History Alabama and Gulf Coast Railway

1 history

1.1 predecessor lines

1.1.1 pre-1922
1.1.2 1922-1997


1.2 current railroad

history
predecessor lines

the current agr composed of numerous lines built during late 19th , 20th centuries, gradually consolidated system purchased st. louis – san francisco railway , remained under railroad or successor s control until 1997, when spun off independent company.

pre-1922

the earliest ancestor of agr pensacola , mobile railroad , manufacturing company, in 1861 constructed 5 miles (8.0 km) of track between muscogee, florida , cantonment, florida. line dismantled confederate forces during civil war iron rails used elsewhere. railroad not rebuilt until 1877. in 1874, company took control of pensacola , perdido railroad, ran west pensacola 5 miles lumber mill @ millview, florida on perdido bay. in 1892, system merged pensacola, alabama , tennessee railroad, connected millview , muscogee branches. shortly thereafter, railroad renamed gulf ports terminal railway.

in 1910, gulf ports terminal railway acquired southern states lumber, operated 68 miles (109 km) of track move lumber forests in baldwin county, alabama, large mill @ muscogee, , on port of pensacola export. combined system had total length of around 80 miles (130 km).

in 1911, railroad acquired gulf, florida, , alabama railway. after, construction of line cantonment pensacola begun, being completed in 1913. following completion of line, another, longer line begun, 1 cantonment north via atmore , frisco city, alabama interchange southern railway @ kimbrough, alabama. line, including large bridge on alabama river, completed in 1915.

1922-1997

in 1922, gulf, florida, , alabama railway acquired muscle shoals, birmingham , pensacola railroad (msb&p), 3 years later bought frisco (st. louis – san francisco railway). after acquisition, frisco constructed line aberdeen, mississippi kimbrough, connecting former msb&p rest of frisco s system. line completed in 1928.

during middle of 20th century, railroad operated part of frisco, moving bulk products south pensacola export , produce products north, although chemical , paper products took on increased importance 1970s. passenger service on line continued until 1955, when sunnyland, operating between pensacola , kansas city, missouri, via amory, mississippi, , memphis, tennessee, discontinued.

in 1980, frisco acquired burlington northern railroad (bn), product of merger of several railroads in 1970. in 1995, bn merged atchison, topeka , santa fe railway form bnsf railway.

current railroad

in 1997, when bnsf spun off route between kimbrough , pensacola, alabama , gulf coast formed take on operations. in 2003, bnsf sold additional trackage agr: line between kimbrough , columbus, mississippi, isolated trackage near mobile, alabama. part of deal, agr gained trackage rights on bnsf between columbus , amory , on norfolk southern railway between mobile , kimbrough.

in 2002, agr, had been formerly owned states rail, inc., short-line holding company, acquired railamerica. in late 2012, genesee & wyoming acquired railroad part of acquisition of railamerica.