Red River & Gulf Railroad (1905-1954)

Standard Gauge Headquarters: Long Leaf, LA (Rapides Parish) Years of Operation: 1905-1954 Predecessor Roads: Crowell & Spencer Lbr. Co. Successor Roads: none Miles Operated: 1918- Main line: Lecompte, LA to Concrete Hill, LA, 14.194 miles; branch: Longleaf Junction to Bliss, LA, 9.115 miles  Locomotives Owned:	Equipment 6/30/1919: Locomotives: 3. Cars: 11 freight, 1 gasolene passenger motor.	Click Map for Larger Version
HISTORY by Gil Hoffman: The Red River & Gulf Railroad was incorporated in Louisiana on April 21, 1905, for the purpose of acquiring and operating a railroad extending from Lecompte, LA. Its principal officers and stockholders were also officers and stockholders of the Crowell & Spencer Lumber Company.  The line from Lecompte to Long Leaf, LA, 12 miles, was built by the Crowell & Spencer Lumber Company and sold to the Red River & Gulf Railroad at the time of the latter’s incorporation, April 1905. The segment from Long Leaf to Concrete Hill, 3 miles, was built by a vendor in 1914 and acquired by the RR&G in January 1915. From Longleaf Junction to Bliss, LA, 9 miles, was constructed during 1916-17. The line was extended to Kurthwood by 1920.  The principal industry along the line was logging and serving sawmills at Longleaf, Meridian and Glenmora. The country traversed was heavily rolling pine land with a sandy soil.  The Red River & Gulf had connections at Bliss and Holdup with the Glenmora & Western Ry., at Lecompte with the Rock Island, and at Long Leaf with the Texas & Pacific. The following companies had trackage rights over the RR&G:   Cady Gravel Company, from Lecompte to Holdup, about 5.53 miles, for transporting gravel. Glenmora & Western Railway, from from Holdup to Lecompte, about 5.73 miles. Crowell & Spencer Lumber Company, between Louisiana Junction and Cocodrie Junction, LA, about 7 miles. Meridian Lumber Company, between Cocodrie Junction and Meridian, LA, about 4.36 miles. Louisiana Saw Mill Company, between Concrete Hill and Bolton, LA, about 0.7 miles.   REFERENCE   1. “Red River & Gulf Railroad,” Valuation Docket No. 484, Interstate Commerce Commission Reports, Vol. 119, p. 535-51.   See Southern Forest Heritage Center museum at Long Leaf
Three locomotives at the company machine shop at Long Leaf.	Crowell Long Leaf Lumber Co. 202 on Sept. 26, 1954.	Crowell & Spencer Lima 2-6-0 No. 100.
Crowell & Spencer 2-6-2 No. 200 still wears factory striping in this early photo. The engine was bought new in 1920.	Crowell & Spencer No. 300 at Long Leaf in November 1947. This locomotive was bought new in 1920 also.	Crowell & Spencer 2-6-0 No. 100 was bought secondhand from Wausau Southern Lumber Co. of Laurel, Miss.
Crowell caboose at Long Leaf.	Another caboose sits on the storage tracks at Long Leaf. These cars survived until a few years ago, when a forest fire destroyed the wood parts. The remaining metal parts still sit in the woods north of the mill.	A few logs block a temporary logging spur.
Crowell Long Leaf Lumber bought GE 44-ton No. 44 from Mississippi Export Railroad.	A fine view of Crowell 202 in yellow paint in the early 1950's.
Crowell 202 at Long Leaf.	No. 400 was bought new in 1919 and still survives at Long Leaf.	One of Crowell's Clyde skidders at work in the woods dragging logs to the logging spur.
Lima Builder's portrait of 2-6-2 No. 1 in 1905.	Baldwin 4-4-0 No. 104 was bought new in 1919. It still survives on display in Atlanta, GA.	Ten-wheeler No. 106 was lettered for the Red River & Gulf.
No. 106 with a loaded log train near Long Leaf in the early 1950's.	106 makes a fine sight as the sun shines through the pines as the ten-wheeler makes it way to the mill with another load of logs.	click timetable for larger version
	January 1912 Official Guide of the Railways
Red River & Gulf  STEAM ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:     Road No.   Type   Builder   C.N.   Date   Cyls.   Dri. Dia.   Engine Wt.   Previous Ownership   Disposition   1   2-6-2   Lima   1009   5/1905   15x20   46   84000   New, via Crowell & Spencer Lumber Co.   Meridian Lumber Co. #1, Meridian, LA Fordyce & Princeton R.R. #1, Fordyce, AR, in 1/1928. Fordyce Lumber Co. #45, Fordyce, AR   101   4-6-0   New York   327   2/1888   18x24   51   112450   Western New York & Pennsylvania #109. Re. #120 in 1890. Pennsylvania RR #6256, in 1903. Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #778. Tampa & Jacksonville #58, Gainesville, FL, on 3/17/1911. Southern Iron &* Equipment Co. #920 Meridian Lumber Co. #101, Meridian, LA, on 4/29/1913. Red River & Gulf #101, on ?   Retired in 4/1929, and sold to: Ruston Foundry & Machine Shops, Ruston, LA. Cost $3,750.     102   4-6-0   Baldwin   42206   7/1915   18x26   52   127000   New. Cost $11,200. Baldwin class 10-30 D 655   Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. Roscoe, Snyder & Pacific Ry. #4, Roscoe, TX, on 8/30/1929.   103   4-6-0   Baldwin   50943   12/1918   18x26   52   126300   New. Cost $30,500. Baldwin class 10-30 D 662   Retired 1/1931. Arkansas & Louisiana Missouri Ry. #103, Monroe, LA, on 11/12/1937. Put into storage on 4/22/1950. Pan-American Engineering Co., Dallas, TX (dealer), on 11/2/1950. Mexican Government Communications Department.   104   4-4-0   Baldwin   52207   8/1919   15x24   60   80500   New. Cost $19,050. Baldwin class 8-24 C 221   Retired 1/1928. Comite Southern R.R. #1, Amite, LA, in 1946. Louisiana Eastern R.R. #1, Shiloh, LA, in 1950. Stone Mountain Scenic R.R. General II, Stone Mountain, GA, on 10/12/1961.   105   4-6-0   Baldwin   55912   12/1922   19x26   52   140000   New. Cost $25,430. Baldwin class 10-32 D 1302.   Sold 10/1945.   106   4-6-0   Baldwin   57203   9/1923   19x26   52   140000   New. Cost $28,500. Baldwin class 10-32 D 1303   Crowell & Spencer Lumber Co. #106, Long Leaf, LA Crowell Long Leaf Lumber Co., Inc. #106, Long Leaf, LA, by 6/1949. Southern Forest Heritage Museum & Research Center, Long Leaf, LA

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