Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern

Standard Gauge Headquarters: Hattiesburg, MS Years of Operation: 1925-1972 Miles Operated: Locomotives Owned: Steam- 3 Diesel- 2		Click Map for Larger Version
The Bonhomie & Hattiesburg Southern Railroad was incorporated by Hattiesburg lumberman W. S. F. Tatum on 1923 to purchase Gulf, Mobile & Northern's Hattiesburg branch running from Beaumont to Hattiesburg. Mississippi Central, who had been leasing this branch, fought Tatum's efforts to purchase the line, dragging the process through the courts and delaying the startup of the B&HS nearly two years. The ICC finally gave consent and approved the sale on January 1, 1925. Tatum's interest in the line was to provide access for the Tatum Lumber Co. to log a large tract of timber at Denco, on GM&N's Blodgett Branch. In 1953, the Tatum family sold the B&HS to the Enochs family of Fernwood, owners of the Fernwood, Columbia & Gulf Railroad. The B&HS gained fame in the 1950's and early '60's by continuing to operate the line with steam locomotives 250 and 300. These two veterans continued to operate until October 1961, when they were replaced with a pair of used SW1's after the passing of master mechanic G. C. Logan. The B&HS, along with sister line FC&G, was included in the Illinois Central Gulf merger on Sept. 1, 1972. The former B&HS trackage survives today as part of ICG-successor Canadian National's route from Jackson to Mobile. Unit coal trains now traverse welded rail on the line where weeds along the light rail of the B&HS once polished the cylinders of a hard-working pair of Baldwin's finest.
ROSTER by Gil Hoffman: 200          4-4-0                   Baldwin                  58268                  3-1925                     62                    17x24                      103020                 Purchased new via Tatum Lumber Co. Cost $19,285. Scrapped 11-1953. Baldwin class 8-28 C 944   250          2-6-2                   Baldwin                  59239                  5-1926                     52                    20x24                      148000 Purchased new. Cost $28,500. Retired 10-1961. Sold to Wanamaker, Kempton & Southern R.R. #250, Kempton, PA, in 9-1963. Baldwin class 10-34¼ D 107   300          2-8-2                   Baldwin                  58241                  2-1925                     52                    19x26                      156000 Purchased new. Cost $28,500. Ordered as #100, but changed to #300 prior to delivery. Retired 10-1961. Baldwin class 12-32¼ E 94   301          2-8-2                   Baldwin                  57671                  3-1924                     52                    19x26                      156000 Leased from Tatum Lumber Co. #6, Hattiesburg, MS, about 1940. Sold to Atlantic & East Carolina Ry. #301, New Bern, NC. Scrapped 5-1952. Baldwin class 12-32¼ E 65
SW-1s 1 and 2 pull an eastbound freight up Ragland Hill	B&HS caboose 12 in the Hattiesburg yard.	B&HS depot in New Augusta was built by predecessor MJ&KC.
B&HS 250 and combine at the Hattiesburg shops about 1932	B&HS also owned this trim-looking modern Baldwin 4-4-0 #200. It was painted in Southern Railway-inspired green. Date of this Charles Harrington photo- March 25, 1947.	2-6-2 Number 250 trundles along towards Beaumont.
2-6-2 Number 250 at the Hattiesburg shops in November 1944.	B&HS freight house and office in Hattiesburg on Sept. 4, 1952. They both still stand today and are used by another Tatum-owned company, Wilmut Gas.	B&HS caboose X-10 was bought secondhand from Georgia Car & Locomotive and was built for the M&O originally.
B&HS 300 delivers cars to the Southern in Hattiesburg on Jan. 20, 1955.	B&HS 1 and 2 approach the depot at New Augusta in 1970.	B&HS water tank at Belleville on March 14, 1970.
B&HS 250 gleams in fresh paint at the Belleville tank about 1940.	B&HS 250 at Hattiesburg about 1960.	B&HS meets a southbound GM&O train at Beaumont on August 23, 1972.
B&HS and GM&O at Beaumont 8-23-1972.	B&HS SW1s lead a westbound train past the depot at New Augusta.
		B&HS 250 passing the depot at New Augusta ca 1958.
Pan shot of B&HS 300.	B&HS flat 2001 was bought from dealer Georgia Car & Locomotive Co. in the late 1920's.
300 at Ragland westbound.	250 meets Mississippi Central 207 at Hattiesburg about 1958.	300 taking water at Belleville.
300 switching cars at the south end of Beaumont yard about 1958.	March 1937 Official Guide of the Railways- Tony Howe Collection

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For more information contact Tony Howe at tonyhowe76@yahoo.com or David S. Price at davidsprice46@gmail.com

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