Kansas City Southern was the surviving corporation, with the Louisiana & Arkansas as a KCS subsidiary, but the KCS president and the controlling stockholders were all from the L&A. Roger Puta photo. Into the 1990s and early 2000s numerous acquisitions saw the railroad grow substantially, expanding six-fold over its historic size. He spent millions to improve the company's physical degradation although things got worse before they got better; Mr. Schafer notes that 1974 cost the railroad $2 million in damages via 41 derailments. David Hawkins photo. Amazingly the secondary train on this route was un-named, but only numbered 9 … Only two years after it all began the KCP&G fell into bankruptcy in 1899, emerging on April 1, 1900 as the Kansas City Southern Railway. The last mileage KCS added was the resurrection of 87.5 miles of former Southern Pacific trackage between Victoria and Rosenberg, Texas, which Trains Magazine reported began service on June 18, 2009. © Copyright 2007-2021 American-Rails.com. If … Just type in a town or city and click on the timeline of maps at the bottom of the page! The US Surface Transportation Board must first approve the purchase, and is expected to complete its review by the middle of 2022. The new corridor was  a vital link to the KCS lines in Mexico and allowed it to discontinue a circuitous 161-mile routing of trackage rights over UP. Kansas City Southern Railway Timetables (1952), Kansas City Southern's Notable Early Predecessors, The FS&VB entered the KCS fold on September 30, 1939 when it was formed to acquire the. A large group of passengers is on the platform next to the train. from Plan 3410 12 Sect - 1 DR. (NORTH EAST RAILS) KCS Siloam Springs - (ex-PULL, nee- McBurney) HW "Betterment" Plan 4087B 10 Sect - 3 DBR rblt. The GN&A remained a small short line operation until its acquisition by KCS on July 13, 1993. [9], In 2017, KCS, an American Chemistry Council (ACC) Responsible Care partner, received an Exceptional Merit designation. from Plan 3410 12 Sect - 1 DR. With a newfound source of revenue, and new leadership under Leonore Fresnel Loree (1906), the KCS looked towards expansion during the 20th century. Also known as the "Macaroni Line" this property came under SP control around 1885 and remained in use until 1985, after which time the trackage was largely pulled up but the right-of-way remained under railroad ownership. However, within a year the company was in bankruptcy. Photograph of the Kansas City Southern Railroad Passenger Station in Port Arthur, TX. Tags : city kansas lines railroad railway rare sign southern train vintage. The depot is located to the left of the railroad tracks. The railroad began first clearing the right-of-way for rehabilitation in 2007 and had it ready for service within a few years. ; New Orleans; Wylie, Texas; Kendleton, Texas; and Laredo, Texas. I'm not sure about this, but I seem to recall that the cars were ex-KCS cars. Unfortunately, it fell into bankruptcy a few years later and segments were sold off. On the tracks is a Kansas City Southern Lines train waiting for passengers. It had purchased new locomotives beginning in the mid-1960s to improve operations and handle the heavier freight trains of the era; notably SD40's, SD40-2's, GP30's, and GP40-2's (road-switchers which replaced older models like the F3 and F7 cab units). Kansas City Southern - Image Gallery | Classic Trains Magazine. Thankfully, with plenty of traffic to keep the railroad stable (coal and petrochemicals in particular) it began to pull out of the mess and the 1980s were a prosperous period. ; West Monroe, La. While deferred maintenance offers short term relief for a railroad's bottom line in the long term it can cost substantially more to alleviate as the KCS found out. In all, the KCSB utilized 40 miles of track serving packing houses, grain elevators, stockyards, and various other industries. Kansas City Southern's sparkling set of FP9's and F9B (ex-Canadian National) lead the company's annual "Christmas Train" at Greenville, Texas on November 24, 2012. [8] A competing cash and stock offer was made by Canadian National Railway (CNR) on April 20, 2021 at US$33.7 billion. An odd collection power including two covered wagon B units and two more SW1500s (up front is #4340), lead a freight along the Lake Charles Branch near Mossville, Louisiana during November of 1976. The railroad's management promoted its passenger services vigorously, and in fact added new equipment as late as 1965—that order for ten new coaches from Pullman-Standard would in fact be the last new intercity passenger cars built in the U.S. prior to Amtrak. The GWWR was itself a new startup for the defunct Chicago, Missouri & Western Railway, launched on April 28, 1987 over yet more former Illinois Central Gulf trackage. The FS&W was chartered on January 25, 1899 and by 1903 opened from Coal Creek to Guthrie, Oklahoma via Oklahoma City. Three six-axle Electro-Motive units with SD40-2 #601 up front pull a westbound freight near Pelahatchie, Mississippi on June 9, 2005. The Southern Belle was the Kansas City Southern’s very belated entrance into the streamliner revolution that had hit the nation’s railroad industry beginning in the mid-1930s. As it turns out the railroad's main line was situated right next to a discovery made near Beaumont, Texas. At about the same time of the aforementioned takeovers, KCS was able to gain complete control of two railroads near, or within Mexico; the Texas Mexican Railway (a southern Texas road that linked with the Mexican border) and Grupo Transportación Ferroviaria Mexicana (TFM). To provide service on this disconnected segment the LR&N acquired trackage rights over the Texas & Pacific (Missouri Pacific) west of Shreveport. Founded in 1887, it operates in 10 midwestern and southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas. During the Panic of 1893 the KCP&G lost its financial backing after having only reached Pittsburg, Kansas. The KCP&G had been organized on November 6, 1889 and Stilwell had plans for the railroad to provide the shortest route to the Gulf of Mexico, connecting its namesake city with the coast. Fort Smith & Van Buren Railway:  The FS&VB entered the KCS fold on September 30, 1939 when it was formed to acquire the Coal Creek to McCurtain, Oklahoma segment of the former Fort Smith & Western Railroad. Kansas City Southern ran passenger trains from New Orleans to Kansas City, including its flagship overnight train the Southern Belle. While the KCS was never a big player in the passenger market, like several other roads it did have a few notable trains such as the Southern Belle streamliner which operated between Kansas City and New Orleans. Wes Barris's SteamLocomotive.com is simply the best web resource in the study of steam locomotives. In 1900, KCP&G becomes The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (KCS).[5]. Within just a few years he had built new lines or acquired others (Arkansas, Louisiana & Southern) to operate a system stretching some 273 miles between Alexandria, Louisiana and Hope, Arkansas; the former extension opened on July 1, 1906 while the latter was reached on June 1 1903. The ACC honored KCS for implementing energy management technology, Trip Optimizer, which improves KCS’s energy efficiency. The city opened Union Passenger Terminal in 1954. The Kansas City Southern Railway logo. A beautiful 18yearold Baton Rouge, Louisiana, girl, Margaret Landry, was KCS's "Miss Southern Belle" spokesmodel for a number of years during and shortly after World War II. Kansas City Southern Lines was founded in 1887 in Kansas City, Missouri. The GWWR became successful in part due to the Santa Fe, which utilized trackage rights to reach St. Louis (until the Burlington Northern Santa Fe merger of 1995). years ranging from whites, reds, blacks, and grays to its switch back to the classic Southern Belle scheme of Brunswick Green, yellow, and red during the mid 2000's. Roger Puta photo. A trio of Kansas City Southern units, led by ES44AC #4780, power Norfolk Southern freight #203 over the Potomac River into West Virginia on an overcast January 11, 2014. Southern Belle - June, 1941 Southern Belle - March, 1968 The Southerner Service between New York and New Orleans on an all-Southern Railway routing south of Washington. Within a few years it had opened 41 miles from Ashdown, Arkansas (and a connection to the KCS) to Murfreesboro via Nashville. The KC&S had built lines from North Osceola through Clinton, on to East Lynne and then up to Knoche Junction in Kansas City which the Kansas City, Osceola & Southern then took over. It is difficult to truly articulate just how much material can be found at this website. However, it began a program of deferred maintenance in the 1960s to offset the slow period, which produced a better bottom line. Gary Morris photo. It would later pick up the Louisiana & Arkansas (second) in 1939, providing a roughly east-to-west routing from New Orleans to Dallas, Texas via Shreveport. I in the post-Staggers Act era, in terms of route miles. At its peak KCS operated about a 6,000-mile network, including service into Mexico, while employing more than 6,000. On January 9, 1990 the new Gateway Western Railway was formed by a New York investment firm, acquiring the 408 miles from St. Louis to Kansas City via Springfield while the remainder into Chicago was purchased by Southern Pacific. The Southern Belle was a named passenger train service offered by Kansas City Southern Railway (KCS) from the 1940s through the 1960s, running between Kansas City, Missouri, and New Orleans, Louisiana.. This turned out to be the case for KCS; with top management too focused on other things the railroad's physical plant slipped into a decaying state of repair and it all came to head in late 1972. Unfortunately, Amtrak was granted a government monopoly on that and they no longer do. Electro-Motive Corporation/Electro-Motive Division. In all, it totaled some 633 miles. On June 1, 1910 its name was changed to the Memphis, Dallas & Gulf controlled by the Graysonia & Nashville Lumber Company. Kansas City Southern E8A #29 awaits departure from Kansas City Union Station with train #1, the southbound "Southern Belle" on July 30, 1967. Undaunted, Stilwell looked anywhere for possible monetary backing to complete his project. The Southerner - December, 1941 to the railroad industry as a whole; the road's immediate ancestry began on January 8, 1887 with incorporation of the Kansas City Suburban Belt Railroad, promoted by Arthur Stilwell. [6] In 1995, a new Southern Belle was created as an executive train to entertain shippers and guests. The ICG had spent the mid-1980s selling off large chunks of its network in an attempt to reverse its sagging financial condition. At first the railroad zeroed in on the nearby Missouri-Kansas-Texas (Katy) and St. Louis Southwestern (Cotton Belt) railroads. This locomotive is the Electromotive Diesel (EMD) E3 A unit. After the nation's severe 1958 recession (also referred to as the Eisenhower Recession), the KCS experienced a slow and worsening decline. The last run took place on November 3, 1969. In 1892 George O'Brien, George Carroll, Pattillo Higgins, Emma John, and J. F. Lanier, founded the Gladys City Oil, Gas & Manufacturing Company. [11][12], In addition, KCS annually awards its “Safe Shipper” customers for originating more than 500 bulk hazmat shipments annually without incident with KCS’s Hazmat Shipper Safety Appreciation Award. Jon Wright photo. Together with Edward L. Martin, Stilwell built the Kansas City Suburban Belt Railway, which was incorporated in 1887 and began operation in 1890. In the deal, reported by Bloomberg, KCS investors received 0.489 of a CP share and $90 in cash for each share they hold, valuing the stock at $275 apiece. Together with Edward L. Martin, Stilwell built the Kansas City Suburban Belt Railway, which was incorporated in 1887 and began operation in 1890. Many were pulled up in the 1970's and 1980's although others were removed long before that. If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Historical Topographic Map Explorer. Oct 13, 2019 - Explore Renee Williams's board "Kansas City Southern Trains", followed by 879 people on Pinterest. A few years later, on July 1, 1910, the L&A reached Shreveport, Louisiana thanks to its acquisition of the Minden East & West Railroad (via Minden). The Texas State Historical Association (TSHA) notes that year, on December 13th, the railroad was acquired by the Arkansas Construction Company, a subsidiary of Stilwell's Kansas City, Pittsburgh & Gulf Railroad. While up until the time of the Belle’s debut the KCS had offered merely second-rate passenger service its flagship train plied a route that was very lucrative, making it a household name in the markets it served. Kansas City Southern continued to enjoy a largely captive market for passenger traffic into the 1960s. The other early component was the Texarkana & Northern Railway. Getting Amtrak fastest train from Kansas City, you probably arrive in about 12h 41m in South Bend. Here too, is the office building housing the transportation department and maintenance of way department forces, together with the offices of C. K. Woodward, signal supervisor for the northern division, and B. J. Felts, special agent between Kansas City and Watts, Okla. Kansas City Southern trains #9 and 10, 1957-1968 Fred Klein, 2010, 2016. Amtrak does not normally guarantee connections of less than 60 minutes. Louisiana Railway & Navigation Company:  The LR&N's earliest predecessor was the Shreveport & Red River Valley Railroad, a project started by William Edenborn in 1896 to connect Shreveport with New Orleans. Sale. The service was inaugurated on September 2, 1940. The natural resource could not have been found at a better time as the KCS was likely headed towards another bankruptcy. [13], Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad Company, "Kansas City Southern 2017 Annual Report", "An Eccentric Railroad Promoter's Vision of Mexico", "Canadian Pacific, Kansas City Southern Will Merge into 'The First USMCA Railroad,' CPKC", "ACC Announces 2017 Responsible Care® Energy Efficiency Award Winners", "Railroads Set Another Employee Safety Record in 2005", History of the Kansas City Southern Railway, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Kansas_City_Southern_Railway&oldid=1018927086, Companies operating former Kansas City Southern Railway lines, Companies operating former Atchison, Topeka and Santa Fe Railway lines, Companies operating former Gulf, Mobile and Ohio Railroad lines, Companies operating former Illinois Central Railroad lines, Companies operating former Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad lines, Companies operating former Missouri Pacific Railroad lines, Companies operating former New York Central Railroad lines, Companies operating former Pennsylvania Railroad lines, Companies operating former St. Louis–San Francisco Railway lines, Companies operating former St. Louis Southwestern Railway lines, Companies operating former Southern Pacific Transportation Company lines, Economy of the Southeastern United States, Short description is different from Wikidata, Official website different in Wikidata and Wikipedia, Wikipedia articles with WORLDCATID identifiers, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License, "Kansas City Southern Color Pictorial", Steve Allen Goen, 1999, This page was last edited on 20 April 2021, at 16:53. This was in large part due to the efforts of  William Deramus who spent millions in upgrades through the 1950s by laying new ties, improving signaling for faster and more efficient operations (Centralized Traffic Control in 1943), completing dieselizing by 1953, opening the large Deramus Yard at Shreveport in 1956, and operating long freights of 200 cars or more. A trio of Geeps (with GP40 #771 up front) and F7A #4060 lead a northbound freight through DeQuincy, Louisiana during December of 1985. This new traffic would account for well over one-third of the system’s profits for much of its early years (and continue to generate healthy income years). Alas, in 2013 the site closed by thankfully Don Strack rescued the data and transferred it over to his, If you are researching anything EMD related please visit, If you are researching active or abandoned corridors you might want to check out the. It is an excellent resource with thousands of historic maps on file throughout the country. The new railroad will be known as Canadian Pacific-Kansas City (CP-KC) with a 20,000-mile network, nearly 20,000 employees, and an annual revenue of about $8.7 billion. KCS hauls freight for seven major government and business sectors: agriculture and minerals, military, automotive, chemical and petroleum, energy, industrial and consumer products and intermodal. There was little in the way of consistent, high-volume traffic which forced the KCS to rely upon local agriculture, grain, and less-than-carload freight for most of its income. If it were not for record volumes of traffic the railroad could have faced a fatal problem, similar to its northern neighbor the Rock Island. Everett, James 3217 Allison Avenue, Groves, TX 77619-2706 per eng Photograph of the Kansas City Southern Railroad Passenger Station in Port Arthur, TX. With new capital in hand, Stilwell opened coastal facilities on the Gulf at a location he named for himself, Port Arthur, Texas while "Last Spike" ceremonies were held at Beaumont on September 11, 1897. Return to Arkansas Railroad … The area became known as the Spindletop Oil Field, producing tens of thousands of barrels every day. For roughly the first half of the 20th century the KCS prospered, earning considerable profits for a system its size. If you are researching anything EMD related please visit this page first. Adorned in an eye-catching Brunswick Green (which appears almost black), yellow, and red the train operated between 1940 and late 1969 until hard times and a weakening passenger market forced its cancellation. streamliner which operated between Kansas City and New Orleans. KCS has the shortest north-south rail route between Kansas City, Missouri, and several key ports along the Gulf of Mexico in Alabama, Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. The road struggled financially and was reorganized as the Ft. Smith & Western Railway in the early 1920s. The cheapest way to get from Kansas City to Southern Railway Passenger Station costs only $102, and the quickest way takes just 6 hours. Kansas City Southern's train #1, the southbound "Southern Belle," is stopped at Pittsburg, Kansas on July 30, 1967. Kansas City Southern Flying Crow. The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (reporting mark KCS) is an American Class I railroad owned by Kansas City Southern.Founded in 1887, it operates in 10 midwestern and southeastern U.S. states: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Tennessee, Alabama, Mississippi, Louisiana and Texas.KCS hauls freight for seven major government and business sectors: agriculture and … After considerable expense and effort Lucas and Hamills finally hit pay dirt. Author's work. Unfortunately, this plan was never successful although not before Stilwell had completed his vision. A popular pastime for many is studying and/or exploring abandoned rights-of-way. C&NW acquired several relatively modern (at the time) passenger coaches from another railroad post Amtrak which it gutted and converted into sleepers for its business train. Combined with the Crescent after 1970. The information includes original numbers, serials, and order numbers. Stilwell began construction on the first line of what would become the Kansas City Southern Railway in 1887, in suburban Kansas City, Mo. David Hawkins photo. [3], Patrick J. Ottensmeyer, who serves as chairman of the KCS Board of Directors, is also president and chief executive officer of the railroad's parent company, Kansas City Southern.[4]. Kansas City Southern E8A #27 has the last "Southern Belle" (Kansas City - New Orleans) near Pittsburg, Kansas in early November of 1969. Later that year, on July 7th he formed a second Louisiana & Arkansas Railway Company combining both into the new L&A on May 8, 1929. Graysonia, Nashville & Ashdown Railroad:  The GN&A was another timber road originally chartered on June 16, 1906 as the Memphis, Paris & Gulf Railroad. Seen here are no fewer than six powering a long train of empty hoppers heading westbound near Sulphur Springs, Texas during December of 1981. The system's purpose was two-fold; to give farmers a means of exporting their goods as well as handle imported products. Today, it sees considerable use and is fully monitored by Centralized Traffic Control (CTC). The L&A was the greatest component to the historic KCS system although other minor acquisitions included the Kansas & Missouri Railway & Terminal Company (K&M), Fort Smith & Van Buren (FS&VB), Arkansas Western (AW), and the Maywood & Sugar Creek (M&SC). The CM&W operated much of the Gulf, Mobile & Ohio's former main line between Chicago and St. Louis, as well as the corridor between Kansas City and Springfield. However, the Interstate Commerce Commission forced it to divest of these holdings during the 1920s. Rare Vintage Kansas City Southern Lines Railway Railroad Train 32 x 32 Sign. The THSA notes that on January 10, 1901, at a depth of 1,139 feet, a huge geyser of oil, 100 feet high, spilled from their well (listed as "Lucas #9") located in eastern Jefferson County, south of Beaumont. While the KCS, itself, was only about 3,100 miles in length but thanks to its acquisitions of Tex Mex and TFM (Kansas City Southern de Mexico), which added about 2,800 miles to its overall system, the railroad boasted a roughly 6,000-mile network. In 1897, Stilwell completed the Kansas City, Pittsburg and Gulf Railroad Company (KCP&G) with a route running north and south from Kansas City to Shreveport, Louisiana, terminating at Port Arthur, Texas. All content copyright American-Rails.com (unless otherwise noted). Book your Amtrak train and bus tickets today by choosing from over 30 U.S. train routes and 500 destinations in North America. KCS had been consistently recognized for its employee safety record (in group B: line-haul railroads with between four and 15 million employee hours per year) by the E.H. Harriman Memorial Awards Institute with a Gold Award in 2001, 2002, 2006, 2007 and 2008, Bronze Award in 2003 and 2004 and a Silver Award in 2005. Within a few years nearly half the group had given up but in 1895 a determined Anthony Lucas signed a lease with the remaining partners, believing strongly that oil was located in the Gulf Coast's salt domes. $ 539.99 $ 599.99. Richard Wallin photo. The amount of information found there is quite staggering; historical backgrounds of wheel arrangements, types used by virtually every railroad, preserved and operational examples, and even those used in other countries (North America and beyond). Today, there are tens of thousands of miles scattered throughout the country. The Kansas City Southern Railway Company (reporting mark KCS) is an American Class I railroad. As part of the agreement, the company would change its name to Canadian Pacific Kansas City. Flying Crow: (Kansas City - New Orleans/Port Arthur), Southern Belle: (Kansas City - New Orleans). It fell under Union Pacific's jurisdiction after its 1996 takeover of SP and subsequently purchased by Kansas City Southern in 2001. Home / Photos & Videos / Photos / Great Passenger Trains / Kansas City Southern – Image Gallery. Louisiana & Arkansas Railway:  The L&A was the largest component of the historic Kansas City Southern. [1] The KCS, along with the Union Pacific railroad, is one of only two Class I railroads based in the United States that has not originated as the result of a merger between previously separate companies. The sleek yellow, red, and green streamliner was the pride of the Kansas City Southern Railway and was affectionately named the “Sweetheart of American Trains.” As a result, it was only a matter of time before one of these larger systems acquired the road, which finally occurred with Canadian Pacific's March, 2021 announcement. Tittle on 5/19/14 at 8:01 pm to tigerpimpbot Most of these old freight lines (i.e., KCS) used to run passenger service. By 1950, the KCS owned a network of 962 miles and had it forever remained this size would likely be only a Class II, "regional," today. Kansas City Southern E8A #28 with train #10, the "Flying Crow," at New Orleans Union Passenger Terminal on November 22, 1967. Kansas City Southern acquired Louisiana and Arkansas in 1939. The line to Dallas became a very important component of the KCS system and still witnesses considerable use today. On July 9, 1889 it changed its names as the Texarkana & Fort Smith Railway, opening an additional 16 miles to Wilton, Arkansas by 1892. It continued to falter into the Great Depression and finally shutdown on February 9, 1939 after which time the KCS took over the above-mentioned segment. Kansas City Southern passenger service operated out of the The Louisiana and Arkansas-Kansas City Southern station. In 2002, KCSI formally changed its name to Kansas City Southern (KCS), with KCS remaining a subsidiary. At this time the system was reorganized as the Louisiana Railway & Navigation Company on May 9, 1903, opening to New Orleans on April 14, 1907. Lionel 2133300 - Legacy SD70Ace Diesel Locomotive "Kansas City Southern" #4009 (Heroes) Diesel Locomotive. Here are the same locomotives wearing the original "Southern Belle" livery with the company's 'Office Car Special' at Plano, Texas on January 19, 2004. Author's collection. While it took many years to see the fruits of this labor fulfilled, by the late 1930s the KCS had acquired new markets in Dallas and New Orleans. Kansas City Southern is the cross-border railroad between the U.S. and Mexico whose vision is to be the fastest-growing, best-performing, most customer-focused transportation provider in … Louisiana Railway & Navigation Company: The LR&N's earliest predecessor was the Shreveport & Red River Valley Railroad, a project started by William Edenborn in 1896 to connect Shreveport with New Orleans. In addition, there was access to Tuscaloosa and Birmingham, Alabama as well as Gulfport, Mississippi. Find the travel option that best suits you. It had originally been chartered on June 18, 1885, intended as a logging operation that opened 10 miles from Texarkana north to the Red River. This trackage still paled in comparison to the other six North American Class Is: Union Pacific and BNSF both maintain about 32,000 miles; CSX Transportation and Norfolk Southern roughly 21,000 miles; Canadian National 20,000 miles; and Canadian Pacific 14,000 miles. The Kansas City Southern passenger station is at Seventh and Michigan, within a few blocks of downtown Pittsburg. The Route Of The Southern Belle had always been a system surrounded by larger giants, even prior to the mega-merger movement during the classic era of the mid-20th century. KCS Mena - (ex-PULL, nee- McKullo) HW "Betterment" Plan 4087B 10 Sect - 3 DBR rblt. Thanks to the many uses of oil the railroad not only moved raw black gold but also gasoline and various other petrochemicals as the energy industry sprang up along the Gulf. Gary Morris photo. This large regional began service on January 9, 1990.