Amos Kent (1853-1898)

Amos Kent Lumber & Brick Co., Ltd. (1898-1921)

Kentwood Greensburg & Southwestern Railroad (1905-1921)

36" gauge

Headquarters: Kentwood, LA

Mill Location: Kentwood, LA (Tangipahoa Parish)

Mill Capacity

Years of Operation: 1880-1921 (railroad)

Miles OperatedMain line: Kent’s Mill, LA to Freiler, LA, 13.21 miles. Later extended to Coles and Nettles.

Locomotives Owned

Equipment:

6/30/1914: Locomotives: 5. Cars: 4 passenger, 1 combination, 10 box, 72 flat, 3 other, 2 service.

6/30/1916: Locomotives: 3. Cars: 4 passenger, 81 freight, 4 work.

 

Click Map for Larger Version

History by Gil Hoffman:

In 1880 Amos Kent built a 36-inch gauge logging railroad westward from his sawmill at Kent’s Mill, two miles south of Kentwood. By 1902 it extended to Freiler, 13.2 miles, immediately north of Greensburg.

The Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western Railroad was chartered on February 4, 1905. On January 10, 1906, the road, then consisting of approximately 22 miles of main line, extending from Kent’s Mill, near Kentwood, to Nettles, was purchased from the lumber company. Authorized capital stock was $350,000 of which $95,000 was issued to the lumber company for road and equipment and $5,000 for cash. In January 1906, the Natalbany Lumber Company, at Natalbany, 27 miles south on the IC, bought the Kent sawmill operation and the KG&SW. 

Some time after the acquisition, the KG&SW extended the line from Nettles into the timber for about 5 miles. This section was constructed for use by the lumber company. The section of line between Freiler and Nettles, about 7.8 miles, was removed before 1912. 

On April 18, 1921, the KG&SW applied to the ICC for abandonment of its line from Kent’s Mills to Freiler, 13.21 miles. At the time nearly all of the timber had been removed from the area and the parent lumber company’s mill had burned and had not been rebuilt. On July 16, 1921, the ICC granted permission for abandonment.

 

September 1910 Official Guide of the Railways

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ROSTER by Leon Ford and Gil Hoffman:

  

 

Road No.

 

Type

 

Builder

 

C.N.

 

Date

 

Cyls.

 

Dri. Dia.

 

Engine

Wt.

 

Previous Ownership

 

Disposition

 

1

 

0-4-0T

 

Porter

 

377

 

6/1880

 

7x12

 

24

 

9000

 

New. Named Eva.

Lettered “Kent’s Mill R.R.”

Built for wood rail track.

Changed to steel rail in 2/1904.

 

Amos Kent Lumber & Brick #6.

 

2

 

0-4-2T

 

Porter

 

1384

 

6/1892

 

9x14

 

 

 

23000

 

New. Named Maud.

 

Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #7, in 1906.

 

3

 

2-6-0

 

Brooks

 

547

 

6/1881

 

15x18

 

36

 

60000

 

Colorado Central #12.

Re. #154 in 1885.

Union Pacific, Denver & Gulf #154, in 1890.

Re. #4.

Colorado & Southern #3, in 1898.

F. M. Hicks Co., Chicago, IL (d), in 12/1898.

Amos Kent Lumber & Brick#3, in 1899. Named Amos.

 

Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #8, in 1906.

 

4

 

2-8-0

 

Baldwin

 

11628

 

2/1891

 

16x20

 

37

 

68000

 

Mineral Range #7 Superior, Hancock, MI.

Ashland, Siskiwit & Iron River $7,Ashland, WI, in 12/1897.

Amos Kent Lumber & Brick #4, in 1903.

Baldwin class 10-26 E 173

 

Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #9, in 1906.

 

5

 

2-6-0

 

Brooks

 

756

 

8/1882

 

15x18

 

36

 

60000

 

Denver, South Park & Pacific #36

Re. #163 in 1885.

Denver, Leadville & Gunnison #163, in 1889.

Colorado & Southern #18, in 1898.

F. M. Hicks Co., Chicago, IL (dealer),

in 10/1900.

Amos Kent Lumber & Brick #5

 

 

 

6

 

0-4-0T

 

Porter

 

377

 

6/1880

 

7x12

 

24

 

9000

 

Re. from #1.                                                        

 

Last parts order 2/8/1908.

 

7

 

0-4-2

 

Porter

 

1384

 

6/1892

 

9x14

 

 

 

23000

 

Re. from #2. Named Maud.

8-wheel tender added.

 

In service 6/30/1916.

 

8

 

2-6-0

 

Brooks

 

547

 

6/1881

 

15x18

 

36

 

60000

 

Re. from #3.

 

 

 

9

 

2-8-0

 

Baldwin

 

11628

 

2/1891

 

16x20

 

37

 

68000

 

Re. from #4.

Named Margaret M.

 

In service 6/30/1916.

 

10

 

4-6-0

 

New York

 

87

 

6/1884

 

14x20

 

42

 

48000

 

Denver Circle #4, Denver, CO.

Denver, Utah & Pacific #5, in 1886.

Fulton County Narrow Gauge #5, Lewistown, IL, in 12/1889.

(tentative) Moreton & Helms Lumber Co. #5, Cold Springs, MS, ca. 1905.

Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #10, ca. 1908.

 

 

 

11

 

4-4-0

 

Baldwin

 

7146

 

1/1884

 

14x18

 

46

 

48000

 

Detroit, Bay City & Alpena #6, Tawas City, MI. Built 38" gauge.

Orange Belt Ry. #6, Oakland, FL,

by 12/1891.

Changed to 36" gauge by 2/1892.

Sanford & St. Petersburg #6, Oakland, FL, on 8/13/1893.

Moreton & Helms Lumber Co. #9, Cold Springs, MS, in 10/1903.

Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #11, ca. 1908.

Baldwin class 8-22 C 63

 

In service 6/30/1916.

 

12

 

0-4-2T

 

Porter

 

446

 

8/1881

 

12x18

 

40

 

40000

 

Cincinnati Northern Ry. #5, Cincinnati, OH.

Toledo, Cincinnati & St. Louis R.R. #55, Cincinnati, OH, in 5/1883

Cincinnati, Lebanon & Northern Ry. #5, Cincinnati, OH, on 8/1/1885

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co.

East Union Mills, Hyde, LA, on 9/25/1899.

Moreton & Helms Lumber Co. #2,

Cold Springs, MS, by 12/1904.

Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #11, ca. 1908.

 

In service 6/30/1916.

 

28

 

4-6-0

 

Schen.

 

5006

 

3/1889

 

16x20

 

42

 

83000

 

Golden Circle #52 Vista Grande.

Florence & Cripple Creek #52, ca. 1901.

Cripple Creek & Colorado Springs #28,

in 1915.

Cripple Creek Central Co. #28.

Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #28, in 1920.

 

 

 

33

 

2-8-0

 

A/Brooks

 

41126

 

6/1906

 

16x20

 

37

 

95000

 

Colorado & Northwestern #33, Boulder, CO.

Denver, Boulder & Western #33, Boulder, CO, on 3/29/1909.

Morse Brothers Machinery Co., Denver, CO (d) in 9/1919.

Kentwood, Greensburg & South Western #33, in 6/1920.

 

Natchez, Columbia & Mobile #33, Norfield, MS ca. 1921.

Rebuilt to standard gauge.

Birmingham Rail & Locomotive Co.,

on 4/17/1926.

Alabama Central R.R. #33, Jasper, AL,

on 2/28/1928.

Southern Iron & Equipment Co. #2352

 

2nd 3

 

33-2

Shay

 

Lima

 

1598

 

11/1905

 

3-10x10

 

28

 

66000

 

Easterling Lbr. Co. #1, Ora, MS.

Natalbany Lumber Co. #1.

Changed to standard gauge.

 

Scrapped ca. 3/1924.

 

2nd 6

 

36-2

Shay

 

Lima

 

2218

 

11/1909

 

3-10x10

 

28

 

72000

 

Easterling Lumber Co. #5, Ora, MS

Tallahala Lumber Co. #5, Ora, MS,

on 6/5/1917.

Natalbany Lumber Co. #6, Kentwood, LA, by 8/21/1918.

 

Scrapped ca. 3/1924.

 

2nd 7

 

50-2

Shay

 

Lima

 

2159

 

5/1909

 

3-11x12

 

32

 

100000

 

Argentine Central #7, Silver Plume, CO.

Argentine & Grays Peak #7,Silver Plume, CO, in 1913.

Amos Kent Lumber & Brick Co. #7, Kentwood, LA, by 8/1918.

 

Too heavy - transferred to:

Natalbany Lumber Co. #3, Natalbany, LA,

in 6/1921.

Changed to standard gauge.

 

 

 

 

 

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