Hollis and Eastern Railroad
Encyclopedia
Hollis and Eastern Railroad is a shortline railroad
operating in the U.S. state
of Oklahoma
. The railroad's tracks connect Duke to connections with the BNSF Railway
, Farmrail and Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway
at Altus, Oklahoma
.
(MKT).
The Hollis & Eastern was incorporated on October 15, 1958, beginning operations on the former MKT Wellington branch between Altus and Hollis on May 15, 1959. The line west of Hollis to Wellington, Texas was abandoned at that time and sold for scrap and never operated by the H&E. The railroad was purchased by Republic Gypsum Company in 1971 which later abandoned the section between Hollis, Gould and Duke in 1975. Republic Gypsum later sold the plant to American Gypsum in 1998.
Primary commodities handled on the H&E include wallboard (sheet rock) originating from the Republic (later American) Gypsum plant in Duke and wheat shipped from elevators at Duke and Victory. The H&E interchanges with the Wichita, Tillman & Jackson (WTJ) at Welon Yard, with Farmrail (also at Welon) and with the Stillwater Central and BNSF in Altus. Because of a slowed economy and increased sales of Chinese wallboard being imported into the United States, American gypsum decided in 2009 to end its own operations of the H&E and to lease the line to another carrier. Bids were received in early 2010 and Stillwater Central was chosen as the new rail operator. Independent operations of the H&E were scheduled to be taken over by Stillwater Central effective April 5, 2010 with the H&E last day as an independent carrier taking place on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010. The last official H&E train operated between Altus and Duke on Thursday, April 1, 2010.
Shortline railroad
A shortline railroad is a small or mid-sized railroad company that operates over a relatively short distance relative to larger, national railroad networks. The term is used primarily in the USA and Canada...
operating in the U.S. state
U.S. state
A U.S. state is any one of the 50 federated states of the United States of America that share sovereignty with the federal government. Because of this shared sovereignty, an American is a citizen both of the federal entity and of his or her state of domicile. Four states use the official title of...
of Oklahoma
Oklahoma
Oklahoma is a state located in the South Central region of the United States of America. With an estimated 3,751,351 residents as of the 2010 census and a land area of 68,667 square miles , Oklahoma is the 28th most populous and 20th-largest state...
. The railroad's tracks connect Duke to connections with the BNSF Railway
BNSF Railway
The BNSF Railway is a wholly owned subsidiary of Berkshire Hathaway Inc., and is headquartered in Fort Worth, Texas. It is one of seven North American Class I railroads and the second largest freight railroad network in North America, second only to the Union Pacific Railroad, its primary...
, Farmrail and Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway
Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway
The Wichita, Tillman and Jackson Railway is a shortline railroad subsidiary of the Rio Grande Pacific Corporation that operates two disconnected lines in Oklahoma and Texas, mostly owned by the state of Oklahoma. The line for which it is named extends from Wichita Falls, Texas to Altus, Oklahoma,...
at Altus, Oklahoma
Altus, Oklahoma
Altus is a city in Jackson County, Oklahoma, United States. The population was 19,813 at the 2010 census. It is the county seat of Jackson County....
.
History
Hollis & Eastern Railroad currently operates 13 miles track between Altus and Duke, Oklahoma. Other stations currently served include Welon Yard (in Altus) and Victory, Oklahoma. The H&E line was originally constructed by the Altus, Wichita Falls & Hollis Railway and the Wichita Falls & Northwestern Railway in 1912. Both of these predecessor railroads were part of the "Wichita Falls Route" and were soon purchased by the Missouri-Kansas-Texas RailroadMissouri-Kansas-Texas Railroad
The Missouri–Kansas–Texas Railroad was incorporated May 23, 1870. In its earliest days the MKT was commonly referred to as "the K-T", which was its stock exchange symbol; this common designation soon evolved into "the Katy"....
(MKT).
The Hollis & Eastern was incorporated on October 15, 1958, beginning operations on the former MKT Wellington branch between Altus and Hollis on May 15, 1959. The line west of Hollis to Wellington, Texas was abandoned at that time and sold for scrap and never operated by the H&E. The railroad was purchased by Republic Gypsum Company in 1971 which later abandoned the section between Hollis, Gould and Duke in 1975. Republic Gypsum later sold the plant to American Gypsum in 1998.
Primary commodities handled on the H&E include wallboard (sheet rock) originating from the Republic (later American) Gypsum plant in Duke and wheat shipped from elevators at Duke and Victory. The H&E interchanges with the Wichita, Tillman & Jackson (WTJ) at Welon Yard, with Farmrail (also at Welon) and with the Stillwater Central and BNSF in Altus. Because of a slowed economy and increased sales of Chinese wallboard being imported into the United States, American gypsum decided in 2009 to end its own operations of the H&E and to lease the line to another carrier. Bids were received in early 2010 and Stillwater Central was chosen as the new rail operator. Independent operations of the H&E were scheduled to be taken over by Stillwater Central effective April 5, 2010 with the H&E last day as an independent carrier taking place on Easter Sunday, April 4, 2010. The last official H&E train operated between Altus and Duke on Thursday, April 1, 2010.