Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi Railroad
Encyclopedia
The Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi Railroad is a 52.9 miles (85.1 km) short-line railroad in northern Louisiana
and southern Arkansas
. Opened in 1908, it has undergone several corporate reorganizations, but has remained independent of larger carriers. In 2004, paper producer Georgia-Pacific
sold the company to shortline operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Traffic generally consists of lumber
, paper
, forest product
s, and chemical
s.
The AL&M runs north from Monroe, Louisiana
, on the Kansas City Southern Railway
's Meridian Speedway
, through Bastrop to Crossett, Arkansas
, generally paralleling U.S. Routes 165
and 425. At Crossett, the AL&M interchanges with the affiliated Fordyce and Princeton Railroad
, which hauls its cars to the Union Pacific Railroad
at Fordyce. A branch from Rolfe Junction to Hamburg, Arkansas
was abandoned in 1920, with the grade reused for a county road; in 2006 the AL&M leased a segment of line in Bastrop from the Union Pacific Railroad.
. The latter city was never reached, and the line as opened in October 1908 ended at Hamburg and Crossett. It entered receivership
in May 1913, and in December 1914 the newly-organized Arkansas, Louisiana and Gulf Railroad leased both the Arkansas, Louisiana and Gulf Railway and the Crossett-Monticello Ashley, Drew and Northern Railway
(AD&N), the latter owned by the Crossett Lumber Company. Alfred Cowles of Chicago bought the AL&G's property at foreclosure
in September 1915, and in November the reorganized Arkansas and Louisiana Midland Railway (A&LM) acquired the Monroe-Crossett line, but the branch to Hamburg remained with Cowles. The A&LM took over the AL&G Railroad's lease of the AD&N, and leased the Hamburg line.
The A&LM was not successful, and entered receivership in February 1920, terminating the AD&N lease in March. Operations north of Bastrop were suspended in May, and the property was sold in July and conveyed in August to the new Arkansas and Louisiana Missouri Railway. The Interstate Commerce Commission
approved permanent abandonment of the Hamburg branch, now a county road, and resumption of operation to Crossett. The new AL&M also obtained trackage rights
over the Missouri Pacific Railroad
from Bastrop to Dollar Junction and Hutting, Arkansas, the two ends of the 1.88 miles (3 km) Louisiana and Pine Bluff Railway. The AL&M leased the latter company, which provided access to a saw mill, until its dissolution in 1979.
The current name was adopted in September 1991, when Georgia-Pacific organized the Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi Railroad to purchase the A&LM. The AD&N, then owned by Georgia-Pacific as successor to the Crossett Lumber Company, was abandoned in August 1995, and Genesee & Wyoming Inc. purchased several of Georgia-Pacific's railroads, including the AL&M, in January 2004. In 2006, the AL&M leased from the Union Pacific Railroad
4.24 miles (6.8 km) of line at Bastrop, which had previously been owned by the Missouri Pacific Railroad
.
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 southern Arkansas
Arkansas
Arkansas is a state located in the southern region of the United States. Its name is an Algonquian name of the Quapaw Indians. Arkansas shares borders with six states , and its eastern border is largely defined by the Mississippi River...
. Opened in 1908, it has undergone several corporate reorganizations, but has remained independent of larger carriers. In 2004, paper producer Georgia-Pacific
Georgia-Pacific
Georgia-Pacific LLC is an American pulp and paper company based in Atlanta, Georgia, and is one of the world's leading manufacturers and distributors of tissue, pulp, paper, packaging, building products and related chemicals. As of Fall 2010, the company employed more than 40,000 people at more...
sold the company to shortline operator Genesee & Wyoming Inc. Traffic generally consists of lumber
Lumber
Lumber or timber is wood in any of its stages from felling through readiness for use as structural material for construction, or wood pulp for paper production....
, paper
Paper
Paper is a thin material mainly used for writing upon, printing upon, drawing or for packaging. It is produced by pressing together moist fibers, typically cellulose pulp derived from wood, rags or grasses, and drying them into flexible sheets....
, forest product
Forest product
A forest product is any material derived from a forest for commercial use, such as lumber, paper, or forage for livestock. Wood, by far the dominant commercial forest product, is used for many industrial purposes, such as the finished structural materials used for the construction of buildings, or...
s, and chemical
Chemical industry
The chemical industry comprises the companies that produce industrial chemicals. Central to the modern world economy, it converts raw materials into more than 70,000 different products.-Products:...
s.
The AL&M runs north from Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe, Louisiana
Monroe is a city in and the parish seat of Ouachita Parish, Louisiana, United States. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 53,107, making it the eighth largest city in Louisiana. A July 1, 2007, United States Census Bureau estimate placed the population at 51,208, but 51,636...
, on the 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...
's Meridian Speedway
Meridian Speedway
The Meridian Speedway is span of railroad track between Meridian, Mississippi, and Shreveport, Louisiana. The Meridian Speedway is owned by the Meridian Speedway LLC...
, through Bastrop to Crossett, Arkansas
Crossett, Arkansas
Crossett is the largest city in Ashley County, Arkansas, United States, with a population of 5,507, according to 2010 Census Bureau estimates. Combined with North Crossett and West Crossett, the population is 10,752...
, generally paralleling U.S. Routes 165
U.S. Route 165
U.S. Route 165 is a north–south United States highway spur of U.S. Highway 65. It currently runs for 412 miles from U.S. Route 90 in Iowa, Louisiana north to U.S. Highway 70 in North Little Rock, Arkansas. The route passes through the states of Arkansas and Louisiana. It passes through the...
and 425. At Crossett, the AL&M interchanges with the affiliated Fordyce and Princeton Railroad
Fordyce and Princeton Railroad
The Fordyce and Princeton Railroad Company is a short-line railroad headquartered in Crossett, Arkansas.F&P operates of line from Fordyce, Arkansas , to an interchange with Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi Railroad at Crossett.F&P traffic generally consists of lumber and paper products.F&P...
, which hauls its cars to 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....
at Fordyce. A branch from Rolfe Junction to Hamburg, Arkansas
Hamburg, Arkansas
Hamburg is a city in Ashley County, Arkansas, United States. The population was 3,039 at the 2000 census. The city is the county seat of Ashley County.-Geography:...
was abandoned in 1920, with the grade reused for a county road; in 2006 the AL&M leased a segment of line in Bastrop from the Union Pacific Railroad.
History
The Arkansas, Louisiana and Gulf Railway (AL&G) was incorporated in July 1906 to connect Monroe with Pine Bluff, ArkansasPine Bluff, Arkansas
Pine Bluff is the largest city and county seat of Jefferson County, Arkansas, United States. It is also the principal city of the Pine Bluff Metropolitan Statistical Area and part of the Little Rock-North Little Rock-Pine Bluff, Arkansas Combined Statistical Area...
. The latter city was never reached, and the line as opened in October 1908 ended at Hamburg and Crossett. It entered receivership
Receivership
In law, receivership is the situation in which an institution or enterprise is being held by a receiver, a person "placed in the custodial responsibility for the property of others, including tangible and intangible assets and rights." The receivership remedy is an equitable remedy that emerged in...
in May 1913, and in December 1914 the newly-organized Arkansas, Louisiana and Gulf Railroad leased both the Arkansas, Louisiana and Gulf Railway and the Crossett-Monticello Ashley, Drew and Northern Railway
Ashley, Drew and Northern Railway
The Ashley, Drew and Northern Railway was a Class III railroad operating 40.7 miles of track between Monticello and Crossett, Arkansas. The railroad operated from 1912 until 1996.- History :...
(AD&N), the latter owned by the Crossett Lumber Company. Alfred Cowles of Chicago bought the AL&G's property at 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...
in September 1915, and in November the reorganized Arkansas and Louisiana Midland Railway (A&LM) acquired the Monroe-Crossett line, but the branch to Hamburg remained with Cowles. The A&LM took over the AL&G Railroad's lease of the AD&N, and leased the Hamburg line.
The A&LM was not successful, and entered receivership in February 1920, terminating the AD&N lease in March. Operations north of Bastrop were suspended in May, and the property was sold in July and conveyed in August to the new Arkansas and Louisiana Missouri Railway. The Interstate Commerce Commission
Interstate Commerce Commission
The Interstate Commerce Commission was a regulatory body in the United States created by the Interstate Commerce Act of 1887. The agency's original purpose was to regulate railroads to ensure fair rates, to eliminate rate discrimination, and to regulate other aspects of common carriers, including...
approved permanent abandonment of the Hamburg branch, now a county road, and resumption of operation to Crossett. The new AL&M also obtained 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 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...
from Bastrop to Dollar Junction and Hutting, Arkansas, the two ends of the 1.88 miles (3 km) Louisiana and Pine Bluff Railway. The AL&M leased the latter company, which provided access to a saw mill, until its dissolution in 1979.
The current name was adopted in September 1991, when Georgia-Pacific organized the Arkansas, Louisiana and Mississippi Railroad to purchase the A&LM. The AD&N, then owned by Georgia-Pacific as successor to the Crossett Lumber Company, was abandoned in August 1995, and Genesee & Wyoming Inc. purchased several of Georgia-Pacific's railroads, including the AL&M, in January 2004. In 2006, the AL&M leased from 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....
4.24 miles (6.8 km) of line at Bastrop, which had previously been owned by 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...
.