Arkansas Western Railway
| Overview | |
|---|---|
| Locale | Arkansas and Oklahoma |
| Dates of operation | 1904–1992 |
| Predecessor | Arkansas Western Railroad |
| Successor | Kansas City Southern |
| Technical | |
| Track gauge | 4 ft 8+1⁄2 in (1,435 mm) standard gauge |
| Length | 32 miles (51 km) |
The Arkansas Western Railway operated a 32-mile rail line between Heavener, Oklahoma and Waldron, Arkansas. It bought the assets of its predecessor in 1904, and the company was merged out of existence in 1992.
History[edit]
About three years after the Kansas City, Pittsburg & Gulf Railroad (KCP&G) arrived in Heavener in what was then Indian Territory, the Arkansas Western Railroad was incorporated December 13, 1899 to build a line from Heavener to Waldron in Arkansas.[1][2] The line was about 32 miles in length, passed through Bates, Cauthron, and Hon, Arkansas, and was completed in 1901.[2][3] The purpose of the railway was to service the timber industry.[4]
The Kansas City Southern (KCS) acquired the KCP&G in a foreclosure sale in 1900.[5] On May 13, 1904 the KCS incorporated a new subsidiary, the Arkansas Western Railway, which then acquired all the assets of the Arkansas Western Railroad on June 1, 1904.[1][5] The Arkansas Western Railway continued to be operated under that name, but the acquisition allowed “through-service” from Ft. Smith to Waldron, about 45 miles to the south-southeast; however, the round-about route took 3 hours and 15 minutes while making 14 intermediate stops.[2][6]
In 1932, the railroad built an extension of about 22 miles from Waldron to Forester, Arkansas to service a lumber mill there.[2] But that line was removed soon after the closing of the mill in 1952.[2]
Consideration was given around 1980 to abandonment of the rest of the trackage, but instead the line was rehabilitated by mid-1983 in a project taking private and public funding and utilizing 43,540 crossties, 120,092 rail anchors, 92,035 tons of base aggregate, 29 new timber trestles, and 15 repaired trestles.[7] In 1992, the Arkansas Western Railway was merged into the KCS.[2] In subsequent history, the KCS leased the Heavener-to-Waldron line to Watco in 2005, and the trackage is being operated by the Arkansas Southern Railroad.[2]
References[edit]
- ^ a b "Railroads of Oklahoma, June 6, 1870 to April 1, 1978, pp.28-29". Oklahoma Department of Transportation. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g "Arkansas Western Railroad". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
- ^ "Arkansas State Rail Plan 2015, p. 2-22" (PDF). Arkansas State Highway & Transportation Department. Retrieved August 30, 2021.
- ^ "Anderson (Scott County)". Encyclopedia of Arkansas. Retrieved July 6, 2022.
- ^ a b "The Completion of the KCP&G – A Centennial History". Lowell G. McManus, The Meridian Speedway. Retrieved August 19, 2020.
- ^ "Fort Smith, Arkansas to Waldron Arkansas". Google Maps. Retrieved July 5, 2022.
- ^ "AHTD Completes First Rail Rehabilitation Project" (PDF). Arkansas Highways, Fall 1983, pp.10-11. Retrieved July 5, 2022.