AN Railway
Encyclopedia
The AN Railway is one of several shortline railroad companies owned by the Genesee & Wyoming parent company. It operates between Port Saint Joe, Florida and a connection with CSX's Pensacola & Atlantic and Tallahassee Subdivisions at Chattahoochee, Florida
, with a short spur to Apalachicola, Florida
. The railroad operates approximately 96 miles (154.5 km) of track.
The company operated in receivership
on three separate occasions: July 1907 to October 1908, May 1914 to February 1916 and May 1932 to December 1936.
The company came under ownership of Alfred I. du Pont
in 1933, along with the entire town of Port St. Joe. The railroad's largest customer, the St. Joe Paper Company mill in Port St. Joe, was owned by the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust
from 1936 to 1996. On September 30, 1940, Edward Ball, who managed the du Pont trust properties, transferred control of the railroad to the St. Joe Paper Company. When the paper company was sold in 1996, ownership of the railroad was returned to the St. Joe Company
.
Rail Management Corporation
bought the line from the St. Joe Company on September 1, 2002. It was renamed the AN Railway at that time.
On May 26, 2005, it was announced that all assets of Rail Management Corporation were being acquired by Genesee and Wyoming Inc with an effective date of June 1, 2005. The AN Railway was included in this purchase. As of 2007, the railroad continues operations as part of Genessee and Wyoming's Southern Region.
s, although many of these locomotives were recently sold off after business on the railroad dropped with the closure of some industrial areas. As it currently stands, there are only three GP15T
's still on the active roster. These units are all painted into Apalachicola Northern's original blue & white scheme.
Chattahoochee, Florida
Chattahoochee is a city in Gadsden County, Florida, United States. The population was 3,287 at the 2000 census. According to the U.S Census estimates of 2005, the city had a population of 3,720. It is part of the Tallahassee, Florida Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:Chattahoochee is...
, with a short spur to Apalachicola, Florida
Apalachicola, Florida
Apalachicola is a city in Franklin County, Florida, on US 98 about southwest of Tallahassee. The population was 2,334 at the 2000 census. The 2005 census estimated the city's population at 2,340...
. The railroad operates approximately 96 miles (154.5 km) of track.
Overview
The Apalachicola Northern Railroad was chartered on April 7, 1903. Construction began on March 21, 1905, and trains began running north from Apalachicola in 1907. The extension to Port St. Joe was completed on May 10, 1910.The company operated in 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...
on three separate occasions: July 1907 to October 1908, May 1914 to February 1916 and May 1932 to December 1936.
The company came under ownership of Alfred I. du Pont
Alfred I. du Pont
Alfred Irénée du Pont was an American industrialist, financier and philanthropist. A member of the influential Du Pont family, Alfred du Pont first rose to prominence through his work in his family's Delaware-based gunpowder manufacturing plant, E. I...
in 1933, along with the entire town of Port St. Joe. The railroad's largest customer, the St. Joe Paper Company mill in Port St. Joe, was owned by the Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust
Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust
The Alfred I. duPont Testamentary Trust is a non-profit organization created by philanthropist Alfred I. du Pont in 1935, devoted to supporting the Trust's sole charitable beneficiary, the Nemours Foundation. As of December 31, 2008, the trust’s value was $3.25 billion and employed nearly 3,500...
from 1936 to 1996. On September 30, 1940, Edward Ball, who managed the du Pont trust properties, transferred control of the railroad to the St. Joe Paper Company. When the paper company was sold in 1996, ownership of the railroad was returned to the St. Joe Company
St. Joe Company
The St. Joe Company is a land development company formerly headquartered in Jacksonville, Florida, United States. It is Florida's second largest private landowner, owning about in the state at the end of 2009.-Beginning:...
.
Rail Management Corporation
Rail Management Corporation
Rail Management Corporation , based in Panama City Beach, Florida, was a holding company of short line railroads in the southeastern United States.- History :...
bought the line from the St. Joe Company on September 1, 2002. It was renamed the AN Railway at that time.
On May 26, 2005, it was announced that all assets of Rail Management Corporation were being acquired by Genesee and Wyoming Inc with an effective date of June 1, 2005. The AN Railway was included in this purchase. As of 2007, the railroad continues operations as part of Genessee and Wyoming's Southern Region.
Equipment
Unlike most shortlines, the AN Railway's locomotive fleet consisted entirely of originally purchased units direct from the manufacturer, as opposed to the acquirement of used engines. It's diesel roster is primarily EMD hood unitHood unit
A hood unit, in railroad terminology, is a body style for diesel and electric locomotives. On a hood unit, the body of the locomotive is less than full-width for most of the locomotive's length, with walkways on the outside of the locomotive. In contrast, a cab unit has a full-width carbody for...
s, although many of these locomotives were recently sold off after business on the railroad dropped with the closure of some industrial areas. As it currently stands, there are only three GP15T
EMD GP15T
An EMD GP15T is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between October 1982 and April 1983. It was a very close cousin to the GP15-1, but used a turbocharger in order to generate more power from a smaller engine...
's still on the active roster. These units are all painted into Apalachicola Northern's original blue & white scheme.
Current Roster
| Model | Quantity | Built | Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|
| EMD GP15T EMD GP15T An EMD GP15T is a 4-axle diesel locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between October 1982 and April 1983. It was a very close cousin to the GP15-1, but used a turbocharger in order to generate more power from a smaller engine... |
3 | 1983 | 720-722 |
Retired Roster
| Model | Quantity | Built | Retired | Numbers |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EMD NW2 EMD NW2 The EMD NW2 is a 1,000 hp , B-B switcher locomotive manufactured by General Motors Electro-Motive Division of La Grange, Illinois. The NW2 was manufactured from February, 1939 to December, 1949, and 1145 were produced – 1121 for the U.S., and 24 were exported to Canada. Starting in late 1948... |
3 | 1947 | 1970 | 701-704 |
| EMD SW9 EMD SW9 An EMD SW9 is a diesel switcher locomotive built by General Motors Electro-Motive Division between December 1950 and December 1953. Power was provided by an EMD 567B 12-cylinder engine, producing .... |
7 | 1952-1953 | 2005 | 705-711 |
| EMD SW1500 EMD SW1500 The EMD SW1500 was a diesel locomotive intended for switching service and built by General Motors' Electro-Motive Division between June 1966 and January 1974. 808 examples were constructed. It was closely related to the less powerful EMD SW1000 model, forming a line of switchers powered by the new... |
8 | 1969-1970 | 2005 | 712-719 |
See also
- List of United States railroads
- List of Florida railroads
- Genesee & Wyoming Inc.
- Bay Line RailroadBay Line RailroadThe Bay Line Railroad is one of several short line railroad companies owned by Genesee & Wyoming Inc. It operates between Panama City, Florida, and Dothan, Alabama, including a branch from Grimes to Abbeville, Alabama, reached via trackage rights on CSX's Dothan Subdivision between Dothan and Grimes...
External links
- AN Railway – G&W Subsidiary Site and Railroad Map
- Railroad Picture Archives – Photographs of the AN Railway