fluff wrote:i would love to go, but i cant. i was amazed that during the 30s, and possibly the 40s, the cotton belt ran into my hometown of comanche, texas. the depot survived until around 2000 or so. it ran on what is now state highway 36, the railroad ended here.
I grew up in Cisco in the 70's; I thought I was pretty clued in to the railroad history of the area. I am pretty sure that Cotton Belt had a line from McGregor to Hamilton; I was not aware that it continued on to Comanche. Frisco, then Santa Fe, now FWW / South Orient has the line from Fort Worth through Comanche to Brownwood. The Santa Fe line passed next to the football stadium in Comanche; I can remember sneaking a peak at passing trains as I was playing on the field.
MKT / Texas Central (the Tin Can) had a line up from Waco through DeLeon/Gorman/Dublin/ that was mostly abandoned in 1967. The Dublin - DeLeon (or is it Gorman, I can't remember which is the end of the line) portion remains to haul peanuts and peanut products. The line crossed the T&P at Cisco.
hey neighbor! you are correct. comanche was the end of that line from McGregor. i cant believe i didnt know this years ago as much as i read about trains. i have a couple of videos about santa fe stack trains running thru here, ft worth to brownwood, and then on to california. bill harmon worked this line and made the videos, thats how i found out. there are now photos i have found in a museum here in town. he also said the ssw ran to stephenville. if so, it must have branched off somewhere?? i remember well the old football field by the track, f units and all. i probably saw you playing on that field, i did play there in jr. high, 74 and 75 school years.
the fwwr now operates the tin can from dublin to gorman. i think it runs everyday too. they run to comanche almost everyday and seldom on to brownwood, but they do some. they have a connection all the way to mexico as you well know, but im not seeing much traffic from it, or so it seems. i sure miss the big santa fe trains running thru here. the track is getting bad also. glad to here from someone close for a change. if you get down this way sometime, shoot me a pm. take care, steve
The Stephenville, North & South Texas Railway built the line from Stephenville to Hamilton in 1907. The SN&ST then built the line from Hamilton to Gatesville in 1910-1911. The line from Edson, just north of Hamilton, to Comanche was built in 1911. The Cotton Belt got involved with the SN&ST in 1910 by leasing it. The SN&ST planned a line to Thurber, but it was never built. There was also interest in building the line further south and west but the Santa Fe Lampasas line nipped that idea in the bud. Places like Leon Junction and Ireland never saw any of the planned rail junctions that were dreamed of.
The last Cotton Belt trains to both Stephenville and Comanche ran in 1934 when the lines were abandoned. The Hamilton to Gatesville line was abandoned in 1941.
Wish I could go too. Went to the first two, including the original ice storm event. We had a baker's dozen that day. The next Symposium in April 2007 was attended by about 55 persons.
A note on three of the panelists. James Larry Adams was a Cotton Belt brakeman and conductor, Rheba Martin Icenhower had four railroading uncles and a railroader father, her brother was Cotton Belt Engineer Maurice "Doggie" Martin, and Billy Reed was a Cotton Belt brakeman and conductor.
I dug out some maps I had courtesy of the Journal of Texas Shortlines last night; saw the line from McGregor to Comanche; saw several lines in the area that are long gone.
I graduated from Cisco in 76; as I recall, we played in Comanche in 76 and ya'll beat us in a close game....
Several Cotton Belt stations remain along the abandoned line west of Waco. The Cotton Belt side of the McGregor Depot is long gone, but the Santa Fe half remains. See the Texas Towers website for a look at the original and Tower 56. The Gatesville Depot is now the Chamber of Commerce for Coryell County and is located in the Walmart parking lot. The Mound depot is intact and used as the Mound, Texas P.O. The Ireland Station is now a private residence. The Hamilton Depot is still extant.
tin can wrote: I dug out some maps I had courtesy of the Journal of Texas Shortlines last night; saw the line from McGregor to Comanche; saw several lines in the area that are long gone.I graduated from Cisco in 76; as I recall, we played in Comanche in 76 and ya'll beat us in a close game....
i remember driving from hamilton to aleman, tx once, and then on to gatesville. (back roads). its been several years ago, but i remember almost the whole trip followed closely an abandoned railroad. i was surprised about this because i didnt realize then how many railroads were around this area at one time. i remember in amazement seeing that cotton belt depot, i think maybe the ireland depot, still intact and ap-pearing to be on private property. this little trip was sometime in the early 90s. there were ties and bridges still evident also.
i rode the tin can from dublin to gorman in 2006. the towns of dublin, de leon, and gorman got the "doodlebug" (fwwr) to run a train thru here. it was a great time. im old enough to remember riding the "goober special" back when the line was the new texas central again, late 60s. my brother is your age, so you guys played together that night. he played offensive end.
You can find out a bit more about the Stephenville North & South Texas by clicking on this link http://www.geocities.com/lokomac8/snst.htm It goes to R J McKay's website. R J McKay works for BNSF out of Temple as does Gary Powell also linked on the web page. Those two probably know more about the old SN&ST than anyone on the planet.
Ed Cooper
SN&ST Preservation Society #3
CBRHS #111
My father was a Conductor for the Cotton Belt Railroad out of Commerce, Tx for 42 years, William Wade Prigmore Sr. Aka Bill, Aka Dutch. My sister Sheila and I have a lot of old historic photograhs and other Cotton Belt items I would like to share if anyone is interested. Unfotunately I will not be able to attend the Symposium this coming weekend but if someone would like to contact me I can be reached at mbl 903-450-5619.
Clarence Franklin Prigmore Aka Frank 4952 CR 4112 Campbell, Tx
Your message has been forwarded to Dr. Jason Davis a sponsor of the Symposium. His email is at the bottom of the first message in this thread.
What years did your father work for the Cotton Belt?
Ed
Little Dutch Prigmore wrote: My father was a Conductor for the Cotton Belt Railroad out of Commerce, Tx for 42 years, William Wade Prigmore Sr. Aka Bill, Aka Dutch. My sister Sheila and I have a lot of old historic photograhs and other Cotton Belt items I would like to share if anyone is interested. Unfotunately I will not be able to attend the Symposium this coming weekend but if someone would like to contact me I can be reached at mbl 903-450-5619.Clarence Franklin Prigmore Aka Frank 4952 CR 4112 Campbell, Tx
This is Cotton Belt Fireman C. W. "Red" Standefer posed beside this American 4-4-0 type in 1918. Standefer hired out from his native Hamilton, Texas on June 1, 1917 and retired from Cotton Belt service on May 31, 1967 with 50 years seniority. Red was the #1 in seniority engineer on the Southern (TEXAS) Division of the Cotton Belt when he retired. Red saw everything from saturated steam pots like the one in the photo to second generation diesels. He moved to Commerce in 1920 and lived there for the rest of his life.
It takes a lot of determination to work for the same outfit for 50 years. Does Red look determined in this photo?
love those old photos....thanks for sharing. im going to our little museum here in town and see what i can find. im almost certain i saw once some old cotton belt pictures in this area...........
yep.....red looks like he's ready to take care of business!
Information about the upcoming 3rd Annual Cotton Belt in Commerce Symposium willbe announced on this new website: http://www.cottonbeltroute.com/My thanks to Dr. Jason Davis for following through with this over the last fouryears.
Saturday August 8th may seem a long way away, but in actual time it is only a little over six weeks away. I looked over the photos from the past Symposia and note that several of the attendees have passed on. It is sad to see them go and their passing makes the purpose of the Symposium more clear: preservation of historical knowledge. I encourage the people with that Cotton Belt knowledge that are still able to attend this upcoming Symposium and share. And any of you that have not been to one of these events to attend to see what it is all about. Ed Cooper
Shelbyville, KY
Hello, I am Bill and I had an uncle how built the Cotton Belt 819 orginally. I worked on it until on and off until I came disabled. Any way, I will try to come to the symposium if possible and fessible. Bill
This just in from Skip Waters on the Cotton Belt Yahoo Group
FYI to those who may want to attend... Just found out Mr. Steve Goen will be the keynote speaker at The 3rd Annual COTTON BELT Symposium Saturday, August 8, 2009 | 8:19am registration At the New Sam Rayburn Student Center | Traditions Room (2nd floor) Texas A&M University-Commerce | Commerce, Texas Click on link below for more info.http://www.cottonbe ltroute.comShould be a good time!
Dr. Jason Lee Davis just posted this on several Yahoo Groups:
Hello Fellow Railfans,We are pleased to be able to uphold the tradition of presenting.. .The 3rd (or 4th) Annual COTTON BELT Railroad SymposiumSaturday, August 8, 2009 | 8:19am registration | program beginning at 8:45am.This year's event will be held in the Traditions Room of the beautiful NEW Sam Rayburn Student Center on the campus of Texas A&M University-Commerce , Commerce, Texas.Located approximately 60 miles northeast of Dallas, and north of I-30, along SH 50 & SH 11.This is a free, public, family friendly, event to share, document, preserve, and celebrate the legacy and experiences of the employees and families connected to the St. Louis Southwestern Railway in northeast Texas and system-wide. A special invitation is extended to all former and current railroad employees and their families to come and share recollections of their railroad days. Everyone is encouraged to bring and display historical photos depicting people, places, equipment, and rail operations. Anyone interested in the railroad and its history is invited to attend. Please share this information with anyone who might be interested.Our keynote presenter this year is noted author, photographer, and historian, Steve Allen Goen.Steve is well know throughout the railfan community for his thorough knowledge of railroad history, outstanding railroad videos, and color pictorial series including the Cotton Belt Color Pictorial.We are delighted to have Steve as a participant in the symposium.The program will also feature presentations by Gayle Gordon, Director of the Commerce Public Library and Cheryl Westhafer, the Commerce Public Library's Local History Librarian and curator of the library's Cotton Belt Railroad Collection.At least two photo collections will be presented for inclusion in the Railroad Archives of the Gee Library's Digital Library Project.If anyone has Cotton Belt photos, we would appreciate the opportunity to acquired digital copies for inclusion in the Digital Library Collection.We are excited to play an active role in Commerce's emergence as a leading site for the preservation of Cotton Belt Railroad history and a destination of choice for railroad researchers.Last year's panel discussion brought rave reviews; so, we will again feature a number of railroad icons in a panel format.Panelists confirmed thus far include: S. L. "Red" Grimes, Murrel Hogue, & Lenton R. Moore. Moderated by Harley DavisCotton Belt and railroad artifacts from the Commerce Public Library and the Arkansas Railroad Museum's Cotton Belt Rail Historical Society collection will be on display. Attendees are also invited to bring and display railroad photos and other artifacts.In response to comments and suggestions made by previous symposium guests, we are including, as one of this year's activities, a self-guided, driving tour of local of sites of railroad significance.After a break for lunch, on your own, the tour will begin with the Railroad Collection Open House at the Commerce Public Library.Other sites on the tour include:former Cotton Belt Yard & Roundhouse GroundsBlacklands Railroad Locomotive displayRailroad Partners, Inc. Motorcar displayold Texas Midland Freight Depot,and the East Texas Model Railroad Club Layout open house.If you have a Cotton Belt story to share, we invite you to participate in the Gee Library's Digital Library project by allowing us to videotape your oral history contribution. Also, we would appreciate the opportunity to photograph/copy/ duplicate any historic railroad pictures, artifacts, or memorabilia for inclusion in the Digital Library collection. The goal of the project is document and preserve records of historical information and artifacts before they are forgotten, destroyed, or otherwise lost to the past. Call or email if you would like to participate.Our goal is to bring together individuals for the purpose of sharing and documenting railroad history. The event will be videotaped as a means of historical documentation/ preservation and for entry into the Libraries' Collections and Digital Archives..The focus is on the people, equipment, infrastructure, and operations of the railroad. Please note that this is NOT a "train show" or "swap meet" though some railroad artifacts/memorabil ia will be on display and presenting authors' books and publications available.Our local Commerce hotels, Holiday Inn Express and University Inn, have generously offered discounted lodging rates for Symposium attendees wishing to take advantage of local accommodations to extend their stay. See our website linked below for details.Come and visit with the folks who created a proud legacy for the SSW/SP railroad.This event is being hosted by TAMU-Commerce' s Department of Educational Leadership, the James G. Gee Library, and the Commerce Public Library.This program is made possible in part with a grant from Humanities Texas, the state affiliate of the National Endowment for the Humanities.We are honored and delighted this year to again have the additional support of Humanities Texas. We couldn't provide this quality of program with their assistance.Directions, maps, a printable flyer, lodging details, and lots of other information may be found on the NEW symposium website:http://www.CottonBe ltRoute.com/Hope to see you there.Many Thanks,-Jason Lee Davisevent founder & co-hostFine print: The names and trademarks of Cotton Belt are registered trademarks of Union Pacific, used under license. Our thanks to UP Corporate Relations for their support in honoring the "Fallen Flags."~~~4th Annual Cotton Belt Railroad Symposium - Aug 8, '09 - http://www.CottonBe ltRoute.com/~~~Jason Lee Davis, Ph.D. KB5YBP Associate Professor 903-886-5598Department of Educational Leadership Texas A&M University-CommerceJason_Davis@ tamu-commerce. edu http://www.JDavis. us/
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