E. L. Bruce Co. (1925-?)
Mississippi & Skuna Valley Railroad (1925-present)
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Standard Gauge Headquarters: Bruce, MS (Calhoun County) Years of Operation: 1925-present Mill Capacity: ?0,000 ft/day Miles Operated: 21.726 Locomotives Owned: Steam- 2 Diesel- 2? |
Equipment:
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Click Map for Larger Version Google Earth Map HERE |
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History by Gil Hoffman: The
Mississippi & Schoona Valley Railroad Company was incorporated on June
1, 1925, under the laws of Mississippi, to construct a railroad from a
connection with the Illinois Central Railroad at Bryant, Miss., in a general
northeasterly direction along the Schoona River to a point in Calhoun County
to be known as Bruce, Miss., a distance of approximately 22 miles. It was
organized June 2, 1925. The name was changed to "Mississippi &
Skuna Valley Railroad Company" on April 29, 1926, by charter amendment.
Authorized capital stock was $200,000, all of which was issued on October 1,
1926. The
line was built mainly to serve the hardwood band mill of the E. L. Bruce
Company, its owners, at Bruce, Miss. Original officers of the railroad were:
R. G. Bruce, president; C. Arthur Bruce, 1st vice president; E. L. Bruce,
Jr., 2nd vice president; Frank Bruce, secretary, and George McSweyn,
treasurer. Construction
began in May 1925, with the railroad being completed and placed in operation
on September 1, 1926. Construction work was performed partly by the E. L.
Bruce Company, which controlled the railroad company until June 1928, and
partly by other contractors as well as the company's own forces. The main
line was laid with 70 and 75-lb. relay rail leased from the Illinois Central
Railroad. The E. L. Bruce Company had trackage rights over almost the entire
line for operation of its log trains. The
country traversed was generally level and in places, swampy. The region was
originally heavily timbered, but was gradually logged off. About 17 miles of
the line was full earth surfaced and the remainder, ballasted with cinders. On
December 31, 1928 the railroad owned 1 steam locomotive, 3 box cars, 5 flat
cars, and 1 gasoline passenger motor car. The motor car was named
"Bruce" and had a Reo chassis with a railroad motor coach body. The lumber company was bought by Weyerhaeuser and the mill modernized over the years. It was still in operation as of June 2009, but has since been shut down and the Mississippi & Skuna Valley RR abandoned.
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M&SV 2-6-2 Number 1 at Bruce Jct. |
M&SV GE 70-tonner Number 3 at Bruce Jct. in 1969. |
M&SV wood caboose at Bruce Jct. |
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M&SV shops at Bruce Junction in 1969. |
M&SV 3 at Bruce on March 6, 1971. |
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M&SV 3 at Bruce Jct. on March 6, 1971. |
Track view along the M&SV on March 6, 1971. |
Mississippi & Skuna Valley D-4 at Bruce, probably circa 1985.
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M&SV 3 at Bruce Jct. in 1969. |
M&SV 3 at Bruce on June 2, 1963. Note IC gons of hardwood logs in the background. |
 March 1937 Official Guide of the Railways- Tony Howe Collection |
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| STEAM ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:
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For more information contact Tony Howe at tonyhowe76@yahoo.com or David S. Price at davidsprice46@gmail.com