Tuskegee Railroad

36" gauge, converted to standard Gauge in 1898 Headquarters: Tuskegee, AL Years of Operation: 1869-1953 Predecessor Roads: none Successor Roads: none Miles Operated: Tuskegee to Chehaw, AL, 5.713 miles Locomotives Owned:	Equipment 6/30/1888: Locomotives: 2. Cars: 1 passenger, 1 baggage, etc., 2 box, 4 flat, 1 other. 6/30/1895: Locomotives: 2. Cars: 2 passenger, 1 baggage, etc., 3 box, 4 flat.   6/30/1914: Locomotives: 2. Cars: 1 passenger, 1 baggage, mail & express. 6/30/1916: Locomotives: 2. Cars: 2 passenger	Click Map for Larger Version
HISTORY by Gil Hoffman: The original Tuskegee Rail Road Company was incorporated February 20, 1860, under special act of the State of Alabama. The company built 5.73 miles of 60-inch gauge railroad from Chehaw to Tuskegee, AL. It was operated until 1863 when it was wrecked as a consequence of the Civil War and operations ceased.  On January 7, 1869, the property of the old company was sold at a sheriff’s sale to William G. Swanson and others, who entered into an agreement with E. T. Varner & Company, in February 1871, for a reconstruction of the road between Chehaw and Tuskegee, and equipping It by January 1872. Upon fulfillment of this agreement, the property would be transferred to the Varner Company.. The agreement was fulfilled and the property transferred to Varner on January 2, 1872. Afterwards the road was operated as a partnership by E. T. Varner & Company under the name Tuskegee Railroad Company until 1902, when transferred to a new company of the same name. The partnership was composed of E. T. Varner, L. V. Alexander and Campbell & Wright, each owning a third share. The line built by E. T. Varner & Company from Tuskegee to Chehaw was a 36-inch gauge railroad laid on the right-of-way of the old Tuskegee Rail Road Company of 1860. The gauge was broadened to standard in August 1898. The Tuskegee Railroad was incorporated in Alabama on October 8, 1902, for the purpose of acquiring a railroad owned by E. T. Varner & Company, which was done on October 18, 1902. The date of organization was October 8, 1902. Authorized capital stock was $75,000, all ow which was issued. The main purpose of the railroad was to facilitate entrance into the grounds of the Tuskegee Normal & Industrial Institute.  The line extended from a connection with the Western Railway of Alabama at Chehaw to the end of line at Tuskegee, 5.713 miles. As originally built, the railroad was narrow gauge, but was converted to standard in August 1898. The first two miles of the line was in the valley of a small stream, but from there to its end, the line rose on a broad plateau. The line was ballasted with cinders, gravel and sand.
Tuskegee 101 and combine.		Tuskegee 2-6-2 No. 101 and mixed train.
	Tuskegee's wood divided "Jim Crow" combine.
Narrow Gauge ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:     Road No.   Type   Builder   C.N.   Date   Cyls.   Dri. Dia.   Engine Wt.   Previous Ownership   Disposition   1   2-4-2T   Danforth   740   7/1871   9x12                  New   Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #472. Converted to 0-4-2T by SI&E Co.. Lane Brothers #7, Esmont, VA, on 2/23/1907.   2   0-4-4TB   Porter   332   6/1879   8x16   36       New, via E. T. Varner & Co. Named Tuskegee   J. Thomas Bennett, Wadesboro, NC, by 10/1909.   3   0-4-4TB   Porter   1297   7/1891   9x14           New, via E. T. Varner & Co.   No record.   Standard Gauge ROSTER by Gil Hoffman:      Road No.   Type   Builder   C.N.   Date   Cyls.   Dri. Dia.   Engine Wt.   Previous Ownership   Disposition   6   4-4-0   Baldwin   22019   4/1903   14x22   54   71000   New. Cost $6,000. Baldwin class 8-22 C 122   In service 6/30/1918.   7   2-6-0   A/Rogers   38606   10/1905   17x22   50   87000   New.   East Alabama Lumber Co. #7, Tuskegee, AL, in 1928.   101   2-6-2   Baldwin   58057   10/1924   17x24   44   120000   New. Cost $21,250. Baldwin class 10-28¼ D 172   T. R. Miller Mill Co. #101, Brewton, AL, in 1954. Herbert Hansen, Elgin, IL, in 7/1969. Illinois Railway Museum, Union, IL   102   4-6-0   Rogers   5606   8/1900   18x26   56   129000   Mobile & Ohio #185. Georgia Car & Locomotive Co. #540 Tuskegee R.R. #102, in 10/1925. Cost $9,000.   No record.   103   2-8-0   Baldwin   58614   8/1925   18x24   44   121000   Built for Cuban stock. Sold to: Central Cespedes #8, Cuba Wrecked in Florida enroute to Cuba. Returned to Baldwin and repaired. In stock for 6 years. Sold to: Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co., on 7/24/1931. Tuskegee R.R. #103, on 10/15/1931. Baldwin class 10-30 E 227   Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. #1794. U. S. Bureau of Reclamation #4, Yuma, AZ, on 5/18/1933.   124   4-6-0   Baldwin   23649   1/1904   19x24   56   140000   Mobile, Jackson & Kansas City #74. New Orleans, Mobile & Chicago #74, in 12/1909. Gulf, Mobile & Northern  #74, in 1/1917. Re. #174 in 1923. Georgia Car & Locomotive Co. Tuskegee R.R. #124, on 2/17/1944. Cost $6,250. Baldwin class 10-32 D 799   No record.   750   2-8-0   A/Cooke   65187   6/1924   19x26   48   141000   Built for Cuban stock. Shipped to: High Point, Thomasville & Denton R.R. Engine G, High Point, NC, on 6/23/1924. Re. #750. Georgia Car & Locomotive Co. - Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co. (joint account), on 5/26/1947. Tuskegee R.R. #750, on 6/28/1947. Cost $8,000.   No record.

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