Louisiana & Pacific Railway

Standard Gauge

Headquarters: DeRidder

Years of Operation: 1904-1926

Predecessor Roads: 

Successor Roads: Southern Pacific

Miles Operated: Main line: Five disconnected segments, described in the History section.

Locomotives Owned: 

Equipment

6/30/1914: Locomotives: 8. Cars: 8 box, 17 flat, 3 refrigerator, 355 other, 7 service.

 

Click Map for Larger Version

HISTORY by Gil Hoffman:

The Louisiana & Pacific Railway was incorporated in Louisiana on June 6, 1904 with an authorized capital stock of $200,000, and was controlled by the R. A. Long interests of Kansas City, MO. All of the tracks of the Louisiana & Pacific were originally constructed as logging roads.  

The Lake Charles & Northern Railroad, which was owned by the Southern Pacific, extended from De Ridder, La. , southward for about 46 miles to Lake Charles. It was originally built by the R. A. Long interests as part of the Louisiana & Pacific, but was sold to the Southern Pacific in 1906. In a contract dated October 31, 1906 the Louisiana & Pacific reserved trackage rights between De Ridder and Lake Charles for a period of 20 years.  

The Louisiana & Pacific was a facility of the various mills of the Long-Bell Lumber Company. It consisted of five separate branches not directly connected with each other, but all joining at different points to the Lake Charles & Northern. The five branches were as follows:  

(1) The De Ridder branch connected with the Lake Charles & Northern at De Ridder Junction, and extended eastward 14.7 miles to Hoy. Originally a logging camp was located at Bundicks, M. P. 8.7, later called Longacre, but this camp was abandoned about 1913 and a new camp established at Hoy. The first 5.1 miles of this line, from De Ridder Junction, were built by the Hudson River Lumber Company in 1902-03 and sold to the Louisiana & Pacific in 1904. Beginning in December 1913 the track from Longacre to Hoy was operated by the Louisiana & Pacific under a trackage agreement. The mill of the Hudson River Lumber Company, in whose interest this branch was operated, had its mill at De Ridder. The shops and engine house of the Louisiana & Pacific were also located at De Ridder.

 (2) At Lilly Junction, a second section of track connected with the Lake Charles & Northern, extending about 7.5 miles to a point in the woods known as Walla where the King-Ryder Lumber Company had a commissary. The mill of the King-Ryder Lumber Company was at Bonami on the Lake Charles & Northern.

 (3) The Longville branch extended from Longville, La., on the Lake Charles & Northern, eastward to Vandercook, La. , 5.534 miles. The sawmill and company store of the Longville Lumber Company were located at Longville. This line was originally built in two sections as a logging road, the first in 1908 and the second in 1911. Both sections were sold to the Louisiana & Pacific upon completion.

 (4) The Lake Charles branch consisted of 7.245 miles of track connecting with the Lake Charles & Northern at Fayette, and extending to Camp Curtis where the Calcasieu Long Leaf Lumber Company had a company store, its mill being at Lake Charles. This branch was built in 1908.  

(5) A track 1 mile in length connected with the Lake Charles & Northern at Bridge Junction and ran to Lake Charles station. This line was constructed in 1907.

In 1910 the equipment of the Louisiana & Pacific consisted of 22 locomotives, 6 cabooses, 41 freight cars and 270 log cars. It also owned a private car which was used for transporting its officers about the country.

 The sawmill of the Longville Lumber Company burned on June 3, 1921 and was not rebuilt. The decision was then made not to haul anymore logs over the Longville branch and to abandon it. Application for abandonment was made to the I. C. C. on August 18, 1921 and abandonment authorized on November 22, 1921.

 The Louisiana & Pacific abandoned service over the De Ridder branch in two phases. On March 23, 1923 it was authorized to abandon service between Longacre and Hoy, because the logging camp at Hoy had been removed, and on January 16, 1925 service between De Ridder Junction and Longacre was abandoned. In both cases the lumber company took over hauling its own logs over the De Ridder branch.

 With the lumber mills of the Long-Bell Lumber Company closing down and with the agreement between the Louisiana & Pacific and the Lake Charles & Northern coming to an end on October 31, 1926, the railroad applied to the I. C. C. on October 11, 1926 for permission to abandon operation over the Lake Charles & Northern between De Ridder and Lake Charles and to abandon its connecting tracks at De Ridder and Lake Charles, amounting to 1.1 miles. Permission was granted on October 30, 1926, after which the Louisiana & Pacific went out of existence.

 The mill at Bonami cut out in January 1925, the mill at De Ridder in 1926 and the mill at Lake Charles in October 1928.

 

REFERENCES

1.  "Louisiana & Pacific Railway Company," Valuation Docket No.589, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Vol. 135, p. 832-47.

2.  “In the Matter of the Application of the Louisiana & Pacific Railway Company for a Certificate of Public Convenience and Necessity,” Finance Docket No. 1558, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Vol. 70, pp. 629-630.

3.        “Abandonment of Operation of Line by Louisiana & Pacific Ry.,” Finance Docket No. 2651, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Vol. 79, p. 165-6.

4.        “Abandonment of Branch Line by Louisiana & Pacific Ry. ,” Finance Docket No. 4436, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Vol. 94, p. 429-30.

5.        “Abandonment of Operation by Louisiana & Pacific Ry. Co. ,” Finance Docket No. 5774, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Vol. 117, p. 170-3.  

 

 

 

September 1910 Official Guide of the Railways

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:

 

 

Road No.

 

Type

 

Builder

 

C.N.

 

Date

 

Cyls.

 

Dri. Dia.

 

Engine

Wt.

 

Previous Ownership

 

Disposition

 

20

 

 

2-6-2

 

Baldwin

 

29846

 

12/1906

 

15x20

 

46

 

83300

 

Hudson River Lumber Co. #20, De Ridder, LA

Lettered “Louisiana & Pacific Ry.” on tank.

Cost $8,650.

Baldwin class 10-24¼ D 59

 

Longville Lumber Co. #20, Longville, LA

Calcasieu Long Leaf Lumber Co. #20, Lake Charles, LA (leased by 6/30/1919).

Sibley, Lake Bisteneau & Southern Ry. #20, Yellow Pine, LA

Chicago Mill & Lumber Co. #14

 

46

 

2-6-2

 

Baldwin

 

33356

 

4/1909

 

15x20

 

46

 

83300

 

New. Cost $8,125.

Baldwin class 10-24¼ D 72

 

King-Ryder Lumber Co. #46, Bonami, LA, by 6/1922.

 

47

 

2-6-2

 

Baldwin

 

37616

 

4/1912

 

16x24

 

46

 

110000

 

New. Cost $10,075.

Baldwin class 10-26¼ D 115

 

King-Ryder Lumber Co. #47, Bonami, LA (leased), by 6/30/1919.

Long-Bell Co. #11, Quitman, MS

 

97

 

2-6-2

 

Baldwin

 

33357

 

4/1909

 

15x20

 

46

 

83300

 

New. Cost $8,125.

Baldwin class 10-24¼ D 73

 

Longville Lumber Co. #97, Longville, LA, by 1/1912.

Long-Bell Lumber Co. #97, Ludington, LA

Transferred to De Ridder, LA,

by 3/1947.

 

98

 

2-6-2

 

Baldwin

 

33358

 

4/1909

 

15x20

 

46

 

83300

 

New. Cost $8,125.

Baldwin class 10-24¼ D 74

 

Long-Bell Lumber Co. #98, Doucette, TX

 

99

 

2-6-2

 

Baldwin

 

37519

 

2/1912

 

16x24

 

46

 

110000

 

Longville Lumber Co. #99, Longville, LA

Lettered “Louisiana & Pacific” on tank collar.

Cost $10,075.

Baldwin class 10-26¼ D 109

 

Long-Bell Lumber Co. #99, Doucette, TX

Angelina County Lumber Co. #99, Keltys, TX

 

140

 

4-6-0

 

Schen.

 

2419

 

12/1887

 

19x26

 

52

 

125000

 

Colorado Midland Ry. #26

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co.

Louisiana & Pacific Ry. #140, on 7/23/1919.

 

 

 

141

 

4-6-0

 

Schen.

 

2418

 

12/1887

 

19x26

 

52

 

125000

 

Colorado Midland Ry. #14

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co.

Louisiana & Pacific Ry. #141, on 7/23/1919.

 

Longview, Portland & Northern Ry. #670, Longview, WA

 

150

 

2-6-0

 

Baldwin

 

23717

 

2/1904

 

18x24

 

56

 

119000

 

Lufkin Land & Lumber Co. #11, Lufkin, TX

Louisiana & Pacific Ry. #150, by 6/1919.

 

In service 6/30/1919.

 

152

 

2-6-0

 

Baldwin

 

35640

 

12/1910

 

19x24

 

50

 

123000

 

New. Cost $10,755.

Baldwin class 8-32 D 784

 

In service 6/30/1919.

 

250

 

2-8-0

 

Baldwin

 

30892

 

5/1907

 

19x24

 

50

 

126000

 

Long-Bell Lumber Co. #250,

De Ridder, LA.

Lettered “Louisiana & Pacific” on tank collar.

Cost $11,000.

Baldwin class 10-32 E 101

 

In service 6/30/1919.

 

251

 

2-8-0

 

Baldwin

 

32203

 

11/1907

 

19x24

 

50½

 

126000

 

Calcasieu Long Leaf Lumber Co. #251, Lake Charles, LA

Lettered “Louisiana & Pacific” on tank collar.

Cost $11,212.

Baldwin class 10-32 E 108

 

Long-Bell Lumber Co. #671, Ryderwood, WA, by March 1927.

 

252

 

2-8-0

 

Baldwin

 

44235

 

10/1916

 

19x24

 

50

 

129000

 

New. Cost $15,640.

Baldwin class 10-32 E 133

 

In service 6/30/1919.

Longview, Portland & Northern Ry. #680, Longview, WA


 

 

 

 

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