User:Bozokansas/Midland Valley

The Midland Valley Railroad extended from Fort Smith, Arkansas, to Wichita, Kansas via Tulsa, Oklahoma and Muskogee, Oklahoma, prior to its purchase by Missouri Pacific's Texas and Pacific Railway in 1964.

Midland Valley reached Fort Smith by way of trackage rights over the St. Louis-San Francisco Railway between Rock Island, Oklahoma, and Fort Smith.

Muskogee, Oklahoma, was home to the Midland Valley's headquarters and shops.

A Philadelphia Industrialist's Vision
The Midland Valley Railroad was incorporated on June 4, 1903, to construct a right of way in regions of Indian Territory and Kansas already served by railroads that had been completed 10 to 20 years earlier. Construction was backed by Philadelphia industrialist C. Jared Ingersoll who had coal mining interests in the Northeast region of Indian Territory (later Oklahoma). Ingersoll originally intended to use the new railroad to carry bituminous coal to Western connections where it could be forwarded to colder regions of the Western United States and sold for profit.

The Independent Years
Construction began in Arkansas in 1903, with the route completed in 1910 upon reaching Wichita, Kansas. Headquarters and shops were established in 1904 in Muskogee, Oklahoma. While coal loadings remained important to the railroad, its most profitable years were the result of large oil deposits in the region directly served by the road. Railroads provided the primary means of transporting crude oil before the establishment of pipelines. In addition to shipping oil the Midland Valley also profited from ladings of equipment and supplies related to oil production, and later an online refinery constructed in Barnsdall, Oklahoma.

The Muskogee Roads Era
Change began in 1923 when the Midland Valley became part of Ingersoll's newly formed Muskogee Company. The Muskogee Company also gained control of the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf Railway and Oklahoma City-Ada-Atoka Railway. These roads all fell under the same management in Muskogee and were commonly referred to as the Muskogee Roads.

Although the Midland Valley was an independently profitable line for most of its years, the Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf was much more profitable to the Muskogee Company. The Kansas, Oklahoma and Gulf was dependent on bridge traffic between Kansas City and the Southwest via Denison, Texas provided by the Missouri Pacific Railroad. Under the leadership of Russell L. Dearmount, the Missouri Pacific had a cooperative relationship with the Muskogee Company and both companies profitted from the relationship. The appointing of Downing B. Jenks as president brought a more imperialistic attitude to the Missouri Pacific; it's subsidiary the Texas and Pacific Railway began buying Muskogee Company stock and diverting bridge traffic to other routes. The Texas and Pacific assumed control of the Muskogee Roads in 1964, including the Midland Valley.

Route
Construction began in Greenwood, Arkansas in 1903 extending to Bokoshe I.T. Construction reached Muskogee by 1904, and later to Tulsa. By 1906 construction reached Silverdale, Kansas, with trackage rights into Arkansas City, Kansas. Arkansas City would have remained the Western terminus of the road with connections with the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe, Missouri Pacific, and St. Louis San Fransisco Railroads had Ingersol not been influenced by the Wichita Chamber of Commerce and meat packers to extend the line to Wichita with the promise of ladings. The road was extended to Wichita in 1910 with surveys to McPherson, Kansas to gain a connection with the Union Pacific, however the road was never extended west beyond Wichita.

After construction was complete the Midland Valley stretched 335 miles. It roughly paralleled the Arkansas River and hence the slogan "Arkansas River Route" was often used. The Midland Valley was the shortest route between Wichita and Fort Smith.

Steam
Early steam locomotives where second hand affairs typical of the era. After the creation of the Muskogee Company locomotives of each railroad operated freely throughout the Muskogee Roads. Typically 2-8-0's would handle most of the Midland Valley's freight trains, while 4-4-0's protected the passenger schedule. Later the Muskogee Roads obtained light mikados that would be found on the MV and later USRA standard light 2-8-2's. All steam locomotives purchased new by the Midland Valley wore Baldwin Locomotive Works builders plates. Steam was last used on the MV in May of 1953.

Diesel
Diesel found its way to the Midland Valley in the form of four EMD GP7s numbered 151-154 in 1953. Tragically 152 and 153 were destroyed in a 1958 accident near Bokeshe, Oklahoma. Second 152 and 153 arrived on the roster from EMD as GP9m locomotives made from what parts could be salvaged of the originals. Muskogee Road diesels did not roam as freely as steam locomotives, and typically Kansas Oklahoma and Gulf equipment was used when one of the MV units was out for service or inspection or when traffic was heavy enough to warrant. It was still not uncommon to see a KO&G GP-7 on MV trackage, The KO&G's ABA sets of EMD F7s. are also documented as doing some work on the MV.

Passenger Equipment
Early on the Midland Valley had a reasonably sized passenger fleet, and even featured some Pullman equipment. However, management was quick to realize that passenger motor cars could protect the passenger schedule, especially as the railroad lost favor to highway trucks for L.C.L cargo. The MV roster included a total of 8 passenger motor cars over the years.

Passenger revenues peaked in 1920. Motor cars handled all passenger service by 1927. Passenger service was discountinued by 1934 with the exception of an occasional faired passenger in a caboose.

Freight Equipment
The Midland Valley prefered to use other roads equipment for online loading, and as such never had a large fleet of freight cars. Most owned cars were dedicated to hauling coal, first gondola and latter open hoppers. Twenty-five open hoppers were used in conjunction with similiar cars belonging to the Missouri Pacific to make up a daily 25 car coal train that carried Arkansas coal to a steel mill in Pueblo, Colorado.

Operations
The railroad used three operating divisions, Wichita, Kansas to Pawhuska, Oklahoma, Pawhuska to Muskogee, Oklahoma, and Muskogee to Fort Smith, Arkansas.

Preservation
Little remains of the MV today. The Muskogee station has been preserved and houses a local muesem. Also in Muskogee is the former MV general office building across the street from the depot and several buildings of the shop complex remain. Other depots include one in Pawhuska, Oklahoma, and Arkansas City, Kansas. In Tulsa, Oklahoma a bridge over a highway still proudly reads Midland Valley.