that stretched from New Orleans, Louisiana via Baton Rouge and Houston to Brownsville, Texas...
were projected originally by B. F. Yoakum
Benjamin Franklin Yoakum
Benjamin Franklin Yoakum was a visionary railroad executive of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who attempted to join the Frisco and Rock Island Railroads into a great system stretching from Chicago to Mexico...
, chairman of the board of the Rock Island and Frisco Lines. Yoakum's plan envisioned using the Rock Island and Frisco, together with several railroads to be built in Texas and Louisiana
Louisiana
Louisiana is a state located in the southern region of the United States of America. Its capital is Baton Rouge and largest city is New Orleans. Louisiana is the only state in the U.S. with political subdivisions termed parishes, which are local governments equivalent to counties...
and now known as the Gulf Coast Lines, to form a continuous line of railroad extending from Chicago
Chicago
Chicago is the largest city in the US state of Illinois. With nearly 2.7 million residents, it is the most populous city in the Midwestern United States and the third most populous in the US, after New York City and Los Angeles...
, St. Louis
St. Louis, Missouri
St. Louis is an independent city on the eastern border of Missouri, United States. With a population of 319,294, it was the 58th-largest U.S. city at the 2010 U.S. Census. The Greater St...
and Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
to Baton Rouge, Houston, Brownsville
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
, Tampico
Tampico
Tampico is a city and port in the state of Tamaulipas, in the country of Mexico. It is located in the southeastern part of the state, directly north across the border from Veracruz. Tampico is the third largest city in Tamaulipas, and counts with a population of 309,003. The Metropolitan area of...
and Mexico City
Mexico City
Mexico City is the Federal District , capital of Mexico and seat of the federal powers of the Mexican Union. It is a federal entity within Mexico which is not part of any one of the 31 Mexican states but belongs to the federation as a whole...
.
The Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway Company was chartered on August 8, 1903, as the Beaumont, Sour Lake and Port Arthur Traction Company. Construction of the Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western section was started at Beaumont in October, 1903. The name was changed on June 30, 1904. R. C. Duff and other financial backers from Columbus, Ohio, and Beaumont, Texas, organized the Traction Company to build an electric line between Port Arthur and Sour Lake. The renamed railroad amended its charter to allow it to connect Beaumont with Port Arthur, Sour Lake, Batson, and Houston, and to transport freight, passengers, mail and express.
However, as Port Arthur seemed increasingly unlikely to overtake Houston as a major shipping center, and as Sour Lake oilfield production declined, some of the original investors lost heart. Yoakum purchased the properties in 1905 and placed them in service to Houston on December 31, 1907, simultaneously with the beginning of operation of the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico from Houston to Brownsville.
After joining the Gulf Coast Lines, the BSL&W was extended from Grayburg to Houston in December 1907 despite high water and the threat of yellow fever along the Trinity River. In 1916 the BSL&W reported passenger earnings of $180,000 and freight earnings of $604,000. The eighty-five-mile line became part of the Missouri Pacific system in 1924, but continued to operate as a separate company until merged with the MP on March 1, 1956.
Houston North Shore Line
The Houston North Shore Line was constructed for the convenience of commuters between Houston and the towns of Baytown, Goose Creek and Pelly (the "tri-cities" region). The line was purchased by Missouri Pacific. MP continued commuter service without interruption. Beaumont, Sour Lake & Western acquired the line from MP, and operated it as part of the BSL&W's transportation system on the MP right-of-way.Curiously, the HNS, after purchase by BSL&W never actually connected with other elements of the BSL&W system. Tickets and schedules were issued under that name, but there was no physical meeting of branches for exchange of passengers, etc. From the 1920s until the late 40s, the interurban line was powered by electrical overhead catenary. Freight operations were powered by steam. In 1948, the line converted to diesel-powered busses, laid on frames of busses as built for city bus lines.
In its early years, the major stopping points for passenger were: Goose Creek (terminus); the Humble Oil Refinery (the largest contributor of revenue); Highlands (a small suburban community), and Houston. In earlier times, the electrified trains ran several schedules along these points. It was an incentive for each community's population to shop, work and visit the Houston metropolis, and return home in time for dinner. In the 40s, the line was downgraded to diesel-busses, as the post-war economy emphasized personal transportation with automobiles eagerly produced by Detroit manufacturers to enable them to return to a peacetime, and profitable, footing.
Toward the end, the interurban was primarily a vehicle for commuting by personal servants going to and from work and home; occasionally, field trips for grade-school students on a day-long outing would take them from Goose Creek to the turn-around point at MP's Market Street Yard, on Houston's fringe area. The round trip lasted about two hours.
BSL&W's losses ran to a million dollars per year on this branch. The railroad regularly petitioned the ICC for permission to cancel the service; it was typically denied. In 1961, the ICC finally granted the petition to end the service, and BSL&W ended its presence in the area.
Current
This railway is now owned and operated by Union Pacific RailroadUnion Pacific Railroad
The Union Pacific Railroad , headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, is the largest railroad network in the United States. James R. Young is president, CEO and Chairman....
, successor to MoPac. Predominantly a single track railroad with limited sidings, it is normally restricted to eastbound traffic, averaging around 15 trains daily including Amtrak's eastbound Sunset Limited.