Fort Worth and Western Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Fort Worth and Western Railroad is a Class III
short-line railroad headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas
. Operating only within the state of Texas, its main freight service route is between Carrollton
, Fort Worth and Brownwood
.
, which began construction from Fort Worth in 1886 and reached Brownwood in 1891. In 1901, the FW&RG was bought by the Frisco Railway, which sold it to the Santa Fe Railroad in 1937. The Santa Fe sold the line to an affiliate of the South Orient Railroad in 1994.
The FWWR began operations in 1988, with 6.25 miles (10.1 km) of track that it had bought from the BNSF Railway
. By the mid-1990s, the railroad operated 10.75 miles (17.3 km) of track, the result of numerous minor acquisitions. In 1996, the FWWR more than doubled its total trackage with the lease of a 28.5 miles (45.9 km) route from Dallas Area Rapid Transit
, and in 1998 purchased 134 miles (215.7 km) of track from South Orient Railroad, now Texas Pacifico Transportation
. The FWWR leased two Union Pacific Railroad
properties, a yard
and branch line, in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
to Gorman
and from Cresson
to Cleburne
, as well as trackage rights in the Fort Worth area and between Ricker and San Angelo Junction, Texas. Since 2007, the railroad has been in the process of resurfacing its trackage, as well as installing new sidings and upgrading the route, eventually to allow 40 mph (17.9 m/s) speeds over the entire line.
is Richard Green. The company employs around 85 people.
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...
short-line railroad headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth, Texas
Fort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and...
. Operating only within the state of Texas, its main freight service route is between Carrollton
Carrollton, Texas
-Climate:*On average, the warmest month is July.*The highest recorded temperature was 112°F in 1980.*The average coolest month is January.*The lowest recorded temperature was 1°F in 1989.*The most precipitation on average occurs in May....
, Fort Worth and Brownwood
Brownwood, Texas
Brownwood is a city in and the county seat of Brown County, Texas, United States. The population was 18,813 at the 2000 census.-History:The original site of the Brown County seat of Brownwood was on the east of Pecan Bayou. A dispute arose over land and water rights, and the settlers were forced...
.
History
Much of the company's route originally belonged to the Fort Worth and Rio Grande RailwayFort Worth and Rio Grande Railway
The Fort Worth and Rio Grande Railway, chartered under the laws of Texas on June 1, 1885, was part of a plan conceived by Buckley Burton Paddock and other Fort Worth civic leaders to create a transcontinental route linking New York, Fort Worth, and the Pacific port of Topolobampo, which they...
, which began construction from Fort Worth in 1886 and reached Brownwood in 1891. In 1901, the FW&RG was bought by the Frisco Railway, which sold it to the Santa Fe Railroad in 1937. The Santa Fe sold the line to an affiliate of the South Orient Railroad in 1994.
The FWWR began operations in 1988, with 6.25 miles (10.1 km) of track that it had bought from the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
. By the mid-1990s, the railroad operated 10.75 miles (17.3 km) of track, the result of numerous minor acquisitions. In 1996, the FWWR more than doubled its total trackage with the lease of a 28.5 miles (45.9 km) route from Dallas Area Rapid Transit
Dallas Area Rapid Transit
The Dallas Area Rapid Transit authority is a transit agency based in Dallas, Texas . It operates buses, light rail, commuter rail, and high-occupancy vehicle lanes in Dallas and 12 of its suburbs...
, and in 1998 purchased 134 miles (215.7 km) of track from South Orient Railroad, now Texas Pacifico Transportation
Texas Pacifico Transportation
Texas Pacifico Transportation Ltd. is a railroad operating company in West Texas that is owned by Grupo México. The company operates over the South Orient Rail Line under a lease and operating agreement with the Texas Department of Transportation and the South Orient Rural Rail Transportation...
. The FWWR leased two 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....
properties, a yard
Rail yard
A rail yard, or railroad yard, is a complex series of railroad tracks for storing, sorting, or loading/unloading, railroad cars and/or locomotives. Railroad yards have many tracks in parallel for keeping rolling stock stored off the mainline, so that they do not obstruct the flow of traffic....
and branch line, in 2002 and 2003 respectively.
Route
The FWWR operates a total of 276 miles (444.2 km) of track between Carro and Ricker, Texas, with branch lines from DublinDublin, Texas
Dublin is a city located in southwestern Erath County in Central Texas. The population was 3,754 at the time of the 2000 census.The town is the home of the world's oldest Dr Pepper bottling plant...
to Gorman
Gorman, Texas
Gorman is a city in Eastland County, Texas, United States. The population was 1,236 at the 2000 census.-Geography:Gorman is located at ....
and from Cresson
Cresson, Texas
Cresson is a city in Hood, Johnson, and Parker counties in the U.S. state of Texas in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex. It is located at the intersection of U.S. Route 377 and State Highway 171, seventeen miles southwest of Fort Worth. The Pate Museum is in Parker County in between the two...
to Cleburne
Cleburne, Texas
Cleburne is a city in Johnson County, Texas, United States, and a suburb of Fort Worth. According to 2007 United States Census Bureau estimates, the population is 29,050. It is the county seat of Johnson County. Cleburne is named for a Confederate General, Patrick Cleburne...
, as well as trackage rights in the Fort Worth area and between Ricker and San Angelo Junction, Texas. Since 2007, the railroad has been in the process of resurfacing its trackage, as well as installing new sidings and upgrading the route, eventually to allow 40 mph (17.9 m/s) speeds over the entire line.
Company
On 27 December 2010, Fort Worth and Western named Thomas Schlosser as president and CEO, who took over from Steven George, who had held the position since 2000; the company's vice president and COOChief operating officer
A Chief Operating Officer or Director of Operations can be one of the highest-ranking executives in an organization and comprises part of the "C-Suite"...
is Richard Green. The company employs around 85 people.
Fleet
As of December 2009, the Fort Worth and Western's locomotive fleet consists of the following:| Number | Type | Manufacturer |
|---|---|---|
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| EMD F7 The EMD F7 was a Diesel-electric locomotive produced between February 1949 and December 1953 by the Electro-Motive Division of General Motors and General Motors Diesel . It succeeded the F3 model in GM-EMD's F-unit sequence, and was replaced in turn by the F9. Final assembly was at GM-EMD's La... |
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| EMD GP7 The EMD GP7 is a four-axle diesel-electric locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division and General Motors Diesel between October, 1949 and May, 1954. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 16-cylinder engine which generated . The GP7 was offered both with and without control cabs, and... |
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| EMD GP9 An EMD GP9 is a four-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division in the United States, and General Motors Diesel in Canada between January, 1954, and August, 1963. US production ended in December, 1959, while an additional thirteen units were built in Canada, including... |
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| EMD GP35 An EMD GP35 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between July 1963 and December 1965 and by General Motors Diesel between May 1964 and January 1966. Power was provided by an EMD 567D3A 16-cylinder engine which generated .Many railroads traded in Alco and... |
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| EMD GP38 An EMD GP38 is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between January 1966 and December 1971. Power was provided by an EMD 645 16-cylinder engine which generated .... |
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| EMD GP50 * Sarberenyi, Robert. ... |
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| EMD SD40-2 The EMD SD40-2 is a C-C locomotive produced by EMD from 1972 to 1989.The SD40-2 was first introduced in January 1972 as the mid-range offering in EMD's six-axle "Dash-2" series, competing against the GE U30C and the MLW M630... |
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| EMD SD40T-2 An EMD SD40T-2 is a 6-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division. Power is provided by a 16-cylinder EMD 645E3 diesel engine capable of producing . The Southern Pacific's locomotive features a fuel tank and is long. The Rio Grande's locomotive features a smaller fuel... |
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| NRE 2GS14B The NRE 2GS14B is a low-emissions diesel switcher locomotive built by National Railway Equipment. It is powered by two Cummins QSK19C I6 engines with each one developing and creating a total power output of... |
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