Gulf Coast Lines
Encyclopedia
The Gulf Coast Lines was the name of a railroad system comprising three principal railroads, as well as some smaller ones, that stretched from New Orleans, Louisiana
via Baton Rouge
and Houston
to Brownsville, Texas
. Originally chartered as subsidiaries of the Frisco Railroad, the system became independent in 1916 and was purchased by the Missouri Pacific Railroad
in 1925.
The parent company of the independent Gulf Coast Lines was the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway, incorporated in Louisiana on February 28, 1916, which bought the property and assets of the Frisco-owned New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railroad. The NOT&M was headquartered in New Orleans, and owned or leased a number of other railroads in Louisiana and Texas, operating them all together as the Gulf Coast Lines. As of December 31, 1916, the total trackage operated by the Gulf Coast Lines system was 1013 miles (1,630.3 km), including branches, sidings, trackage rights, and leased lines.
,
The Frisco and Rock Island were conjoined under his leadership in 1905 and known as the "Yoakum Line."
The first section of the GCL was the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway
. Construction was done by the B.F. & P.M. Johnson Co. of St. Elmo, Illinois
, which began in 1903 from Robstown, Texas
(near Corpus Christi
) to Brownsville, Texas
. The line was opened for business on July 4, 1904. By the end of 1907, the StLB&M was extended to Houston
, with trackage rights via the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad between Algoa
and Houston. The railroad was the first to reach the Rio Grande Valley
, where it had a great effect on the region. According to the Handbook of Texas Online,
In 1905, Yoakum purchased the Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway
, which connected with the StLB&M at Houston.
The next link eastward was the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway, construction of which began in 1905 from Anchorage, Louisiana (opposite Baton Rouge
), to DeQuincy, Louisiana
, with trackage rights purchased from Kansas City Southern Railway
from DeQuincy to Beaumont. NOT&M trains were ferried across the Mississippi River
at Baton Rouge until 1947,, several years after the Huey P. Long Bridge
(carrying a highway and a railroad track) was built in 1940. This segment opened for service on September 1, 1909, with trackage rights via the Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company from Baton Rouge to New Orleans; after 1916, GCL trains used trackage rights on the parallel Illinois Central route instead.
Yoakum's planned extensions of the GCL from Brownsville to Tampico and Mexico City, as well as from Baton Rouge to Memphis
, never materialized. In 1913, the Frisco and the GCL roads fell into bankruptcy, which was terminated in 1916 when Frisco's receivers
were ordered by a court to sell the Texas-Louisiana lines. The StLB&M and the BSL&W were acquired by the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico, and operated under the Gulf Coast Lines name after that.
On June 30, 1924, the NOT&M bought the International-Great Northern Railroad
, and in December of the same year, the Missouri Pacific bought the Gulf Coast Lines and operated it as a subsidiary. In March 1956, all of the GCL lines were merged into the Missouri Pacific system, losing their separate identity. The Missouri Pacific was merged into the Union Pacific Railroad
in 1997.
Acquired by the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico on February 1, 1924:
Acquired by the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico on behalf of the Missouri Pacific in 1925 to keep the Missouri Kansas Texas from taking control of it, but operated as a separate division from the Gulf Coast Lines until all were merged into the Missouri Pacific in March 1, 1956:
After 1925, the following railroads were purchased by the Gulf Coast Lines division of Missouri Pacific, though maintaining their separate legal identities.
Acquired by the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico on December 1, 1925:
Acquired by the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico on January 2, 1926:
Acquired by New Orleans, Texas & Mexico in November, 1926:
Acquired by New Orleans, Texas & Mexico on January 1, 1927:
Acquired by the Beaumont, Sour Lake & Western on May 1, 1927:
The Beaumont, Sour Lake & Western also owned a 25 percent share of the Houston Belt and Terminal Railway; the StLB&M owned a 50 percent share of the Brownsville and Matamoros Bridge Company.
One notable passenger train of the postwar era was the streamlined Valley Eagle, introduced on October 31, 1948, which covered the 372 miles between Houston, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville in 8 1/2 hours at an average speed of 44 miles per hour.Two trainsets of five cars each were built by ACF to make the daytime run in both directions. The train was discontinued in 1962.
Also in the postwar era, MoPac's Houstonian and Orleanean ran between New Orleans and Houston, covering the 367 miles in nine or ten hours.
New Orleans, Louisiana
New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The New Orleans metropolitan area has a population of 1,235,650 as of 2009, the 46th largest in the USA. The New Orleans – Metairie – Bogalusa combined statistical area has a population...
via Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
and Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
to Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
. Originally chartered as subsidiaries of the Frisco Railroad, the system became independent in 1916 and was purchased 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...
in 1925.
The parent company of the independent Gulf Coast Lines was the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway, incorporated in Louisiana on February 28, 1916, which bought the property and assets of the Frisco-owned New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railroad. The NOT&M was headquartered in New Orleans, and owned or leased a number of other railroads in Louisiana and Texas, operating them all together as the Gulf Coast Lines. As of December 31, 1916, the total trackage operated by the Gulf Coast Lines system was 1013 miles (1,630.3 km), including branches, sidings, trackage rights, and leased lines.
Primary lines
According to a history published by the Missouri Pacific RailroadMissouri 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...
,
The Gulf Coast Lines was projected originally by B. F. YoakumBenjamin Franklin YoakumBenjamin Franklin Yoakum was a visionary railroad executive of the late 19th and early 20th centuries who attempted to join the Frisco and Rock Island Railroads into a great system stretching from Chicago to Mexico...
, chairman of the board of the Rock Island and Frisco Lines. Yoakum's plan envisioned using the Rock Island and Frisco, together with.several railroads to be built in Texas and Louisiana and now known as the Gulf Coast Lines, to form a continuous line of railroad extending from Chicago, St. Louis and Memphis to Baton Rouge, Houston, Brownsville, Tampico and Mexico City.
The Frisco and Rock Island were conjoined under his leadership in 1905 and known as the "Yoakum Line."
The first section of the GCL was the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway
St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway
The St. Louis, Brownsville & Mexico Railway was a 200-mile railroad that operated from Brownsville, Texas to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston. It passed through small southeast Texas communities such as Robstown, Corpus Christi, Bay City, and Harlingen as well as the Rio Grande Valley.-History:Uriah...
. Construction was done by the B.F. & P.M. Johnson Co. of St. Elmo, Illinois
St. Elmo, Illinois
St. Elmo is a city in Fayette County, Illinois, United States. The population was 1,456 at the 2000 census.-Geography:St. Elmo is located at ....
, which began in 1903 from Robstown, Texas
Robstown, Texas
Robstown is a city in Nueces County, Texas, United States, and a western suburb of Corpus Christi. It was founded about 1906, and was named for Robert Driscoll Jr., a landowner...
(near Corpus Christi
Corpus Christi, Texas
Corpus Christi is a coastal city in the South Texas region of the U.S. state of Texas. The county seat of Nueces County, it also extends into Aransas, Kleberg, and San Patricio counties. The MSA population in 2008 was 416,376. The population was 305,215 at the 2010 census making it the...
) to Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville, Texas
Brownsville is a city in the southernmost tip of the state of Texas, in the United States. It is located on the northern bank of the Rio Grande, directly north and across the border from Matamoros, Tamaulipas, Mexico. Brownsville is the 16th largest city in the state of Texas with a population of...
. The line was opened for business on July 4, 1904. By the end of 1907, the StLB&M was extended to Houston
Houston, Texas
Houston is the fourth-largest city in the United States, and the largest city in the state of Texas. According to the 2010 U.S. Census, the city had a population of 2.1 million people within an area of . Houston is the seat of Harris County and the economic center of , which is the ...
, with trackage rights via the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railroad between Algoa
Algoa, Texas
Algoa is an unincorporated area in Galveston County, Texas, United States. The population was 125 according to the 2000 census.- History :The town was founded in 1880 on the Gulf, Colorado and Santa Fe Railway and originally named Hughes...
and Houston. The railroad was the first to reach the Rio Grande Valley
Rio Grande Valley
The Rio Grande Valley or the Lower Rio Grande Valley, informally called The Valley, is an area located in the southernmost tip of South Texas...
, where it had a great effect on the region. According to the Handbook of Texas Online,
The coming of the railroad and irrigation made the Valley into a major agricultural center. In Hidalgo County, land that had been selling for twenty-five cents an acre in 1903, the year before the St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railway arrived, was selling for fifty dollars an acre in 1906 and for as much as $300 an acre by 1910.
In 1905, Yoakum purchased the Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway
Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway
The Beaumont, Sour Lake and Western Railway was an railroad that ran from Beaumont, Texas to Gulf Coast Junction in Houston. It passed through small southeast Texas communities such as Hull, Kenefick, and Huffman...
, which connected with the StLB&M at Houston.
The next link eastward was the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico Railway, construction of which began in 1905 from Anchorage, Louisiana (opposite Baton Rouge
Baton Rouge, Louisiana
Baton Rouge is the capital of the U.S. state of Louisiana. It is located in East Baton Rouge Parish and is the second-largest city in the state.Baton Rouge is a major industrial, petrochemical, medical, and research center of the American South...
), to DeQuincy, Louisiana
DeQuincy, Louisiana
DeQuincy is the northernmost city in Calcasieu Parish, Louisiana, United States. The population was 3,398 at the 2000 census. DeQuincy is part of the Lake Charles Metropolitan Statistical Area.-Geography:DeQuincy is located at ....
, with trackage rights purchased from 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...
from DeQuincy to Beaumont. NOT&M trains were ferried across the Mississippi River
Mississippi River
The Mississippi River is the largest river system in North America. Flowing entirely in the United States, this river rises in western Minnesota and meanders slowly southwards for to the Mississippi River Delta at the Gulf of Mexico. With its many tributaries, the Mississippi's watershed drains...
at Baton Rouge until 1947,, several years after the Huey P. Long Bridge
Huey P. Long Bridge (Baton Rouge)
The Huey P. Long Bridge is a truss cantilever bridge over the Mississippi River carrying US 190 and one rail line between East Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana and West Baton Rouge Parish, Louisiana....
(carrying a highway and a railroad track) was built in 1940. This segment opened for service on September 1, 1909, with trackage rights via the Louisiana Railway and Navigation Company from Baton Rouge to New Orleans; after 1916, GCL trains used trackage rights on the parallel Illinois Central route instead.
Yoakum's planned extensions of the GCL from Brownsville to Tampico and Mexico City, as well as from Baton Rouge to Memphis
Memphis, Tennessee
Memphis is a city in the southwestern corner of the U.S. state of Tennessee, and the county seat of Shelby County. The city is located on the 4th Chickasaw Bluff, south of the confluence of the Wolf and Mississippi rivers....
, never materialized. In 1913, the Frisco and the GCL roads fell into bankruptcy, which was terminated in 1916 when Frisco's receivers
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...
were ordered by a court to sell the Texas-Louisiana lines. The StLB&M and the BSL&W were acquired by the New Orleans, Texas and Mexico, and operated under the Gulf Coast Lines name after that.
On June 30, 1924, the NOT&M bought the International-Great Northern Railroad
International-Great Northern Railroad
The International – Great Northern Railroad was a railroad that operated in the U.S. state of Texas. It was created on September 30, 1873, when International Railroad and Houston and Great Northern Railroad merged....
, and in December of the same year, the Missouri Pacific bought the Gulf Coast Lines and operated it as a subsidiary. In March 1956, all of the GCL lines were merged into the Missouri Pacific system, losing their separate identity. The Missouri Pacific was merged into 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....
in 1997.
Secondary lines
Before 1925, the following railroads were also part of the Gulf Coast Lines system who retained their separate legal identities:- San Benito and Rio Grande Valley Railway
- Orange and Northwestern Railroad
- New Iberia and Northern Railroad
- Iberia, St. Mary and Eastern Railroad
Acquired by the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico on February 1, 1924:
- Houston and Brazos Valley Railway
Acquired by the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico on behalf of the Missouri Pacific in 1925 to keep the Missouri Kansas Texas from taking control of it, but operated as a separate division from the Gulf Coast Lines until all were merged into the Missouri Pacific in March 1, 1956:
- International-Great Northern RailroadInternational-Great Northern RailroadThe International – Great Northern Railroad was a railroad that operated in the U.S. state of Texas. It was created on September 30, 1873, when International Railroad and Houston and Great Northern Railroad merged....
After 1925, the following railroads were purchased by the Gulf Coast Lines division of Missouri Pacific, though maintaining their separate legal identities.
Acquired by the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico on December 1, 1925:
- San Antonio, Uvalde and Gulf Railroad
Acquired by the New Orleans, Texas & Mexico on January 2, 1926:
- Sugar Land Railway
- Asherton and Gulf Railway
- Rio Grande City Railway
Acquired by New Orleans, Texas & Mexico in November, 1926:
- Asphalt Belt Railway
Acquired by New Orleans, Texas & Mexico on January 1, 1927:
- San Antonio Southern, formerly the Artesian Belt Railroad
Acquired by the Beaumont, Sour Lake & Western on May 1, 1927:
- Houston North Shore Railway (electric interurban railway)
The Beaumont, Sour Lake & Western also owned a 25 percent share of the Houston Belt and Terminal Railway; the StLB&M owned a 50 percent share of the Brownsville and Matamoros Bridge Company.
Passenger trains
After 1925, numerous Missouri Pacific passenger trains used the various segments of the Gulf Coast Lines route, which although legally separate entities for tax, tariff, and accounting purposes, were marketed to the public as a seamless continuation of MoPac passenger service.One notable passenger train of the postwar era was the streamlined Valley Eagle, introduced on October 31, 1948, which covered the 372 miles between Houston, Corpus Christi, and Brownsville in 8 1/2 hours at an average speed of 44 miles per hour.Two trainsets of five cars each were built by ACF to make the daytime run in both directions. The train was discontinued in 1962.
Also in the postwar era, MoPac's Houstonian and Orleanean ran between New Orleans and Houston, covering the 367 miles in nine or ten hours.
Histories
- The Frisco: A Look Back at the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway, Springfield-Greene County (Mo.) Library's online version of a 1962 booklet
- The Empire That Missouri Pacific Serves, Kansas State Library's online version of a book published in the 1950s by the Missouri Pacific Railroad
- "MoPac's First 125 Years," Missouri Pacific Historical Society
- Werner, George C. "St. Louis, Brownsville and Mexico Railroad," Handbook of Texas Online. Published by the Texas State Historical Association.
Photographs, maps, and timetables
- 1940 timetable map of Missouri Pacific Lines, with GCL and other subsidiaries marked
- 1926 map of Santa Fe lines in Texas, Oklahoma, and Louisiana, clearly showing the Gulf Coast Lines route as well
- 1956 timetables for the Houstonian and Orleanean at Streamliner Schedules
- "Smoke on the Water," History Hunts (blog); photos of the NOT&M steam ferry carrying freight and passenger cars between Anchorage and Baton Rouge
- The Valley Eagle departing Houston Union Station for Brownsville, 1953, at Portal to Texas History
